Libya

§1. Libya Introduction

Background:
  From the earliest days of his rule following the 1969 military coup, Col.
  Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI has espoused 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. Libyan support for terrorism appeared to have decreased after the
  imposition of sanctions. During the 1990s, QADHAFI also began to rebuild
  his relationships with Europe. UN sanctions were suspended in April 1999
  and finally lifted in September 2003 after Libya resolved the Lockerbie
  case. In December 2003, Libya announced that it had agreed to reveal and
  end its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction, and 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.
  QADHAFI also finally resolved in 2004 several outstanding cases against his
  government for terrorist activities in the 1980s by compensating the
  families of victims of the UTA and La Belle disco bombings.

§2. Libya Geography

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

Geographic coordinates:
  25 00 N, 17 00 E

Map references:
  Africa

Area:
  total: 1,759,540 km²
  land: 1,759,540 km²
  water: 0 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries:
  total: 4,348 km
  border countries: Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,115 km, Niger 354
    km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km

Coastline:
  1,770 km

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

Climate:
  Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

Terrain:
  mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m
  highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m

Natural resources:
  petroleum, natural gas, gypsum

Land use:
  arable land: 1.03%
  permanent crops: 0.19%
  other: 98.78% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  4,700 km² (1998 est.)

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

Environment - current issues:
  desertification; very 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, Desertification, Endangered
    Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
  more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert

§3. Libya People

Population:
  5,900,754
  note: includes 166,510 non-nationals (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 33.6% (male 1,012,748/female 969,978)
  15-64 years: 62.2% (male 1,891,643/female 1,778,621)
  65 years and over: 4.2% (male 121,566/female 126,198) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 23 years
  male: 23.1 years
  female: 22.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.3% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  26.49 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  3.48 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

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 (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 23.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 25.99 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 21.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.69 years
  male: 74.46 years
  female: 79.02 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  3.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  10,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: intermediate
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid
    fever
  vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations during
    the transmission season (typically April through October) (2005)

Nationality:
  noun: Libyan(s)
  adjective: Libyan

Ethnic groups:
  Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis,
  Turks, Indians, Tunisians

Religions:
  Sunni Muslim 97%

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

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 82.6%
  male: 92.4%
  female: 72% (2003 est.)

§4. Libya Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
  conventional short form: Libya
  local long form: Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al
    Ishtirakiyah al Uzma
  local short form: none

Government type:
  Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace
  through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship

Capital:
  Tripoli

Administrative divisions:
  25 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ajdabiya, Al
  'Aziziyah, Al Fatih, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jufrah, Al Khums, Al Kufrah, An
  Nuqat al Khams, Ash Shati', Awbari, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghadamis,
  Gharyan, Misratah, Murzuq, Sabha, Sawfajjin, Surt, Tarabulus, Tarhunah,
  Tubruq, Yafran, Zlitan; note - the 25 municipalities may have been replaced
  by 13 regions

Independence:
  24 December 1951 (from Italy)

National holiday:
  Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)

Constitution:
  11 December 1969; amended 2 March 1977

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

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
  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
  head of government: Secretary of the General People's Committee (Prime
    Minister) al-Baghdadi Ali al-MAHMUDI (since 5 March 2006)
  cabinet: General People's Committee established by the General People's
    Congress
  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 2 March 2000 (next to be held NA)
  election results: NA

Legislative branch:
  unicameral General People's Congress (NA seats; members elected indirectly
  through a hierarchy of people's committees)

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
  none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  various Arab nationalist movements with almost negligible memberships may
  be functioning clandestinely, as well as some Islamic elements; an
  anti-QADHAFI Libyan exile movement exists, primarily based in London, but
  has little influence

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, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
  IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  Libya does not have an embassy in the US but maintains an interest section
  under the protective power of the United Arab Emirates Embassy in the US

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  the US suspended all embassy activities in Tripoli in May 1980, resumed
  embassy activities in February 2004 under the protective power of the US
  interests section of the Belgian Embassy in Tripoli, then opened a Liaison
  Office in Tripoli in June 2004

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

§5. Libya Economy

Economy - overview:
  The Libyan economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector,
  which contribute about 95% of export earnings, about one-quarter of GDP,
  and 60% of public sector wages. 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 four 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 that it would abandon
  programs to build weapons of mass destruction in December 2003. Almost all
  US unilateral sanctions against Libya were removed in April 2004, helping
  Libya attract more foreign direct investment, mostly in the energy sector.
  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 about 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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $48.29 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $33.48 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  8.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $8,400 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 7.6%
  industry: 49.9%
  services: 42.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  1.64 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 17%, industry 23%, services 59% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  30% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  -1% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  11.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $25.34 billion
  expenditures: $15.47 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.6
    billion (2005 est.)

Public debt:
  8% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans; cattle

Industries:
  petroleum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  14.4 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  13.39 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  1.643 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  237,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  40 billion bbl (2005 est.)

Natural gas - production:
  7 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  6.25 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  770 million m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  1.321 trillion m³ (2005)

Current account balance:
  $14.44 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $30.79 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas

Exports - partners:
  Italy 37%, Germany 16.6%, Spain 11.9%, Turkey 7.1%, France 6.2% (2004)

Imports:
  $10.82 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery, transport equipment, semi-finished goods, food, consumer
  products

Imports - partners:
  Italy 25.5%, Germany 11%, South Korea 6.1%, UK 5.4%, Tunisia 4.7%, Turkey
  4.6% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $32.31 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $4.267 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  ODA, $4.4 million (2002)

Currency (code):
  Libyan dinar (LYD)

Exchange rates:
  Libyan dinars per US dollar - 1.3084 (2005), 1.305 (2004), 1.2929 (2003),
  1.2707 (2002), 0.6051 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Libya Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  750,000 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  127,000 (2003)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: telecommunications system is being modernized; mobile
    cellular telephone system became operational in 1996
  domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, cellular, tropospheric
    scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations
  international: country code - 218; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat,
    NA Arabsat, and NA Intersputnik; submarine cables to France and Italy;
    microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to
    Greece; participant in Medarabtel (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 16, FM 3, shortwave 3 (2002)

Television broadcast stations:
  12 (plus one low-power repeater) (1999)

Internet country code:
  .ly

Internet hosts:
  47 (2005)

Internet users:
  205,000 (2005)

§7. Libya Transportation

Airports:
  139 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 59
  over 3,047 m: 23
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 23
  914 to 1,523 m: 5
  under 914 m: 2 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 80
  over 3,047 m: 5
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
  914 to 1,523 m: 41
  under 914 m: 18 (2005)

Heliports:
  2 (2005)

Pipelines:
  condensate 225 km; gas 3,611 km; oil 7,252 km (2004)

Railways:
  0 km
  note: Libya is working on seven lines totaling 2,757 km of 1.435-m gauge
    track; it hopes to have trains running by 2008 (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 83,200 km
  paved: 47,590 km
  unpaved: 35,610 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
  total: 17 ships (1000 GRT or over) 96,062 GRT/88,760 DWT
  by type: cargo 9, liquefied gas 3, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1,
    roll on/roll off 2
  foreign-owned: 4 (Kuwait 1, Turkey 2, UAE 1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  As Sidrah, Az Zuwaytinah, Marsa al Burayqah, Ra's Lanuf, Tripoli, Zawiyah

§8. Libya Military

Military branches:
  Armed Peoples on Duty (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command

Military service age and obligation:
  17 years of age (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 17-49: 1,505,675 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 17-49: 1,291,624 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 62,034 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $1.3 billion (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  3.9% (FY99)

§9. Libya Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  Libya has claimed more than 32,000 km² in southeastern Algeria and about
  25,000 km² in Niger in currently dormant disputes; various Chadian rebels
  from the Aozou region reside in southern Libya


<Factbook 2006>
