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 own 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 The US rescinded Libya's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism in June 2006.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 and plans to begin a transition toward elections the formation of a c

Geographic coordinates: 25 00 N 17 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 1,759,540 km²
Rank: 17
Land: 1,759,540 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries
Total: 4,348 km
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
Territorial sea: 12 nm Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees 30 minutes north
Exclusive fishing zone: 62 nm

Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry extreme desert interior

Terrain: mostly barren flat to undulating plains plateaus depressions

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m
Extremes highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas gypsum

Land use
Arable land: 1.03%
Permanent crops: 0.19%
Other: 98.78% (2005)

Irrigated land: 4,700 km² (2008)

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

Population: 6,597,960 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 102
Note: includes 166,510 non-nationals
Growth rate: 2.064% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 44
Below poverty line: NA
Below poverty line note: About one-third of Libyans live at or below the national poverty line

Nationality
Noun: Libyan
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
Note: all are widely understood in the major cities

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 32.8%
15-64 years: 62.7% (male 2,124,053/female 2,011,226)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 146,956/female 153,776) (2011 est.)

Median age
Total: 24.5 years
Male: 24.5 years
Female: 24.4 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.064% (2011 est.)
Rank: 44

Birth rate: 24.04 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 68

Death rate: 3.4 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 212

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 96

Urbanization
Urban population: 78% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

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 party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Marine Dumping Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 20.09 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 98
Male: 22.06 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 18.02 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.65 years
Rank: 58
Male: 75.34 years
Female: 80.08 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.96 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 66

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 1.9 physicians/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 70

Hospital bed density: 3.7 beds/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 56

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
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

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

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 82.6%
Male: 92.4%
Female: 72% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 17 years
Male: 16 years
Female: 17 years (2003)

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

Government type: Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory governed by the populace through local councils; in practice an authoritarian state

Capital
Name: Tripoli
Geographic coordinates: 32 53 N 13 10 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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

Independence: 24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Revolution Day 1 September (1969)

Constitution: none; note - following the September 1969 military overthrow of the Libyan government the Revolutionary Command Council replaced the existing constitution with the Constitutional Proclamation in December 1969; in March 1977 Libya adopted the Declaration of the Establishment of the People's Authority

Legal system: mixed system of civil and Islamic law

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and technically compulsory

Executive branch
Note: the United States on 17 July 2011 recognized the Libyan Transitional National Council as the legitimate governing authority for Libya until an interim government is in place; the TNC on 8 August 2011 dimissed the members of its Executive Committee which serves as its executive branch and only reappointed its chairman; however the previous members of the Executive Committee continue to be responsible for their assigned portfolios in an acting capacity
Chief of state: Transitional National Council Chairman Mustafa Abd al-JALIL (since March 2011)
Head of government: Transitional National Council Executive Committee Chairman Abd al-Rahim al-KEEB (since 23 October 2011)
Cabinet: a new cabinet was formed by the Transitional National Council Chairman in November 2011
Elections: TNC Chairman al-JALIL in August 2011 announced presidential elections to be held in April 2012
Election results: NA

Legislative branch: the United States on 17 July 2011 recognized the Libyan Transitional National Council (TNC) as the legitimate governing authority for Libya; announcement of a new interim government expected in November 2011
Elections: TNC Chairman al-JALIL in August 2011 announced legislative elections to be held in April 2012
Election results: NA

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: ABEDA AfDB AFESD AMF AMU AU CAEU COMESA FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO 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 WHO WIPO WMO WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ali Suleiman AUJALI
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) 944-9,060
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Gene A. CRETZ
From the us embassy: off Jaraba Street behind the Libyan-Swiss clinic Ben Ashour
From the us mailing address: US Embassy 8,850 Tripoli Place Washington DC 20,521-8,850
From the us telephone: [218] 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
Name: 'Allahu Akbar'
Lyricsmusic: Mahmoud el-SHERIF/Abdalla Shams el-DIN
Note: adopted 1969; the anthem was originally a battle song for the Egyptian Army in the 1956 Suez War

Economy overview: The Libyan economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector which contribute about 95% of export earnings 25% of GDP and 80% of government revenue. The weakness in world hydrocarbon prices in 2009 reduced Libyan government tax income and constrained economic growth. Substantial revenues from the energy sector coupled with 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. Libyan officials in the past five years have made progress on economic reforms 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 as 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 sector. Libyan oil and gas licensing rounds continue to draw high international interest; the National Oil Corporation (NOC) set a goal of nearly doubling oil production to 3 million bbl/day by 2012. In November 2009 the NOC announced that that target may slip to as late as 2017. Libya faces a long road ahead in liberalizing the socialist-oriented economy but initial steps - including applying for WTO membership reducing some subsidies and announcing plans for privatization - are laying the groundwork for a transition to a more market-based economy. The non-oil manufacturing and construction sectors which account for more than 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. Libya's primary agricultural water source remains the Great Manmade River Project but significant resources are being invested in desalinization rese

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 74
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 91

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 83
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.7%
Industry: 66.7%
Services: 30.5% (2010 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: 2.7% (2010 est.)
Rank: 121

Labor force: 1.728 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 123
By occupation agriculture: 17%
By occupation industry: 23%
By occupation services: 59% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate: 30% (2004 est.)
Rank: 176

Population below poverty line: NA
Note: About one-third of Libyans live at or below the national poverty line

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

Budget
Revenues: $42.04 billion
Expenditures: $38.75 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 4.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 15

Taxes and other revenues: 56.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 12

Public debt: 3.9% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 133

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.4% (2009 est.)
Rank: 87

Central bank discount rate: 3% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 101

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 148

Stock of narrow money: $30.34 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 56

Stock of broad money: $36.82 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 71

Stock of domestic credit: $41.83 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 66

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: $9.381 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 17

Exports: $37.06 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 58
Commodities: crude oil refined petroleum products natural gas chemicals
Partners: Italy 31.6% France 13% China 9.2% Spain 9.1% Germany 8.4% US 4.5% (2010)

Imports: $22 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 64
Commodities: machinery semi-finished goods food transport equipment consumer products
Partners: Italy 16.3% China 10.3% Turkey 9.7% France 6.8% Germany 6.4% South Korea 6.2% Egypt 5.7% Tunisia 4.8% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $98.92 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 20

Debt external: $5.884 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 104

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $15.56 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 69

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $13.92 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 48

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 26.95 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 64
Consumption: 22.89 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 66
Exports: 117 million kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 48 million kWh (2008 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 15.9 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 33
Consumption: 6.01 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 56
Exports: 9.89 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 21
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 146
Proven reserves: 1.548 trillion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 23

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.228 million (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 70
Mobile cellular: 10.9 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 66

Telephone system
General assessment: telecommunications system is state-owned and service is poor but investment is being made to upgrade; state retains monopoly in fixed-line services; mobile-cellular telephone system became operational in 1996
Domestic: multiple providers for a mobile telephone system that is growing rapidly; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is approaching 100 telephones per 100 persons
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 (2009)

Broadcast media: state controls broadcast media; state-owned terrestrial TV station and about a half-dozen state-owned satellite stations broadcast; some provinces operate local TV stations; a single non-state-owned TV station launched in 2007; pan-Arab satellite TV stations are available; state-owned radio broadcasts on a number of frequencies some of which carry regional programming; Voice of Africa Libya's external radio service can also be heard; a single non-state-owned radio station broadcasting (2007)

Internet
Country code: .ly
Hosts: 12,432 (2010)
Hosts rank: 120
Users: 353,900 (2009)
Users rank: 124

Military expenditures: 3.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 26

Airports: 137 (2010)
Rank: 41
With paved runways total: 59
With paved runways over 3047 m: 24
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 23
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 78
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 14
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 42
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 17 (2010)

Heliports: 2 (2010)

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

Roadways
Total: 100,024 km
Rank: 42
Paved: 57,214 km
Unpaved: 42,810 km (2003)

Merchant marine
Total: 27
Rank: 89
By type: cargo 5 chemical tanker 4 liquefied gas 3 petroleum tanker 13 roll on/roll off 2
Foreign owned: 5 (Kuwait 1 Norway 1 Syria 2 UK 1)
Registered in other countries: 5 (Hong Kong 1 Malta 4) (2010)

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

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
Refugees: 8,000 (Palestinian Territories) (2007)