LIBYA
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LIBYA
@Libya:Geography
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
Egypt and Tunisia
Map references: Africa
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LIBYA - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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TRIPOLI 858,000 32.49N, 13.07E 218-21 GMT+1
Benghazi 446,000 32.07N, 20.04E 218-61 GMT+1
Misurata 122,000 32.23N, 15.06E 218-51 GMT+1
Az Zawiyah 85,000 32.45N, 12.44E 218- GMT+1
Al-Bayda 32,000 32.49N, 21.45E 218- GMT+1
Ajdabiya 31,000 30.48N, 20.15E 218- GMT+1
Darnah 30,000 32.46N, 22.35E 218-81 GMT+1
Sebha 29,000 27.09N, 14.29E 218-71 GMT+1
Tubruq 28,000 32.05N, 23.59E 218- GMT+1
Al-Marj 25,000 32.25N, 20.54E 218- GMT+1
Zlitan 21,000 32.28N, 14.34E 218- GMT+1
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Area:
total area: 1,759,540 sq km
land area: 1,759,540 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries: total 4,383 km, Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt
1,150 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km
Coastline: 1,770 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
Gulf of Sidra closing line: 32 degrees 30 minutes north
International disputes: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled
in February 1994 that the 100,000 sq km Aozou Strip between Chad and
Libya belongs to Chad, and that Libya must withdraw from it by 31 May
1994; Libya has withdrawn some its forces in response to the ICJ
ruling, but still maintains an airfield in the disputed area; maritime
boundary dispute with Tunisia; claims part of northern Niger and part
of southeastern Algeria
Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
Terrain: mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus,
depressions
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, gypsum
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 8%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 90%
Irrigated land: 2,420 sq km (1989 est.)
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
natural hazards: hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind
lasting one to four days in spring and fall; duststorms, sandstorms
international agreements: party to - Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea
@Libya:People
Population: 5,248,401 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (female 1,226,851; male 1,269,813)
15-64 years: 49% (female 1,261,424; male 1,331,093)
65 years and over: 3% (female 76,017; male 83,203) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.7% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 44.89 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 7.91 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 61.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.29 years
male: 62.12 years
female: 66.57 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.32 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Libyan(s)
adjective: Libyan
Ethnic divisions: 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: age 15 and over can read and write (1984)
total population: 60%
male: 77%
female: 42%
Labor force: 1 million (includes about 280,000 resident foreigners)
by occupation: industry 31%, services 27%, government 24%, agriculture
18%
@Libya:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
conventional short form: Libya
local long form: Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al
Ishirakiyah
local short form: none
Digraph: LY
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 (baladiyah, singular -
baladiyat); 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
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. Mu'ammar Abu Minyar
al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969)
head of government: Chairman of the General People's Committee
(Premier) Abd al Majid al-Qa'ud (since 29 January 1994)
cabinet: General People's Committee; established by the General
People's Congress
note: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of peoples'
committees
Legislative branch: unicameral
General People's Congress: national elections are indirect through a
hierarchy of peoples' committees
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: none
Other political or pressure groups: various Arab nationalist movements
with almost negligible memberships may be functioning clandestinely,
as well as some Islamic elements
Member of: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, OPEC,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: none
US diplomatic representation: none
Flag: plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state
religion)
Economy
Overview: The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon
revenues from the oil sector, which contributes practically all export
earnings and about one-third of GDP. In 1990 per capita GDP was the
highest in Africa at $5,410, but GDP growth rates have slowed and
fluctuated sharply in response to changes in the world oil market.
Import restrictions and inefficient resource allocations have led to
periodic shortages of basic goods and foodstuffs. Windfall revenues
from the hike in world oil prices in late 1990 improved the foreign
payments position and resulted in a current account surplus through
1992. The nonoil manufacturing and construction sectors, which account
for about 20% of GDP, have expanded from processing mostly
agricultural products to include petrochemicals, iron, steel, and
aluminum. Although agriculture accounts for only 5% of GDP, it employs
18% of the labor force. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely
limit farm output, and Libya imports about 75% of its food
requirements. The UN sanctions imposed in April 1992 have not yet had
a major impact on the economy because Libya's oil revenues generate
sufficient foreign exchange which sustains imports of food, consumer
goods, and equipment for the oil industry and ongoing development
projects.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $32.9 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: -0.9% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $6,510 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $8.1 billion
expenditures: $9.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1
billion (1989 est.)
Exports: $7.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas
partners: Italy, Germany, Spain, France, UK, Turkey, Greece, Egypt
Imports: $6.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods
partners: Italy, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Turkey, Tunisia, Eastern
Europe
External debt: $3.5 billion excluding military debt (1991 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 10.5% (1990)
Electricity:
capacity: 4,600,000 kW
production: 16.1 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 3,078 kWh (1993)
Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement
Agriculture: 5% of GDP; cash crops - wheat, barley, olives, dates,
citrus fruits, peanuts; 75% of food is imported
Economic aid:
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $242 million
note: no longer a recipient
Currency: 1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams
Exchange rates: Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1 - 0.3555 (January 1995),
0.3596 (1994), 0.3250 (1993), 0.3013 (1992), 0.2684 (1991), 0.2699
(1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Libya:Transportation
Railroads:
note: Libya has had no railroad in operation since 1965, all previous
systems having been dismantled; current plans are to construct a
1.435-m standard gauge line from the Tunisian frontier to Tripoli and
Misratah, then inland to Sabha, center of a mineral-rich area, but
there has been no progress; other plans made jointly with Egypt would
establish a rail line from As Sallum, Egypt, to Tobruk with completion
set for mid-1994; no progress has been reported
Highways:
total: 19,300 km
paved: bituminous 10,800 km
unpaved: gravel, earth 8,500 km
Inland waterways: none
Pipelines: crude oil 4,383 km; petroleum products 443 km (includes
liquified petroleum gas 256 km); natural gas 1,947 km
Ports: Al Khums, Banghazi, Darnah, Marsa al Burayqah, Misratah, Ra's
Lanuf, Tobruk, Tripoli, Zuwarah
Merchant marine:
total: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 686,136 GRT/1,208,194 DWT
ships by type: cargo 10, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas tanker 2,
oil tanker 10, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, short-sea passenger 4
Airports:
total: 146
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 24
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 6
with paved runways under 914 m: 21
with unpaved runways over 3,047 m: 4
with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 17
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 44
@Libya:Communications
Telephone system: 370,000 telephones; modern telecommunications system
local: NA
intercity: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, tropospheric scatter,
and 14 domestic satellites
international: 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
satellite earth stations; submarine cables to France and Italy;
microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to
Greece; planned ARABSAT and Intersputnik satellite earth stations
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 17, FM 3, shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 12
televisions: NA
@Libya:Defense Forces
Branches: Armed Peoples of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriyah (includes Army,
Navy, and Air and Air Defense Command), Police
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,131,175; males fit for
military service 672,571; males reach military age (17) annually
54,676 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $1.4 billion, 6.1% of
GDP (1994 est.)
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