Libya

Jamahiriya (a state of the masses)Independence 24 December 1951 (from Italy)

Libya as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 68 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalTripoli

Area1,759,540 km2

Populationas each edition published it

4.22 million July 1990 · 7.36m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.73% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 22.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 63.47 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

5.2 children per woman 1990 · 2.96 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

64 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 10.4 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $5,800 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.2% in 1993

Geography

13 fields

Land useshare of 1,759,540 km2

arable land 1%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 8%forest and woodland 0%other 91%includes NEGL% irrigated

Total area

1,759,540km2

land area: 1,759,540 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska

Coastline

1,770km

Territorial sea: 12 nm;

Land boundaries

4,383km total

Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,150 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km

Gulf of Sidra closing line

32o 30' N

Disputes

claims and occupies a small portion of the Aozou Strip in northern Chad;
maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia;
Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in northern Niger;
Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria

Climate

Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

Terrain

mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions

Environment

hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall;
desertification;
sparse natural surface-water resources

Note

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

People

14 fields

Population

4,221,141

(July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

37Death

7Net migration

Ethnic divisions

97% Berber and Arab; some Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians

Language

Arabic; Italian and English widely understood in major cities

Labor force

1,000,000, includes about 280,000 resident foreigners; 31% industry, 27% services, 24% government, 18% agriculture

Organized labor

National Trade Unions' Federation, 275,000 members;
General Union for Oil and Petrochemicals;
Pan-Africa Federation of Petroleum Energy and Allied Workers

Government

Jamahiriya (a state of the masses)

15 fields

Long-form name

Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Type

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

Administrative divisions

46 municipalities (baladiyat, singular--baladiyah);
Ajdabiya, Al Abyar, Al Aziziyah, Al Bayda, Al Jufrah, Al Jumayl, Al Khums, Al Kufrah, Al Marj, Al Qarabulli, Al Qubbah, Al Ujaylat, Ash Shati, Awbari, Az Zahra, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Bani Walid, Bin Jawwad, Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan, Ghat, Jadu, Jalu, Janzur, Masallatah, Misratah, Mizdah, Murzuq, Nalut, Qaminis, Qasr Bin Ghashir, Sabha, Sabratah, Shahhat, Surman, Surt, Tajura, Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq, Tukrah, Yafran, Zlitan, Zuwarah;
note--the number of municipalities may have been reduced to 13 named Al Jabal al-Akhdar, Al Jabal al-Gharbi, Al Jabal al-Khums, Al Batnam, Al Kufrah, Al Marqab, Al Marzuq, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Khalij Surt, Sabha, Tripoli, Wadi al-Hayat

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

Executive branch

revolutionary leader, chairman of the General People's Committee, General People's Committee (cabinet)

Supreme Court Chief of State--Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969); Head of Government--Chairman of the General People's Committee (Premier) Umar Mustafa al-MUNTASIR (since 1 March 1987)

Political parties and leaders

none

Suffrage

universal and compulsory at age 18

Elections

national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of revolutionary committees

Flag

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

Economy

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

20%

(1988 est.)

Unemployment rate

(1988 est.)

External debt

$2.1billion

excluding military debt (December 1988)

Budget

Revenues

$6.4 billionExpenditures

$11.3 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $3.6 billion (1986 est.)

Overview

The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contributes virtually all export earnings and over 50% to GNP. Since 1980, however, the sharp drop in oil prices and resulting decline in export revenues has adversely affected economic development.

In 1986 per capita GNP was the highest in Africa at $5,410, but it had been $2,000 higher in 1982. Severe cutbacks in imports over the past five years have led to shortages of basic goods and foodstuffs, although the reopening of the Libyan-Tunisian border in April 1988 and the Libyan-Egyptian border in December 1989 have somewhat eased shortages.

Austerity budgets and a lack of trained technicians have undermined the government's ability to implement a number of planned infrastructure development projects. The nonoil industrial and construction sectors, which account for about 15% of GNP, have expanded from processing mostly agricultural products to include petrochemicals, iron, steel, and aluminum.

Although agriculture accounts for less than 5% of GNP, it employs 20% of the labor force. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit farm output, requiring Libya to import about 75% of its food requirements.

GNP

$20 billion, per capita $5,410; real growth rate 0% (1988 est.)

Exports

$6.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities--petroleum, peanuts, hides;
partners--Italy, USSR, FRG, Spain, France, Belgium/Luxembourg, Turkey

Imports

$5.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities--machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods;
partners--Italy, USSR, FRG, UK, Japan

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Electricity

4,580,000 kW capacity; 13,360 million kWh produced, 3,270 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement

Agriculture

5% of GNP;
cash crops--wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus fruits, peanuts;
75% of food is imported

Aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $242 million

Currency

Libyan dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams

Exchange rates

Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1--0.2896 (January 1990), 0.2922 (1989), 0.2853 (1988), 0.2706 (1987), 0.3139 (1986), 0.2961 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

7 fields

Merchant marine, 30 ships by typeone square, one ship

short-sea passenger 3cargo 11roll-on/roll-off cargo 4petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 11chemical tanker 130 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 816,546 GRT/1,454,874 DWT

Airports, 130 total, 122 usable

permanent-surface runways

53runways over 3,659 m

7runways 2,440-3,659 m

30runways 1,220-2,439 m

Highways

32,500 km total; 24,000 km bituminous and bituminous treated, 8,500 km gravel, crushed stone and earth

Pipelines

crude oil 4,383 km;
natural gas 1,947 km;
refined products 443 km (includes 256 km liquid petroleum gas)

Ports

Tobruk, Tripoli, Banghazi, Misratah, Marsa el Brega

Civil air

59 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

modern telecommunications system using radio relay, coaxial cable, tropospheric scatter, and domestic satellite stations;
370,000 telephones;
stations--18 AM, 3 FM, 13 TV;
satellite earth stations-- 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 14 domestic;
submarine cables to France and Italy;
radio relay to Tunisia;
tropospheric scatter to Greece;
planned ARABSAT and Intersputnik satellite stations