Map of Libya | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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 Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI began to espouse his political system the Third Universal Theory. The system was a combination of socialism and Islam derived in part from tribal practices and was supposed to be implemented by the Libyan people themselves in a unique form of 'direct democracy.' QADHAFI 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. During the 1990s QADHAFI began to rebuild his relationships with Europe. UN sanctions were suspended in April 1999 and finally lifted in September 2003 after Libya accepted responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing. In December 2003 Libya announced that it had agreed to reveal and end its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction and to renounce terrorism. QADHAFI subsequently made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations. The US rescinded Libya's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism in June 2006. In August 2008 the US and Libya signed a bilateral comprehensive claims settlement agreement to compensate claimants in both countries who allege injury or death at the hands of the other country including the Lockerbie bombing the LaBelle disco bombing and the UTA 772 bombing. In October 2008 the US Government received $1.5 billion pursuant to the agreement to distribute to US national claimants and as a result effectively normalized its bilateral relationship with Libya. The two countries then exchanged ambassadors for the first time since 1973 in January 2009. Libya in May 2010 was elected to its first three-year seat on the UN Human Rights Council prompting protests from international non-governmental organizations and human rights campaigners. Unrest that began in several Near Eastern and North African countries in late December 2010 spread to several Libyan cities in early 2011. In March 2011 a Transitional National Council (TNC) was formed in Benghazi with the stated aim of overthrowing the QADHAFI regime and guiding the country to democracy. In response to QADHAFI's harsh military crackdown on protesters the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1973 which demanded an immediate ceasefire and authorized the international community to establish a no-fly zone over Libya. After several months of see-saw fighting anti-QADHAFI forces in August 2011 captured the capital Tripoli. In mid-September the UN General Assembly voted to recognize the TNC as the legitimate interim governing body of Libya. The TNC on 23 October officially declared the country liberated following the defeat of the last remaining pro-QADHAFI stronghold and QADHAFI's death. In July 2012 Libya held its first post-QADHAFI nationwide election which resulted in the formation of a 200-member National Congress (NC). In August 2012 the NC elected a congress president and in October a new prime minister.


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

Geographic coordinates: 25 00 N 17 00 E

Map reference

Area
Rank: 17
Comparative: slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries

Coastline: 1770 km

Maritime claims

Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry extreme desert interior

Terrain: mostly barren flat to undulating plains plateaus depressions

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas gypsum

Land use

Irrigated land: 4,700 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 0.6 km³ (1997)

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

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


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Population: 5,613,380 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 109
Growth rate: 2.007% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 53
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality

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

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

Religions: Sunni Muslim (official) 97% other 3%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.007% (2012 est.)
Rank: 53

Birth rate: 17.5 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 109

Death rate: 4.9 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 188

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 94

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 128

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 61

Total fertility rate: 2.12 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 113

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 1.9 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 3.7 beds/1000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2001 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 81
People living with hivaids: 10,000 (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 95
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 5.6% (2007)
Rank: 80

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: operates under a transitional government

Capital

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Liberation Day 23 October (2011)

Constitution: none; note - Libya has yet to draft a new constitution

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

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal adult

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress (200 seats; 120 individual seats elected from 69 constituencies and 80 party list seats elected from 20 constituencies; member term NA)

Judicial branch: NA

Political parties and leaders: Al-Watan (Homeland) Party; Justice and Construction Party or JCP [Muhammad SAWAN]; National Front (initially the National Front for the Salvation of Libya formed in 1981 as a diaspora opposition group); National Forces Alliance [Mahmoud JIBRIL] (includes many political organizations NGOs and independents); Union for the Homeland [Abd al-Rahman al-SUWAYHILI]

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)

Diplomatic representation

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

National symbols: star and crescent; hawk

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Libya's economy is structured primarily around the nation's energy sector which generates about 95% of export earnings 80% of GDP and 99% of government revenue. Substantial income from the energy sector coupled with a small population give Libya one of the highest per capita GDPs in Africa but Tripoli largely has not used its significant financial resources to develop national infrastructure or the economy leaving many citizens poor. In the final five years of Qadhafi's rule Libya made some progress on economic reform 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 after Libya announced in December 2003 that it would abandon programs to build weapons of mass destruction. The process of lifting US unilateral sanctions began in the spring of 2004; all sanctions were removed by June 2006 helping Libya attract greater foreign direct investment especially in the energy and banking sectors. Libyan oil and gas licensing rounds drew high international interest but new rounds are unlikely to be successful until Libya establishes a more permanent government and is able to offer increased security and more attractive financial terms on contracts. Libya's production of crude oil at roughly 500,000 bbl/day is far below the 2012 target of 3 million bbl/day set by the The National Oil Corporation (NOC). Libya faces a long road ahead in liberalizing its primarily socialist economy but the revolution probably has unleashed previously restrained entrepreneurial activity and increased the potential for the evolution of a more market-based economy. The service and construction sectors which account for roughly 20% of GDP expanded over the past five years and could expand further if Tripoli prioritizes capital spending on development projects once political uncertainty subsides. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit agricultural output and Libya imports about 80% of its food. Libya's primary agricultural water source remains the Great Manmade River Project.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 78

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 1

Real gdp per capita: $6,100 (2011 est.)
Rank: 94

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: 2.7% (2010 est.)
Rank: 112

Labor force: 1.437 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 131

Unemployment rate: 30% (2004 est.)
Rank: 180

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Surplus or deficit: 6.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 9

Taxes and other revenues: 66.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 8

Public debt: 4.3% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 152

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 15.9% (2011 est.)
Rank: 103

Central bank discount rate: 3% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 105

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 142

Stock of narrow money: $41.16 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 52

Stock of broad money: $44.76 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 71

Stock of domestic credit: $38.98 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 66

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance: $4.002 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 14

Exports: $15.16 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 59
Commodities: crude oil refined petroleum products natural gas chemicals
Partners: Italy 22.8% Germany 14.3% France 14.2% China 10.7% Spain 5.2% Tunisia 4.8% (2011)

Imports: $10.07 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 84
Commodities: machinery semi-finished goods food transport equipment consumer products
Partners: Tunisia 13.3% Turkey 9.1% China 8.8% Italy 8.4% Egypt 6.7% Syria 5.2% France 4.9% Germany 4.8% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $105 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 20

Debt external: $4.744 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 117

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $16.43 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 74

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $16.89 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 48

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 28.6 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 65
Consumption: 24.29 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 67
Exports: 124 million kWh (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 72
Imports: 73 million kWh (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 97
Installed generating capacity: 6.766 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 67
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 23
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 129
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 180
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 151

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 502,400 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 29
Crude oil exports: 1.039 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 15
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 87
Crude oil proven reserves: 48.08 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 10

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 309,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 43
Products consumption: 314,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 44
Products exports: 84,490 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 45
Products imports: 575.3 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 201

Natural gas
Production: 16.81 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 35
Consumption: 6.844 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 54
Exports: 9.97 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 22
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 93
Proven reserves: 1.495 trillion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 23

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 60.6 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 57

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 1 million (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 78
Mobile cellular: 10 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 77

Telephone system

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
Hosts: 17,926 (2012)
Hosts rank: 121
Users: 353,900 (2009)
Users rank: 124

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 3.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 24

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 144 (2012)
Rank: 39

Heliports: 2 (2012)

Pipelines: condensate 776 km; gas 3,216 km; oil 6,960 km (2010)

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 41

Waterways

Merchant marine
Rank: 91

Ports and terminals: Az Zawiyah Marsa al Burayqah (Marsa el Brega) Ra's Lanuf Tripoli


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Disputes international: dormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 km² 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

Illicit drugs