2015 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 al-QADHAFI assumed leadership and began to espouse his political system at home, which was a combination of socialism and Islam. During the 1970s, QADHAFI used oil revenues to promote his ideology outside Libya, supporting subversive and terrorist activities that included the downing of two airliners - one over Scotland, another in Northern Africa - and a discotheque bombing in Berlin. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically and economically following the attacks; sanctions were lifted in 2003 following Libyan acceptance of responsibility for the bombings and agreement to claimant compensation. QADHAFI also agreed to end Libya's program to develop weapons of mass destruction, and he made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations. Unrest that began in several Middle Eastern and North African countries in late 2010 erupted in Libyan cities in early 2011. QADHAFI's brutal crackdown on protesters spawned a civil war that triggered UN authorization of air and naval intervention by the international community. After months of seesaw fighting between government and opposition forces, the QADHAFI regime was toppled in mid-2011 and replaced by a transitional government. Libya in 2012 formed a new parliament and elected a new prime minister. The country subsequently elected a new parliament in 2014, but remnants of the outgoing legislature refused to leave office and created a rival government. The UN since September 2014 has been working to reconcile the governments and encouraging them to form a national unity government.

Area

land

1,759,540 sq km

total

1,759,540 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 2.5 times the size of Texas; 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 freshwater resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, brings 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

796.1 cu m/yr (2000)

total

4.33 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 (6)

Algeria 989 km, Chad 1,050 km, Egypt 1,115 km, Niger 342 km, Sudan 382 km, Tunisia 461 km

total

4,339 km

Land use

arable land 1%; permanent crops 0.2%; permanent pasture 7.6%

agricultural land

8.8%

forest

0.1%

other

91.1% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

62 nm

note

Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north

territorial sea

12 nm

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

0.7 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

26.52% (male 869,583/female 830,751)

15-24 years

17.77% (male 588,243/female 551,139)

25-54 years

46.62% (male 1,567,608/female 1,421,246)

55-64 years

4.97% (male 163,133/female 155,703)

65 years and over

4.12% (male 132,740/female 131,630) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

18.03 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

5.6% (2007)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

41.9% (2007)

Death rate

3.58 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.9%

potential support ratio

14.5% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

52.4%

youth dependency ratio

45.5%

Drinking water source

urban: 54.2% of population

rural: 54.9% of population

total: 54.4% of population

urban: 45.8% of population

rural: 45.1% of population

total: 45.6% of population (2001 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

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

Health expenditures

4.3% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

3.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

female

10.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

12.42 deaths/1,000 live births

total

11.48 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Arabic (official), Italian, English (all widely understood in the major cities); Berber (Nafusi, Ghadamis, Suknah, Awjilah, Tamasheq)

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.06 years (2015 est.)

male

74.54 years

total population

76.26 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

85.6% (2015 est.)

male

96.7%

total population

91%

Major urban areas - population

TRIPOLI (capital) 1.126 million (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

9 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

female

27.8 years (2015 est.)

male

28.2 years

total

28 years

Nationality

adjective

Libyan

noun

Libyan(s)

Net migration rate

7.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

31.9% (2014)

Physicians density

1.9 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

6,411,776

note

immigrants make up just over 12% of the total population, according to UN data (2013) (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

2.23% (2015 est.)

Religions

Muslim (official; virtually all Sunni) 96.6%, Christian 2.7%, Buddhist 0.3%, Hindu

note

non-Sunni Muslims include native Ibadhi Muslims (

Sanitation facility access

urban: 96.8% of population

rural: 95.7% of population

total: 96.6% of population

urban: 3.2% of population

rural: 4.3% of population

total: 3.4% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.07 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.1 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over

1.01 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.08 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.05 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

67.8% (2012 est.)

male

40.8%

total

48.7%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.13% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

78.6% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

22 districts (shabiyat, singular - shabiyat); Al Butnan, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jabal al Gharbi, Al Jafarah, Al Jufrah, Al Kufrah, Al Marj, Al Marqab, Al Wahat, An Nuqat al Khams, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghat, Misratah, Murzuq, Nalut, Sabha, 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)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent or grandparent must be a citizen of Libya

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

varies from 3 to 5 years

Constitution

previous 1951, 1977; latest 2011 (interim); note - the Constitution Drafting Assembly continued drafting a new constitution as of early 2015 (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Libya

local long form

none

local short form

Libiya

note

the name derives from the Libu, an ancient Libyan tribe first mentioned in texts from the 13th century B.C.

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Peter William BODDE (since 21 December 2015)

embassy

Sidi Slim Area/Walie Al-Ahed Road, Tripoli

mailing address

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

note

on 11 September 2012, US Ambassador Christopher STEVENS and three other American diplomats were killed in an attack by heavily armed militants on a US diplomatic post in the eastern city of Benghazi; the US Government evacuated its Embassy in Tripoli in July 1014

telephone

[218] (0) 91-220-3239

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

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

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Wafa M.T. BUGHAIGHIS (since 5 December 2014)

FAX

[1] (202) 944-9606

telephone

[1] (202) 944-9601

Executive branch

cabinet

new cabinet approved by the House of Representatives in September 2014

chief of state

Speaker of the House of Representatives Aqilah Salah ISSA (since 5 August 2014)

election results

NA

elections/appointments

prime minister and speaker of the house elected by the House of Representatives

head of government

Prime Minister Abdullah al-THINI (since 11 March 2014); Deputy Prime Ministers Abd al-Salam al-BADRI (since 4 August 2014), Al-Mahdi Hasan Muftah al-LABAD (since 4 August 2014), Abd al-Rahman al-Tahir al-UHAYRISH (since 4 August 2014)

Flag description

three horizontal bands of red (top), black (double width), and green with a white crescent and star centered on the black stripe; the National Transitional Council reintroduced this flag design of the former Kingdom of Libya (1951-1969) on 27 February 2011; it replaced the former all-green banner promulgated by the QADHAFI regime in 1977; the colors represent the three major regions of the country: red stands for Fezzan, black symbolizes Cyrenaica, and green denotes Tripolitania; the crescent and star represent Islam, the main religion of the country

Government type

operates under a transitional government

Independence

24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BDEAC, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), 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 (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

NA; note - government in transition

Legal system

Libya's post-revolution legal system is in flux and driven by state and non-state entities

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Council of Deputies or Majlis Al Nuwab (200 seats including 32 reserved for women; members elected by direct popular vote; member term NA)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 200; note - not all 200 seats were filled in the June election because of boycotts and lack of security at some polling stations; some elected members of the Council also boycotted the election

elections

election last held in June 2014; note - the Libyan Supreme Court in November 2014 declared the House election unconstitutional, but the Council rejected te ruling; no country has officially recognized the rival government

National anthem

lyrics/music

Mahmoud el-SHERIF/Abdalla Shams el-DIN

name

"Allahu Akbar" (God Is Greatest)

note

adopted 1969; originally a battle song for the Egyptian Army in the 1956 Suez War

National holiday

Liberation Day, 23 October (2011)

National symbol(s)

star and crescent, hawk; national colors: red, black, green

Political parties and leaders

Al-Watan (Homeland) Party

Justice and Construction Party or JCP [Mohamed SOWAN]

National Forces Alliance or NFA [Mahmoud JIBRIL] (includes many political organizations, NGOs, and independents)

National Front (initially the National Front for the Salvation of Libya, formed in 1981 as a diaspora opposition group)

Union for the Homeland [Abd al-Rahman al-SUWAYHILI]

note

partial list of the larger political parties and leaders

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age, universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$35.47 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$19.55 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-38.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

9.52% (31 December 2010)

3% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

6% (31 December 2014 est.)

6% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$12.39 billion (2014 est.)

$8.895 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$5.244 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$6.028 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Economy - overview

Libya's economy is almost entirely dependent on the nation's energy sector, which generates about 65% of GDP and 96% of government revenue. Income from the sale of crude oil and natural gas, coupled with a small population, give Libya one of the highest nominal per capita GDPs in Africa, but Libya’s leaders have hindered economic development by, for the most part, failing to use these financial resources to invest in national infrastructure. Libyan sales of oil and natural gas collapsed during the Revolution of 2011, rebounded in 2012 and 2013, but then fell sharply in late 2013 and throughout 2014 due to major protest disruptions at Libyan oil ports and around the country. The state sector is large and growing, with the majority of the Libyan workforce receiving a government salary in 2014. Sharply decreased revenues and increased payments for state salaries and for subsidies on fuel and food resulted in an estimated budget deficit about 50% of GDP in 2014, up from about 4% in 2013. Libya’s economic transition away from Qadhafi’s notionally socialist model toward a market-based economy stalled as revenues shrank, political uncertainty grew, and security deteriorated. Rival political factions in late 2014 were competing for control of the central bank and the national oil company, while funding for economic reform and infrastructure projects has stopped.

Exchange rates

Libyan dinars (LYD) per US dollar -

1.2724 (2014 est.)

1.2724 (2013 est.)

1.26 (2012 est.)

1.224 (2011 est.)

1.2668 (2010 est.)

Exports

$16.46 billion (2014 est.)

$46.02 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas, chemicals

Exports - partners

Italy 17.7%, France 13.1%, Germany 11.9%, Netherlands 8.5%, Switzerland 6.1%, Spain 6%, Greece 4.8%, Austria 4.3% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

41.3%

government consumption

22.8%

household consumption

83.9%

imports of goods and services

-52.7%

investment in fixed capital

3.9%

investment in inventories

0.8%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

2%

industry

45.5%

services

52.5% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$15,900 (2014 est.)

$20,900 (2013 est.)

$24,200 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

-24% (2014 est.)

-13.6% (2013 est.)

104.5% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$41.15 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$97.94 billion (2014 est.)

$128.9 billion (2013 est.)

$149.1 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

1.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

37.3% of GDP (2013 est.)

45% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$20.43 billion (2014 est.)

$34.05 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Italy 15.1%, China 12.3%, Turkey 11.8%, Egypt 5.7%, South Korea 5.1%, Tunisia 4.7%, Spain 4.4% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

-32.3% (2014 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.8% (2014 est.)

2.6% (2013 est.)

Labor force

1.438 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

17%

industry

23%

services

59% (2004 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

NA%

note

about one-third of Libyans live at or below the national poverty line

Public debt

6.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

3.5% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$61.63 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$89.25 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of broad money

$54.66 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$53.34 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$20.91 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$20.16 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$16.04 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$16.04 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$-16.48 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$-38.46 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$48.02 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$49.61 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

47.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

30% (2004 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

54.6 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

735,000 bbl/day

note

Libyan crude oil export values are highly volatile because of continuing protests and other disruptions across the country (2013 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

470,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

48.36 billion bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

27.54 billion kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

14 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

99.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

61 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

7.121 million kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

31.94 billion kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

6.487 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

5.513 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

12 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.549 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

242,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

35,630 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

108,500 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

171,600 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Broadcast media

state-funded and private TV stations; some provinces operate local TV stations; pan-Arab satellite TV stations are available; state-funded radio (2012)

Internet country code

.ly

Internet users

percent of population

21.8% (2014 est.)

total

1.4 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 16, FM 3, shortwave 3 (2001)

Telephone system

domestic

multiple providers for a mobile telephone system that is growing rapidly; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity has soared

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 (2010)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

11 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

710,000

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

161 (2014 est.)

total

10.1 million

Television broadcast stations

12 (plus 1 repeater) (1999)

Airports

146 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

30

2,438 to 3,047 m

7

914 to 1,523 m

7

over 3,047 m

23

total

68

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

20 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

14

2,438 to 3,047 m

5

914 to 1,523 m

37

over 3,047 m

2

total

78

Heliports

2 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 2, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 1

foreign-owned

2 (Kuwait 1, Norway 1)

registered in other countries

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

total

23

Pipelines

condensate 882 km; gas 3,743 km; oil 7,005 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

LNG terminal (export)

Marsa el Brega

major seaport(s)

Marsa al Burayqah (Marsa el Brega), Tripoli

oil terminal(s)

Az Zawiyah, Ra's Lanuf

Roadways

paved

57,214 km

total

100,024 km

unpaved

42,810 km (2003)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

1,714,194 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,775,078

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

1,458,934 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,511,144

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

57,070 (2010 est.)

male

59,547

Military branches

note - in transition; government has affiliated Army, Air Force, and Navy forces (2015)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for mandatory or voluntary service (2012)

Disputes - international

dormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the FLN's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco; various Chadian rebels from the Aozou region reside in southern Libya

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

more than 434,000 (conflict between pro-Qadhafi and anti-Qadhafi forces in 2011; post-Qadhafi tribal clashes 2014) (2015)

refugees (country of origin)

18,653 (Syria); 5,391 (West Bank and Gaza Strip) (2014)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Libya is a destination and transit country for men and women from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia subjected to forced labor and forced prostitution; migrants who seek employment in Libya as laborers and domestic workers or transit Libya en route to Europe may be subject to forced labor; private employers also recruit migrants from detention centers as forced laborers on farms and construction sites; some sub-Saharan women are reportedly forced to work in Libyan brothels, particularly in the country’s south; militia groups and other informal military units allegedly conscript children under the age of 18

tier rating

Tier 3 - the Libyan Government does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government failed to demonstrate significant efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking offenders in 2013 or to identify and protect trafficking victims; authorities continued to treat trafficking victims as illegal migrants, punishing them for unlawful acts that were committed as a result of being trafficked; no public anti-trafficking awareness or education campaigns were conducted (2014)