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. The country subsequently elected a new parliament in 2014 but remnants of the outgoing legislature refused to leave office and created a rival government. The UN since September 2014 has been working to reconcile the governments and encouraging them to form a national unity government.

Geographic coordinates: 25 00 N 17 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 1,759,540 km²
Land: 1,759,540 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 17
Comparative: about 2.5 times the size of Texas; slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries
Total: 4,339 km
Border countries: (6) Algeria 989 km; Chad 1050 km; Egypt 1115 km; Niger 342 km; Sudan 382 km; Tunisia 461 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
Agricultural land: 8.8%
Forest: 0.1%
Other: 91.1%

Irrigated land: 4,700 km² (2003)

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

Population: 6,411,776
Note: immigrants make up just over 12% of the total population according to UN data (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 108
Growth rate: 2.23% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 38
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 (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
Note: non-Sunni Muslims include native Ibadhi Muslims and foreign Muslims (2010 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 26.52%
15-24 years: 17.77%
25-54 years: 46.62%
55-64 years: 4.97%
65 years and over: 4.12% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 52.4%
Youth dependency ratio: 45.5%
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.9%
Potential support ratio: 14.5%

Median age
Total: 28 years
Male: 28.2 years
Female: 27.8 years

Population growth rate: 2.23% (2015 est.)
Rank: 38

Birth rate: 18.03 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 104

Death rate: 3.58 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 214

Net migration rate: 7.8 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 15

Urbanization
Urban population: 78.6% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.13% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: TRIPOLI (capital) 1.126 million (2015)

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
0-14 years: 1.05 male/female
15-24 years: 1.07 male/female
25-54 years: 1.1 male/female
55-64 years: 1.05 male/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male/female
Total population: 1.08 male/female

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.48 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 12.42 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 10.5 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 125

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.26 years
Male: 74.54 years
Female: 78.06 years
Rank: 88

Total fertility rate: 2.05 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 113

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 41.9% (2007)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 1.9 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 3.7 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 31.9% (2014)
Rank: 35

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

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 91%
Male: 96.7%
Female: 85.6%

Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Libya
Local long form: none
Local short form: Libiya
Note: the name derives from the Libu an ancient Libyan tribe first mentioned in texts from the 13th century B.C.

Government type: operates under a transitional government

Capital
Name: Tripoli
Geographic coordinates: 32 53 N 13 10 E
Time difference: UTC+2

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: Liberation Day 23 October (2011)

Constitution: previous 1951 1977; latest 2011 (interim); note - the Constitution Drafting Assembly continued drafting a new constitution as of early 2015 (2015)

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
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent or grandparent must be a citizen of Libya
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: varies from 3 to 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Speaker of the House of Representatives Aqilah Salah ISSA
Head of government: Prime Minister Abdullah al-THINI ; Deputy Prime Ministers Abd al-Salam al-BADRI (since 4 August 2014) Al-Mahdi Hasan Muftah al-LABAD (since 4 August 2014) Abd al-Rahman al-Tahir al-UHAYRISH (since 4 August 2014)
Cabinet: new cabinet approved by the House of Representatives in September 2014
Electionsappointments: prime minister and speaker of the house elected by the House of Representatives
Election results: NA

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Council of Deputies or Majlis Al Nuwab
Elections: election last held in June 2014; note - the Libyan Supreme Court in November 2014 declared the House election unconstitutional but the Council rejected te ruling; no country has officially recognized the rival government
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 200; note - not all 200 seats were filled in the June election because of boycotts and lack of security at some polling stations; some elected members of the Council also boycotted the election

Judicial branch
Highest court: NA; note - government in transition

Political parties and leaders:
Note: partial list of the larger 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 chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Wafa M.T. BUGHAIGHIS (since 5 December 2014)
In the us chancery: 2,600 Virginia Avenue NW Suite 705 Washington DC 20,037
In the us telephone: [1] 944-9,601
In the us FAX: [1] 944-9,606
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Peter William BODDE
From the us note: on 11 September 2012 US Ambassador Christopher STEVENS and three other American diplomats were killed in an attack by heavily armed militants on a US diplomatic post in the eastern city of Benghazi; the US Government evacuated its Embassy in Tripoli in July 1014
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] 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 colors: red black green

National anthem
Name: 'Allahu Akbar'
Lyrics and music: Mahmoud el-SHERIF/Abdalla Shams el-DIN
Note: adopted 1969; originally a battle song for the Egyptian Army in the 1956 Suez War

Economy overview: Libya's economy is almost entirely dependent on the nation's energy sector which generates about 65% of GDP and 96% of government revenue. Income from the sale of crude oil and natural gas coupled with a small population give Libya one of the highest nominal per capita GDPs in Africa but Libya’s leaders have hindered economic development by for the most part failing to use these financial resources to invest in national infrastructure. Libyan sales of oil and natural gas collapsed during the Revolution of 2011 rebounded in 2012 and 2013 but then fell sharply in late 2013 and throughout 2014 due to major protest disruptions at Libyan oil ports and around the country. The state sector is large and growing with the majority of the Libyan workforce receiving a government salary in 2014. Sharply decreased revenues and increased payments for state salaries and for subsidies on fuel and food resulted in an estimated budget deficit about 50% of GDP in 2014 up from about 4% in 2013. Libya’s economic transition away from Qadhafi’s notionally socialist model toward a market-based economy stalled as revenues shrank political uncertainty grew and security deteriorated. Rival political factions in late 2014 were competing for control of the central bank and the national oil company while funding for economic reform and infrastructure projects has stopped.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 84

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 224

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 101

Gross national saving:
Rank: 173

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 83.9%
Government consumption: 22.8%
Investment in fixed capital: 3.9%
Investment in inventories: 0.8%
Exports of goods and services: 41.3%
Imports of goods and services: -52.7%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2%
Industry: 45.5%
Services: 52.5%

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: -32.3% (2014 est.)
Rank: 201

Labor force: 1.438 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 134
By occupation agriculture: 17%
By occupation industry: 23%
By occupation services: 59%

Unemployment rate: 30% (2004 est.)
Rank: 186

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: $19.55 billion
Expenditures: $35.47 billion
Surplus or deficit: -38.7% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 218

Taxes and other revenues: 47.5% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 21

Public debt:
Rank: 169

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 121

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 23

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 129

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 50

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 65

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 190

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance:
Rank: 181

Exports:
Rank: 77
Commodities: crude oil refined petroleum products natural gas chemicals
Partners: Italy 17.7% France 13.1% Germany 11.9% Netherlands 8.5% Switzerland 6.1% Spain 6% Greece 4.8% Austria 4.3% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 76
Commodities: machinery semi-finished goods food transport equipment consumer products
Partners: Italy 15.1% China 12.3% Turkey 11.8% Egypt 5.7% South Korea 5.1% Tunisia 4.7% Spain 4.4% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 34

Debt external:
Rank: 128

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 82

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 53

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 31.94 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 63
Consumption: 27.54 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 64
Exports: 14 million kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 88
Imports: 61 million kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 99
Installed generating capacity: 7.121 million kW (2012 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 69
Generation sources fossil fuels: 99.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 49
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 132
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 183
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 98

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 470,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 30
Crude oil exports: 735,000 bbl/day
Crude oil exports note: Libyan crude oil export values are highly volatile because of continuing protests and other disruptions across the country
Crude oil exports rank: 18
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 89
Crude oil proven reserves: 48.36 billion bbl (1 January 2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 9

Refined petroleum
Products production: 171,600 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products production rank: 58
Products consumption: 242,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 51
Products exports: 35,630 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products exports rank: 65
Products imports: 108,500 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products imports rank: 49

Natural gas
Production: 12 billion m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 40
Consumption: 6.487 billion m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 54
Exports: 5.513 billion m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 29
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 94
Proven reserves: 1.549 trillion m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 22

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 54.6 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 56

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 710,000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11
Fixed lines rank: 89
Mobile cellular total: 10.1 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 161
Mobile cellular rank: 85

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 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

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
Users total: 1.4 million
Users percent of population: 21.8%
Users rank: 114

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

Airports: 146 (2013)
Rank: 41
With paved runways total: 68
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
With unpaved runways total: 78
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)

Roadways
Total: 100,024 km
Paved: 57,214 km
Unpaved: 42,810 km
Rank: 45

Merchant marine
Total: 23
By type: cargo 2 chemical tanker 4 liquefied gas 3 petroleum tanker 13 roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 2
Registered in other countries: 6 (2010)
Rank: 91

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Marsa al Burayqah Tripoli
Oil terminal: Az Zawiyah Ra's Lanuf
LNG terminal: Marsa el Brega

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: 18,653 (Syria); 5,391 (West Bank and Gaza Strip) (2014)
IDPs: more than 434,000 (2015)