2010 Edition

Background

The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and did not relinquish their hold until 1943 when defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and achieved independence in 1951. Following a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI began to espouse his own political system, the Third Universal Theory. The system is a combination of socialism and Islam derived in part from tribal practices and is supposed to be implemented by the Libyan people themselves in a unique form of "direct democracy." QADHAFI has always seen himself as a revolutionary and visionary leader. He used oil funds during the 1970s and 1980s to promote his ideology outside Libya, supporting subversives and terrorists abroad to hasten the end of Marxism and capitalism. In addition, beginning in 1973, he engaged in military operations in northern Chad's Aozou Strip - to gain access to minerals and to use as a base of influence in Chadian politics - but was forced to retreat in 1987. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically following the downing of Pan AM Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. During the 1990s, QADHAFI began to rebuild his relationships with Europe. UN sanctions were suspended in April 1999 and finally lifted in September 2003 after Libya accepted responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing. In December 2003, Libya announced that it had agreed to reveal and end its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction and to renounce terrorism. QADHAFI has made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations since then. He has received various Western European leaders as well as many working-level and commercial delegations, and made his first trip to Western Europe in 15 years when he traveled to Brussels in April 2004. The US rescinded Libya's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism in June 2006. In January 2008, Libya assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008-09 term. In August 2008, the US and Libya signed a bilateral comprehensive claims settlement agreement to compensate claimants in both countries who allege injury or death at the hands of the other country, including the Lockerbie bombing, the LaBelle disco bombing, and the UTA 772 bombing. In October 2008, the US Government received $1.5 billion pursuant to the agreement to distribute to US national claimants, and as a result effectively normalized its bilateral relationship with Libya. The two countries then exchanged ambassadors for the first time since 1973 in January 2009. Libya in May 2010 was elected to its first three-year seat on the UN Human Rights Council, prompting protests from international non-governmental organizations and human rights campaigners.

Area

land

1,759,540 sq km

total

1,759,540 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Alaska

Climate

Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

Coastline

1,770 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Bikku Bitti 2,267 m

lowest point

Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m

Environment - current issues

desertification; limited natural fresh water resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, is being built to bring water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

730 cu m/yr (2000)

total

4.27 cu km/yr (14%/3%/83%)

Geographic coordinates

25 00 N, 17 00 E

Geography - note

more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert

Irrigated land

4,700 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries

Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,115 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km

total

4,348 km

Land use

arable land

1.03%

other

98.78% (2005)

permanent crops

0.19%

Location

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

62 nm

territorial sea

12 nm note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north

Natural hazards

hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, gypsum

Terrain

mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions

Total renewable water resources

0.6 cu km (1997)

Age structure

0-14 years: 33% (male 1,065,606/female 1,020,102) 15-64 years: 62.6% (male 2,036,780/female 1,923,566) 65 years and over: 4.4% (male 136,224/female 142,079) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

24.58 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

3.4 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

2.7% of GDP (1999)

Ethnic groups

Berber and Arab 97%, other 3% (includes Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

10,000 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

18.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

22.87 deaths/1,000 live births

total

20.87 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities

Life expectancy at birth

female

79.88 years (2010 est.)

male

75.18 years

total population

77.47 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

72% (2003 est.)

male

92.4%

total population

82.6%

Median age

female

24.2 years (2010 est.)

male

24.3 years

total

24.2 years

Nationality

adjective

Libyan

noun

Libyan(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population

Population

6,461,454 note: includes 166,510 non-nationals (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

2.117% (2010 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 97%, other 3%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

17 years (2003)

male

16 years

total

17 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female

total population

1.05 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.01 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

78% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

22 states (shabiyat, singular - shabiyat); Al Butnan, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jabal Al Gharbi, Al Jafarah, Al Jafrah, Al Kafrah, Al Maraj, Al Marqab, Al Murzuq, Al Wahat, An Nuqat al Khams, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghat, Misratah, Nalut, Sibha, Surt, Tarabulus, Wadi al Hayat, Wadi ash Shati

Capital

geographic coordinates

32 53 N, 13 10 E

name

Tripoli (Tarabulus)

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

none; note - following the September 1969 military overthrow of the Libyan government, the Revolutionary Command Council replaced the existing constitution with the Constitutional Proclamation in December 1969; in March 1977, Libya adopted the Declaration of the Establishment of the People's Authority

Country name

conventional long form

Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

conventional short form

Libya

local long form

Al Jamahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al Ishtirakiyah al Uthma

local short form

none

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Gene A. CRETZ

embassy

off Jaraba Street, behind the Libyan-Swiss clinic, Ben Ashour

mailing address

US Embassy, 8850 Tripoli Place, Washington, DC 20521-8850

telephone

[218] 91-220-3239

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 705, Washington, DC 20037

chief of mission

Ambassador Ali Suleiman AUJALI

FAX

[1] (202) 944-9060

telephone

[1] (202) 944-9601

Executive branch

cabinet

General People's Committee established by the General People's Congress (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969); note - holds no official title, but is de facto chief of state

election results

NA

elections

national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of people's committees; head of government elected by the General People's Congress; election last held in March 2010 (next elections expected in early 2011)

head of government

Secretary of the General People's Committee (Prime Minister) al-Baghdadi Ali al-MAHMUDI (since 5 March 2006)

Flag description

plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion)

Government type

Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in practice, an authoritarian state

Independence

24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on Italian and French civil law systems and Islamic law; separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral General People's Congress (760 seats; members elected indirectly through a hierarchy of people's committees)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Mahmoud el-SHERIF/Abdalla Shams el-DIN note: adopted 1969; the anthem was originally a battle song for the Egyptian Army in the 1956 Suez War

name

"Allahu Akbar" (God Is Greatest)

National holiday

Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)

Political parties and leaders

none

Political pressure groups and leaders

other

anti-QADHAFI Libyan exile movement; Islamic elements

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and technically compulsory

Agriculture - products

wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans; cattle

Central bank discount rate

4% (31 December 2009) 5% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

8.41% (31 December 2008) 6% (31 December 2007)

Current account balance

$15.53 billion (2010 est.) $10.06 billion (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$6.378 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $5.891 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Economy - overview

The Libyan economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contribute about 95% of export earnings, 25% of GDP, and 80% of government revenue. The weakness in world hydrocarbon prices in 2009 reduced Libyan government tax income and constrained economic growth. Substantial revenues from the energy sector coupled with a small population give Libya one of the highest per capita GDPs in Africa, but little of this income flows down to the lower orders of society. Libyan officials in the past five years have made progress on economic reforms as part of a broader campaign to reintegrate the country into the international fold. This effort picked up steam after UN sanctions were lifted in September 2003 and as Libya announced in December 2003 that it would abandon programs to build weapons of mass destruction. The process of lifting US unilateral sanctions began in the spring of 2004; all sanctions were removed by June 2006, helping Libya attract greater foreign direct investment, especially in the energy sector. Libyan oil and gas licensing rounds continue to draw high international interest; the National Oil Corporation (NOC) set a goal of nearly doubling oil production to 3 million bbl/day by 2012. In November 2009, the NOC announced that that target may slip to as late as 2017. Libya faces a long road ahead in liberalizing the socialist-oriented economy, but initial steps - including applying for WTO membership, reducing some subsidies, and announcing plans for privatization - are laying the groundwork for a transition to a more market-based economy. The non-oil manufacturing and construction sectors, which account for more than 20% of GDP, have expanded from processing mostly agricultural products to include the production of petrochemicals, iron, steel, and aluminum. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit agricultural output, and Libya imports about 75% of its food. Libya's primary agricultural water source remains the Great Manmade River Project, but significant resources are being invested in desalinization research to meet growing water demands.

Electricity - consumption

22.17 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

104 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

77 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

23.98 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

Libyan dinars (LYD) per US dollar - 1.2648 (2010), 1.2535 (2009), 1.2112 (2008), 1.2604 (2007), 1.3108 (2006)

Exports

$44.89 billion (2010 est.) $37.16 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas, chemicals

Exports - partners

Italy 37.65%, Germany 10.11%, France 8.44%, Spain 7.94%, Switzerland 5.93%, US 5.27% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

2.6%

industry

63.8%

services

33.6% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$13,800 (2010 est.) $13,600 (2009 est.) $14,000 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

3.3% (2010 est.) -0.7% (2009 est.) 2.7% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$77.91 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$89.03 billion (2010 est.) $86.19 billion (2009 est.) $86.77 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$24.47 billion (2010 est.) $22.01 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, semi-finished goods, food, transport equipment, consumer products

Imports - partners

Italy 18.9%, China 10.54%, Turkey 9.92%, Germany 9.78%, France 5.63%, Tunisia 5.25%, South Korea 4.02% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

2.7% (2010 est.)

Industries

petroleum, petrochemicals, aluminum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3% (2010 est.) 2.4% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

13.2% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

1.729 million (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

17%

industry

23%

services

59% (2004 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

5.5 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

10.4 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

15.9 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.539 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

280,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

1.542 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

575 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

1.79 million bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

47 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA note: About one-third of Libyans live at or below the national poverty line

Public debt

3.3% of GDP (2010 est.) 3.9% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$107.3 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $104.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$35.98 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $36.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$15.32 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $13.92 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$18.64 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $15.56 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$55.03 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $41.13 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$29.85 billion (31 December 2010 est) $29.82 billion (31 December 2009 est)

Unemployment rate

30% (2004 est.)

Broadcast media

state controls broadcast media; state-owned terrestrial TV station and about a half-dozen state-owned satellite stations broadcast; some provinces operate local TV stations; a single, non-state-owned TV station launched in 2007; pan-Arab satellite TV stations are available; state-owned radio broadcasts on a number of frequencies, some of which carry regional programming; Voice of Africa, Libya's external radio service, can also be heard; a single, non-state-owned radio station broadcasting (2007)

Internet country code

.ly

Internet hosts

12,432 (2010)

Internet users

353,900 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

multiple providers for a mobile telephone system that is growing rapidly; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is approaching 100 telephones per 100 persons

general assessment

telecommunications system is state-owned and service is poor, but investment is being made to upgrade; state retains monopoly in fixed-line services; mobile-cellular telephone system became operational in 1996

international

country code - 218; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat, NA Arabsat, and NA Intersputnik; submarine cable to France and Italy; microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel (2009)

Telephones - main lines in use

1.101 million (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

5.004 million (2009)

Airports

137 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

59 over 3,047 m: 24 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 23 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

78 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 42 under 914 m: 17 (2010)

Heliports

2 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 5, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 2

foreign-owned

5 (Kuwait 1, Norway 1, Syria 2, UK 1)

registered in other countries

5 (Hong Kong 1, Malta 4) (2010)

total

27

Pipelines

condensate 776 km; gas 2,860 km; oil 6,987 km (2009)

Ports and terminals

Marsa al Burayqah, Ra's Lanuf, Tripoli

Roadways

paved

57,214 km

total

100,024 km

unpaved

42,810 km (2003)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 1,746,512 females age 16-49: 1,683,390 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,490,011 females age 16-49: 1,436,613 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

57,357 (2010 est.)

male

59,842

Military branches

Armed Peoples on Duty (APOD, Army), Libyan Arab Navy, Libyan Arab Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jamahiriya al-Arabia al-Libyya, LAAF), Libyan Coast Guard (2008)

Military expenditures

3.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age (2004)

Disputes - international

Libya has claimed more than 32,000 sq km in southeastern Algeria and about 25,000 sq km in the Tommo region of Niger in a currently dormant dispute; various Chadian rebels from the Aozou region reside in southern Libya

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

8,000 (Palestinian Territories) (2007)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Libya is a transit and destination country for men and women from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List - Libya is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to address trafficking in persons in 2007 when compared to 2006, particularly in the area of investigating and prosecuting trafficking offenses; Libya did not publicly release any data on investigations or punishment of any trafficking offenses (2008) page last updated on January 25, 2011 ======================================================================