Libya
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
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councilsIndependence 24 December 1951 (from Italy)
Libya as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 113 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Since he took power in a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI has espoused his own political system - a combination of socialism and Islam - which he calls the Third International Theory. Viewing himself as a revolutionary leader, he used oil funds during the 1970s and 1980s to promote his ideology outside Libya, even supporting subversives and terrorists abroad to hasten the end of Marxism and capitalism.
Libyan military adventures failed, e.g., the prolonged foray of Libyan troops into the Aozou Strip in northern Chad was finally repulsed in 1987. Libyan support for terrorism decreased after UN sanctions were imposed in 1992. Those sanctions were suspended in April 1999.
Geography
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia
17 fieldsLand boundaries
total: 4,383 km border countries: Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,150 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km
Land use
arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 8% forests and woodland: 0% other: 91% (1993 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: Climate Change, Desertification, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Population
5,240,599 note: includes 662,669 non-nationals, of which an estimated 500,000 or more are Africans living in Libya (July 2001 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 35.41% (male 947,645; female 907,854) 15-64 years: 60.64% (male 1,645,085; female 1,533,066) 65 years and over: 3.95% (male 101,701; female 105,248) (2001 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.65 years male: 73.53 years female: 77.88 years (2001 est.)
Ethnic groups
Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 76.2% male: 87.9% female: 63% (1995 est.)
Government
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969)
18 fieldsCountry 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
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
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
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 (Premier) Mubarak al-SHAMEKH (since 2 March 2000) 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: Mubarak al-SHAMEKH elected premier; percent of General People's Congress vote - NA%
Legislative branch
unicameral General People's Congress (NA seats; members elected indirectly through a hierarchy of people's committees)
Political pressure groups and leaders
various Arab nationalist movements with almost negligible memberships may be functioning clandestinely, as well as some Islamic elements
International organization participation
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation from the US
the US suspended all embassy activities in Tripoli on 2 May 1980
Economy
32 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contributes practically all export earnings and about one-quarter of GDP. These oil revenues and 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.
In this statist society, import restrictions and inefficient resource allocations have led to periodic shortages of basic goods and foodstuffs. The nonoil 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 requirements. Higher oil prices in 1999 and 2000 led to an increase in export revenues, which improved macroeconomic balances and helped to stimulate the economy. Following the suspension of UN sanctions in 1999, Libya has been trying to increase its attractiveness to foreign investors, and several foreign companies have visited in search of contracts.
Budget
revenues: $6.85 billion expenditures: $4.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Exchange rates
- Libyan dinars per US dollar - 0.5101 (January 2001), 0.5081 (2000), 0.4616 (1999), 0.3785 (1998), 0.3891 (1997), 0.3651 (1996) note: Libya currently has two rates for foreign trade;
- one for government operations and foreign companies and one for Libyan individuals (0.45 dinars per US dollar in December 1998)
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone 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: 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)
Transportation
9 fieldsRailways
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 little progress;
other plans made jointly with Egypt would establish a rail line from As Sallum, Egypt, to Tobruk with completion originally set for mid-1994; Libya signed contracts with two private companies - Bahne of Egypt and Jez Sistemas Ferroviarios of Spain - in 1998 for the supply of crossings and pointwork (1001)
Pipelines
- crude oil 4,383 km;
- petroleum products 443 km (includes liquefied petroleum gas or LPG 256 km);
- natural gas 1,947 km
Ports and harbors
Al Khums, Banghazi, Darnah, Marsa al Burayqah, Misratah, Ra's Lanuf, Tobruk, Tripoli, Zuwarah
Merchant marine
total: 28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 399,725 GRT/654,843 DWT ships by type: cargo 10, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea passenger 4 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 58 over 3,047 m: 23 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 78 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 40 under 914 m: 18 (2000 est.)
Military
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Command
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - international
Libya claims about 19,400 sq km in northern Niger and also a part of southeastern Algeria
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Libya.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/libya/2001.