Libya

Branches

Armed Peoples of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriyah (includes Army, Navy, and Air and Air Defense Command), Police

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $1.4 billion, 6.1% of GDP (1994 est.)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: 1,170,100 males fit for military service: 696,288 males reach military age (17) annually: 56,834 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 17, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios

1 million (1993 est.)

Telephone system

modern telecommunications system domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); planned Arabsat and Intersputnik satellite earth stations; submarine cables to France and Italy; microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel

Telephones

370,000

Television broadcast stations

12 (1987 est.)

Televisions

500,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Agriculture

wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts; meat, eggs

Budget

revenues: $8.1 billion expenditures: $9.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (1989 est.)

Currency

1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams

Economic aid

$NA

Economic overview

The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contributes practically all export earnings and about one-third of GDP. In 1990 per capita GDP was the highest in Africa at $5,410, but subsequently GDP growth has slowed on average and has fluctuated sharply in response to changes in the world oil market. Import restrictions and inefficient resource allocations have led to periodic shortages of basic goods and foodstuffs. The nonoil manufacturing and construction sectors, which account for about 20% of GDP, have expanded from processing mostly agricultural products to include the production of petrochemicals, iron, steel, and aluminum. Although agriculture accounts for only 5% of GDP, it employs 18% of the labor force. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit farm output, and Libya imports about 75% of its food requirements. The UN sanctions imposed in April 1992 have not yet had a major impact on the economy because Libya's oil revenues generate sufficient foreign exchange to sustain imports of food, consumer goods, and equipment for the oil industry and ongoing development projects.

Electricity

capacity: 4,600,000 kW production: 16.1 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,078 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1 - 0.3617 (January 1996), 0.3532 (1995), 0.3596 (1994), 0.3250 (1993), 0.3013 (1992), 0.2684 (1991)

Exports

$7.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas partners: Italy, Germany, Spain, France, UK, Turkey, Greece, Egypt

External debt

$3.5 billion excluding military debt (1991 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $32.9 billion (1994 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP per capita

$6,510 (1994 est.)

GDP real growth rate

-0.9% (1994 est.)

Imports

$6.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods partners: Italy, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Turkey, Tunisia, Eastern Europe

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

25% (1993 est.)

Labor force

1 million (includes about 280,000 resident foreigners) by occupation: industry 31%, services 27%, government 24%, agriculture 18%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total area: 1,759,540 sq km land area: 1,759,540 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska

Climate

Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

Coastline

1,770 km

Environment

current issues: desertification; very limited natural fresh water resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, is being built to bring water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities natural hazards: hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms international agreements: party to - Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

25 00 N, 17 00 E

Gulf of Sidra closing line

32 degrees 30 minutes north

International disputes

the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in February 1994 that the 100,000 sq km Aozou Strip between Chad and Libya belongs to Chad and that Libya must withdraw from it by 31 May 1994; Libya has withdrawn some of its forces in response to the ICJ ruling, but still maintains part of the airfield and a small military presence at the airfield's water supply located in Chad; maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia; claims part of northern Niger and part of southeastern Algeria

Irrigated land

2,420 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 4,383 km border countries: Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,150 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km

Land use

arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 8% forest and woodland: 0% other: 90%

Location

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, gypsum

Terrain

mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m

Administrative divisions

25 municipalities (baladiyah, singular - baladiyat); Ajdabiya, Al 'Aziziyah, Al Fatih, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jufrah, Al Khums, Al Kufrah, An Nuqat al Khams, Ash Shati', Awbari, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan, Misratah, Murzuq, Sabha, Sawfajjin, Surt, Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq, Yafran, Zlitan note: the 25 muncipalities may have been replaced by 1,500 communes in 1992

Capital

Tripoli

Constitution

11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977

Data code

LY

Diplomatic representation in US

Libya does not have an embassy in the US

Executive branch

chief of state: Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969) was elected by the General People's Congress head of government: Secretary of the General People's Committee (Premier) Abd al Majid al-QA'UD (since 29 January 1994) cabinet: General People's Committee was established by the General People's Congress note: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of peoples' committees

Flag

plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion)

Independence

24 December 1951 (from Italy)

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on Italian civil law system and Islamic law; separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral General People's Congress: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of peoples' committees

Name of country

conventional long form: Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya conventional short form: Libya local long form: Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al Ishtirakiyah local short form: none

National holiday

Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)

Other political or pressure groups

various Arab nationalist movements with almost negligible memberships may be functioning clandestinely, as well as some Islamic elements

Political parties and leaders

none

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Type of government

Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship

US diplomatic representation

the US suspended all embassy activities in Tripoli on 2 May 1980

Age structure

0-14 years: 48% (male 1,319,696; female 1,274,865) 15-64 years: 49% (male 1,375,441; female 1,308,613) 65 years and over: 3% (male 87,434; female 79,387) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

44.42 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

7.7 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians

Infant mortality rate

59.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 64.67 years male: 62.48 years female: 66.97 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 76.2% male: 87.9% female: 63%

Nationality

noun: Libyan(s) adjective: Libyan

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

5,445,436 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

3.67% (1996 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 97%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female all ages: 1.04 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.26 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 130 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 24 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 5 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 22 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 6 with paved runways under 914 m: 13 with unpaved runways over 3 047 m: 4 with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 3 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 15 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 38 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 19,189 km paved: 10,738 km unpaved: 8,451 km (1987 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 686,834 GRT/1,209,263 DWT ships by type: cargo 10, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 10, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, short-sea passenger 4 note: Libya owns an additional 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 38,260 DWT operating under the registries of Algeria and Turkey (1995 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 4,383 km; petroleum products 443 km (includes liquefied petroleum gas 256 km); natural gas 1,947 km

Ports

Al Khums, Banghazi, Darnah, Marsa al Burayqah, Misratah, Ra's Lanuf, Tobruk, Tripoli, Zuwarah

Railways

note: Libya has had no railroad in operation since 1965, all previous systems having been dismantled; current plans are to construct a 1.435-m standard gauge line from the Tunisian frontier to Tripoli and Misratah, then inland to Sabha, center of a mineral-rich area, but there has been no progress; other plans made jointly with Egypt would establish a rail line from As Sallum, Egypt, to Tobruk with completion set for mid-1994; no progress has been reported

Waterways

none