Libya

This Page was last updated on the 2nd. November, 2006.

 

Return to the Country Index Page

Country

Libya

Official Name

Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al Ishtirakiyah al Uzma)

Former Name Libya (from early history has been under foreign control and influence; Arabs conquered Libya in the 7th century A.D.; Ottoman Turks conquered the country in the mid-16th century; invaded by Italians in 1911; they named the colony [Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, and Fezzan Provinces] ‘Libya’ [name the Greeks had for all of North Africa, except Egypt] in 1934; King Idris I, Emir of Cyrenaica, led resistance to Italians the two World Wars; Tripolitania and Cyrenaica under British administration, and the French controlled Fezzan 1943-1951; Italy relinquished claims to Libya in 1947; gain independence in 1951; coup d'etat in 1969.)

Capital

Tripoli

Main Towns

Agedabia, Al-Beida, Al-Marj, Benghazi (2002 pop. est. 1,080,500), Darna, Tobruk, Tripoli (2002 pop. est. 1,223,300), Zawia, Zilten

Subdivisions

25 municipalities (may have been replaced by 13 regions): Ajdabiya, Al 'Aziziyah, Al Fatih, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jufrah, Al Khums, Al Kufrah, An Nuqat al Khams, Ash Shati', Awbari, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi,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 note - the 25 municipalities may have been replaced by 13 regions

Independence

24 December 1951 (from Italy, through UN resolution, constitutional and a hereditary monarchy under King Idris)
Constitution

11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977 - established popular congresses and people’s committees
National Holiday Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)

UN Membership

14 December 1955

OAU Membership

25 May 1963 – now African Union (AU)

Commonwealth

n/a

Other Organisations

In alphabetical order according to abbreviation/acronym: Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA), African Development Bank (AfDB or AFDB), Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), Arab League (AL or League of Arab States), Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU), Customs Cooperation Council (CCC), Community of Saharan and Sahelian States (CENSAD/COMESSA or Community of Sahel Saharan States, CEN-SAD), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G-77), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM), International Development Association (IDA), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (Intelsat), International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Organisation for Migration (IOM - observer), International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Organisation for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Customs Organization (WCO, former Customs Cooperation Council [CCC]), World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), World Tourism Organisation (WToO), World Trade Organisation (WtrO - observer).

Population

World Bank Figures: 5,136,580 (1999), 5,237,000 (2000), 5,340,839 (2001), 5,448,226 (2002), 5,559,289 (2003)
Other Sources: 5,248,401 (July 1995), 5,240,599 (July 2001 est.) 5,499,074 (includes 166,510 non-nationals, July 2003 est.) 5,765,563 (includes 166,510 non-nationals, July 2005 est.)

Area

679,362 sq. mls. (1,759,540 sq. kms.)

Density

3 per sq.km. (1995)

Highest Point

Bikku Bitti 7,438 ft. (2,267 m.)

Lowest Point

Sabkhat Ghuzzayi -154 ft. (-47 m.)

Neighbours

Algeria (W), Chad (S), Egypt (E), Niger (S), Sudan (SE), Tunisia (NW)

Life Expectancy

65 years (1995), total population:  75.65 years, male:  73.53 years, female:  77.88 years (2001 est.)
total population: 76.07 years, male: 73.91 years, female: 78.34 years (2003 est.)
total population: 76.5 years male: 74.29 years female: 78.82 years (2005 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate total: 26.8 deaths/1,000 live births, female: 24.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.), male: 29.16 deaths/1,000 live births
total: 24.6 deaths/1,000 live births male: 26.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2001 est.) people living with HIV/AIDS: 10,000 (2001 est.) deaths: NA

Adult Literacy Rate

55% (1985), total population:  76.2%, male:  87.9%, female:  63% (1995 est.)
total population: 82.6%, male: 92.4%, female: 72% (2003 est.)

Ethnic Groups

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

Languages

Arabic, Italian, English (all in major cities)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 97%, Islam is the State religion

Type of Government

Jamahiriya - officially a state governed by the people through local councils, but in fact is a military dictatorship

President

No President or official title but a 'Brother Leader and Guide of the Revolution', Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi (since coup d'etat on 1 September 1969).

Prime Minister

Baghdadi Mahmudi, Secretary General of the General People's Committee and Prime Minister since 5 March 2006. The Secretary of the General People's Congress is chief of state in theory but is not treated as such. The Secretary of the General People's Committee plays the role of prime minister.

Political Parties

There are no political parties

Ruling Party

None- but General People's Congress rules

Currency

Libyan Dinar (LD, LYD)(1,000 dirhams)
Libyan dinars per US dollar - 1.305 (2004), 1.2929 (2003), 1.2707 (2002), 0.6051 (2001), 0.5122 (2000)

GDP

US$7,421 (1995)
GDP: US$35 billion (2003 est.)
purchasing power parity - US$37.48 billion (2004 est.)
per capita purchasing power parity - US$7,600 (2002 est.)
per capita purchasing power parity - $6,700 (2004 est.)

GNP

US$5,650 (1994)
Per Capita Income Per capita GDP: US$6,400 (2003 est.)
Population Below Poverty Line NA%
Land Use arable land: 1.03% permanent crops: 0.19% other: 98.78% (2001) Irrigated land: 4,700 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural Resources petroleum, natural gas, gypsum
Oil and Natural Gas oil production: 1.429 million bbl/day (2001 est.) 1.518 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
consumption: 216,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
exports: NA (2001) imports: NA (2001)
proved reserves: 29.75 billion bbl (January 2002 est.) 38 billion bbl (2004 est.)
Natural gas - production: 6.18 billion cu m (2001 est.)
consumption: 5.41 billion cu m (2001 est.)
exports: 770 million cu m (2001 est.)
proved reserves: 1.321 trillion cu m (January 2002 est.) 1.321 trillion cu m (2004)
Pipelines: crude oil 4,383 km; petroleum products 443 km (includes liquefied petroleum gas or LPG 256 km); natural gas 1,947 km.
Pipelines: condensate 225 km; gas 3,611 km; oil 7,252 km (2004)
Military Military branches: Armed Peoples on Duty (Army), Navy, Air and Air Defense Command (includes Air Force)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,546,432 (2003 est.)
males age 17-49: 1,505,675 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: US$1.3 billion, 3.9% of GDP (FY99)
Economic Aid Received US$15 million (2000) US$4.4 million ODA (2002)
Aid per Capita (World Bank): US$1 (1999), US$3 (2000), US$2 (2001), US$2 (2002), US$2 (2003)

Debt

Less indebted
US$4.3bn (1994) US$4.1 bn (2000 est.) US$4.4 billion (2001 est.) US$4.069 billion (2004 est.)

Major Imports

machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods (1999)
machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods (2003 est.)

Imports from

Italy 24%, Germany 12%, Tunisia 9%, UK 7%, France 6%, South Korea 5% (1999)
Italy 28.5%, Germany 12.1%, UK 6.6%, Tunisia 6.0%, France, South Korea (2001)
taly (27.2%), Germany (10.3%), Tunisia (7.7%), U.K. (6.9%), South Korea (6.9%), France (5.8%) (2003 est.) US$6.282 billion (2003 est.)
Italy 28.2%, Germany 11.1%, Tunisia 6%, UK 5.8%, Turkey 5%, France 4.1% (2004) US$7.224 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Major Exports

crude oil, refined petroleum products (1999)
crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas
crude oil, refined petroleum products (2003 est.)

Exports to

Italy 33%, Germany 24%, Spain 10%, France 5%, Turkey 4%, Tunisia 4% (1999)
Italy 39.6%, Germany 15.5%, Spain 14%, Turkey 6.3%, France, Switzerland, Tunisia (2001)
Italy (39.4%),Germany (13.6%), Spain (13.6%), Turkey 6.6%, France (6.2%) (2003 est.) US$14.32 billion (2003 est.)
Italy 37.7%, Germany 16.7%, Spain 11.6%, Turkey 7.5%, France 6.5% (2004) US$18.65 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

We try to have each fact sheet up to date and as accurate as possible.
If you notice any mistakes, or have suggestions on items which could be added, please let us know by emailing to: suttonlink@dial.pipex.com

The White Fathers, Sutton Coldfield, 2 November, 2006

Page 28 of 61

First Previous Next Last