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 al-QADHAFI assumed leadership and began to espouse his political system at home which was a combination of socialism and Islam. During the 1970s QADHAFI used oil revenues to promote his ideology outside Libya supporting subversive and terrorist activities that included the downing of two airliners - one over Scotland another in Northern Africa - and a discotheque bombing in Berlin. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically and economically following the attacks; sanctions were lifted in 2003 following Libyan acceptance of responsibility for the bombings and agreement to claimant compensation. QADHAFI also agreed to end Libya's program to develop weapons of mass destruction and he made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations. Unrest that began in several Middle Eastern and North African countries in late 2010 erupted in Libyan cities in early 2011. QADHAFI's brutal crackdown on protesters spawned a civil war that triggered UN authorization of air and naval intervention by the international community. After months of seesaw fighting between government and opposition forces the QADHAFI regime was toppled in mid-2011 and replaced by a transitional government. Libya in 2012 formed a new parliament and elected 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
Land: 1,759,540 km²
Water: 0 km²

Land boundaries
Border countries: (6) Algeria 982 km; Chad 1055 km; Egypt 1115 km; Niger 354 km; Sudan 383 km; Tunisia 459 km

Coastline: 1770 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 62 nm

Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry extreme desert interior

Terrain: mostly barren flat to undulating plains plateaus depressions

Elevation
Extremes highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas gypsum

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.19%
Other: 98.82% (2011)

Irrigated land: 4,700 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 0.7 km³ (2011)

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: 6,244,174
Rank: 108
Growth rate: 3.08% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 10
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Adjective: Libyan

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: Muslim (official; virtually all Sunni) 96.6% Christian 2.7% Buddhist 0.3% Hindu .1 Jewish .1 folk religion .1 unafilliated 0.2% other .1

Demographic profile

Age structure
15-24 years: 18.2% (male 586,749/female 546,602)
25-54 years: 46.1% (male 1,509,108/female 1,370,709)
55-64 years: 4.8% (male 154,847/female 145,330)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 126,691/female 124,479) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 44.8 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.4 %
Potential support ratio: 13.5 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 27.7 years
Female: 27.4 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.08% (2014 est.)
Rank: 10

Birth rate: 18.4 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 104

Death rate: 3.57 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 214

Net migration rate: 16.01 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 6

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: TRIPOLI (capital) 1.127 million (2011)

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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 126
Male: 12.83 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 10.85 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 86
Male: 74.36 years
Female: 77.82 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.07 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 114

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:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2001 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 97
People living with hivaids: 10,000 (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 103
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 27.8% (2008)
Rank: 35

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 5.6% (2007)
Rank: 86

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Total population: 89.5%
Male: 95.8%
Female: 83.3% (2011 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 16 years
Female: 16 years (2003)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional short form: Libya
Local long form: none
Local short form: Libiya

Government type: operates under a transitional government

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 32 53 N 13 10 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins last Friday in March; ends last Friday in October

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: previous 1951 1977; latest 2011 (interim); note - in mid-July 2013 Libya's legislative body agreed on steps for drafting a new constitution (2013)

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: 18 years of age universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Abdullah al-THANI remains Prime Minister after the 4 May 2014 election is declared unconstitutional; Deputy Prime Ministers Awad Ibrik Ibrahim al-BARASI Sadiq Abd al-Karim Abd al-Rahman KARIM Abd-al-Salam Muhammad al-Mahdi al-QADI
Cabinet: new cabinet approved by the General National Congress on 31 October 2012
Elections: prime minister and General National Congress president elected by the National Congress
Election results: NA

Legislative branch: unicameral General National Congress (200 seats; 120 individual seats elected from 69 constituencies and 80 party list seats elected from 20 constituencies; member term NA)
Elections: first General National Congress election held on 7 July 2012 (next to be held NA)
Election results: percent of vote for party list seats only - NFA 48.7% JCP 21.3% other parties 30%; list and constituent seats - NFA 39 JCP 17 other 24 independents 120

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders:

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
In the us chancery: 2,600 Virginia Avenue NW Suite 705 Washington DC 20,037
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 944-9,601
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 944-9,606
From the us embassy: Sidi Slim Area/Walie Al-Ahed Road Tripoli
From the us mailing address: US Embassy 8,850 Tripoli Place Washington DC 20,521-8,850
From the us telephone: [218] (0) 91-220-3,239

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
Lyrics and music: Mahmoud el-SHERIF/Abdalla Shams el-DIN

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 income. Substantial revenue 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 more attractive financial terms on contracts and increase security. Libya faces a long road ahead in liberalizing its primarily socialist economy but the revolution has unleashed previously restrained entrepreneurial activity and increased the potential for the evolution of a more market-based economy. The service and construction sectors expanded over the past five years and could become a larger share of GDP if Tripoli prioritizes capital spending on development projects once political and security uncertainty subside. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit agricultural output and Libya imports about 80% of its food. Libya's primary agricultural water source is the Great Manmade River Project.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 85

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 217

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 109

Gross national saving:
Rank: 114

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 20.2%
Investment in fixed capital: 8.6%
Investment in inventories: 0.5%
Exports of goods and services: 54.5%
Imports of goods and services: -41.9%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 58.3%
Services: 39.7% (2013 est.)

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

Industries: petroleum petrochemicals aluminum iron and steel food processing textiles handicrafts cement

Industrial production growth rate: 9.6% (2013 est.)
Rank: 16

Labor force: 1.644 million (2013 est.)
Rank: 127
By occupation industry: 23%
By occupation services: 59% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate: 30% (2004 est.)
Rank: 182

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Expenditures: $41.87 billion (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -0.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 56

Taxes and other revenues: 58.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 5

Public debt: 4.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 159

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 6.1% (2012 est.)
Rank: 121

Central bank discount rate: 3% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 104

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 131

Stock of narrow money: $45.2 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 47

Stock of broad money: $49.28 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 68

Stock of domestic credit: $-47.25 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 189

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance: $27.17 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 36

Exports: $52.02 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 61
Commodities: crude oil refined petroleum products natural gas chemicals
Partners: Italy 23.3% Germany 12.4% China 11.2% France 9.7% Spain 7.6% UK 4.7% US 4.5% (2012)

Imports: $18.1 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 69
Commodities: machinery semi-finished goods food transport equipment consumer products
Partners: China 13% Turkey 11.6% Italy 8.2% Egypt 7.7% Tunisia 6.6% South Korea 5.8% Greece 5.4% Germany 4.6% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $118.6 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 21

Debt external: $5.278 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 111

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $16.84 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 74

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $17.21 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 47

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 29.72 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 66
Consumption: 25.24 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 66
Exports: 129 million kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 74
Imports: 76 million kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 96
Installed generating capacity: 6.766 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 69
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 21
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 129
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 180
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 195

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 1.483 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 20
Crude oil exports: 1.378 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 15
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 84
Crude oil proven reserves: 48.01 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 9

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 388,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 37
Products consumption: 314,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 43
Products exports: 119,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 40
Products imports: 575 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 202

Natural gas
Production: 7.855 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 46
Consumption: 6.844 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 55
Exports: 3.666 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 37
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 89
Proven reserves: 1.547 trillion m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 22

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 49.67 million Mt (2011 est.)

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 814,000 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 85
Mobile cellular: 9.59 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 81

Telephone system
Domestic: multiple providers for a mobile telephone system that is growing rapidly; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity has soared
International: country code - 218; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat NA Arabsat and NA Intersputnik; submarine cable to France and Italy; microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel (2010)

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

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for mandatory or voluntary service (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 146 (2013)
Rank: 41
With paved runways over 3047 m: 23
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 30
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 14
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 37
With unpaved runways: 20 (2013)

Heliports: 2 (2013)

Pipelines: condensate 882 km; gas 3,743 km; oil 7,005 km (2013)

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 45
Paved: 57,214 km
Unpaved: 42,810 km (2003)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Rank: 91
By type: cargo 2 chemical tanker 4 liquefied gas 3 petroleum tanker 13 roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 2 (Kuwait 1 Norway 1)
Registered in other countries: 6 (Hong Kong 1 Malta 5) (2010)

Ports and terminals
Oil terminal: Az Zawiyah Ra's Lanuf


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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
IDPs: at least 80,400 (59,400 still displaced at the end of 2013 from the conflict between pro-Qadhafi and anti-Qadhafi forces in 2011; 21,000 displaced by clashes in and around Sebha in 2014) (2014)

Illicit drugs