Background: Berbers have inhabited central north Africa since ancient times, but Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Persians, Egyptians, Romans, and Vandals have all settled and ruled the region. In the 7th century, Islam spread through the area. In the mid-16th century, Ottoman rule began; the Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and held it until 1943, when they were defeated in World War II. Libya then came under UN administration and achieved independence in 1951. Col. Muammar al-QADHAFI assumed leadership with a military coup in 1969 and began to espouse a political system that combined 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 and another in Northern Africa -- and a discotheque bombing in Berlin. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically and economically; the sanctions were lifted in 2003 when Libya accepted responsibility for the bombings and agreed 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 2010 erupted in Libyan cities in 2011. QADHAFI's brutal crackdown on protesters spawned an eight-month civil war that saw the emergence of a National Transitional Council (NTC), UN authorization of air and naval intervention by the international community, and the toppling of the QADHAFI regime. In 2012, the NTC handed power to an elected parliament, the General National Congress (GNC), which was replaced two years later with the House of Representatives (HoR). In 2015, the UN brokered the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) among a broad array of political parties and social groups, establishing an interim executive body. However, hardliners continued to oppose and hamper the LPA implementation, leaving Libya with eastern and western-based rival governments. In 2018, the international community supported a recalibrated plan that aimed to break the political deadlock with a National Conference in 2019. These plans, however, were derailed when the eastern-based, self-described Libyan National Army (LNA) launched an offensive to seize Tripoli. The LNA offensive collapsed in 2020, and a subsequent UN-sponsored cease-fire helped formalize the pause in fighting between rival camps. In 2021, the UN-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue Forum selected a new prime minister for an interim government -- the Government of National Unity (GNU) -- and a new presidential council charged with preparing for elections and uniting the country’s state institutions. The HoR approved the GNU and its cabinet the same year, providing Libya with its first unified government since 2014, but the parliament then postponed the planned presidential election to an undetermined date in the future. In 2022, the HoR voted to replace GNU interim Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid DUBAYBAH, with another government led by Fathi BASHAGHA. GNU allegations of an illegitimate HoR vote allowed DUBAYBAH to remain in office and rebuff BASHAGHA's attempts to seat his government in Tripoli. In 2023, the HoR voted to replace BASHAGHA with Osma HAMAD. Special Representative of the UN Security-General for Libya, Abdoulaye BATHILY, is leading international efforts to persuade key Libyan political actors to resolve the core issues impeding elections.

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

Land boundaries
Total: 4,339 km
Border countries (6): (6) Algeria 989 km; Chad 1,050 km; Egypt 1,115 km; Niger 342 km; Sudan 382 km; Tunisia 461 km

Coastline: 1,770 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 62 nm
Note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north

Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

Terrain: mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions

Elevation
Highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m
Lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m
Mean elevation: 423 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 8.7% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 1% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.2% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 7.6% (2023 est.)
Forest: 0.1% (2023 est.)
Other: 91.2% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 4,700 km² (2012)

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 note 1: more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert
Note note 2: the volcano Waw an Namus lies in south central Libya in the middle of the Sahara; the caldera is an oasis -- the name means 'oasis of mosquitoes' -- containing several small lakes that host many species of insects and birds

Population
Total: 7,361,263 (2024 est.)
Male: 3,747,364
Female: 3,613,899
Note: immigrants make up just over 12% of the total population, according to UN data (2019)
Distribution: over 90% of the population lives along the Mediterranean coast in and between Tripoli to the west and Al Bayda to the east; the interior remains vastly underpopulated due to the Sahara and its lack of surface water, as shown in this population distribution map
Growth rate: 1.44% (2024 est.)

Languages: Arabic (official), Italian, English (all widely understood in the major cities); Tamazight (Nafusi, Ghadamis, Suknah, Awjilah, Tamasheq)
Major-language sample(s): ; كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Muslim (official; virtually all Sunni) 96.6%, Christian 2.7%, Buddhist <1%, Hindu <1%, Jewish <1%, folk religion <1%, other <1%, unaffiliated <1% (2020 est.)
Note: non-Sunni Muslims include native Ibadhi Muslims (<1% of the population) and foreign Muslims

Age structure
0-14 years: 32.3% (male 1,211,087/female 1,165,648)
15-64 years: 63.2% (male 2,385,152/female 2,263,780)
65 years and over: 4.6% (2024 est.) (male 151,125/female 184,471)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 58.3 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 51.1 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.2 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 13.9 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 26.2 years (2024 est.)
Male: 26.3 years
Female: 26.2 years

Population growth rate: 1.44% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 20.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 3.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: over 90% of the population lives along the Mediterranean coast in and between Tripoli to the west and Al Bayda to the east; the interior remains vastly underpopulated due to the Sahara and its lack of surface water, as shown in this population distribution map

Urbanization
Urban population: 81.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 1.183 million TRIPOLI (capital), 984,000 Misratah, 859,000 Benghazi (2023)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 59 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 10.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 12.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 9.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.7 years (2024 est.)
Male: 75.5 years
Female: 80 years

Total fertility rate: 3 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Total: 0.7% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 4.3% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 18.7% (2024 est.); 18.8% (2023 est.); 19.3% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Tripoli (Tarabulus)
Geographic coordinates: 32 53 N, 13 10 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the name derives from the Greek words tri and polis, meaning 'three cities;' the modern-day city was founded in the 14th century to replace the three ancient cities of Pallantium, Tegea, and Mantineia

Administrative divisions: 22 governorates (muhafazah, singular - muhafazat); 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 (Benghazi), Darnah, Ghat, Misratah, Murzuq, Nalut, Sabha, Surt, Tarabulus (Tripoli), Wadi al Hayat, Wadi ash Shati

Legal system: Libya's post-revolution 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

Executive branch
Chief of state: President, Presidential Council, Mohammed al-MANFI (since 5 February 2021)
Head of government: GNU Interim Prime Minister Abd-al-Hamid DUBAYBAH (since 5 February 2021)
Election/appointment process: first direct presidential election was not held as planned
Most recent election date: scheduled for 24 December 2021 but not held
Expected date of next election: no new date has been set for elections

Legislative branch
Legislative structure: unicameral
Chamber name: House of Representatives (Majlis Al-Nuwaab)
Number of seats: 200 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: other systems
Scope of elections: full renewal
Most recent election date: 6/25/2014
Percentage of women in chamber: 16.5%
Expected date of next election: December 2026
Note: 32 seats are reserved for women

Flag description: three horizontal bands of red (top), black (double-width), and green, with a white crescent and star centered on the black stripe

National anthem
Title: 'Libya, Libya, Libya'
Lyrics/music: Al Bashir AL AREBI/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB
History: adopted 1951, but replaced in 1969 when QADHAFI came to power; readopted 2011 with some modification to the lyrics; also known as 'Ya Beladi' (O My Country)

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 5 (all cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: -0.6% (2024 est.); 10.2% (2023 est.); -8.3% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: -0.6% (2024 est.); 10.2% (2023 est.); -8.3% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 32.7% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 36.7% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 14.8% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 74.8% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -59.1% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.7% (2024 est.)
Industry: 68.3% (2024 est.)
Services: 34.3% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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

Industrial production growth rate: -5.8% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 2.585 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 18.7% (2024 est.); 18.8% (2023 est.); 19.3% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 18.7% (2024 est.); 18.8% (2023 est.); 19.3% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $28.005 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $37.475 billion (2019 est.)

Exports: $37.753 billion (2023 est.); $39.831 billion (2022 est.); $32.38 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: crude petroleum, natural gas, refined petroleum, gold, scrap iron (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $33.284 billion (2023 est.); $27.872 billion (2022 est.); $25.406 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, tobacco, garments, cars (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 10.519 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 28.826 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 800 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 7.081 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 70% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 100%
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Imports: 4,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 1.245 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 207,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 48.363 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 11.16 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 8.633 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Exports: 2.527 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 1.505 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 46.479 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 700 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 29.542 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 16.936 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 100.844 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 1.218 million (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 13.9 million (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 205 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 89% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 326,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2022 est.)

Military expenditures: not available

Airports: 75 (2025)

Merchant marine
Total: 96 (2023)
By type: general cargo 2, oil tanker 13, other 81