:Libya Geography
Total area:
1,759,540 km2
Land area:
1,759,540 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries:
4,383 km; Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,150 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan
383 km, Tunisia 459 km
Coastline:
1,770 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Gulf of Sidra closing line:
32 degrees 30 minutes N
Disputes:
claims and occupies the 100,000 km2 Aozou Strip in northern Chad; maritime
boundary dispute with Tunisia; Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in northern
Niger; Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria
Climate:
Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
Terrain:
mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
Natural resources:
crude oil, natural gas, gypsum
Land use:
arable land 1%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 8%; forest and
woodland 0%; other 91%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in
spring and fall; desertification; sparse natural surface-water resources
Note:
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
:Libya People
Population:
4,484,795 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
36 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
60 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
66 years male, 71 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Libyan(s); adjective - Libyan
Ethnic divisions:
Berber and Arab 97%; some Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis,
Turks, Indians, and Tunisians
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 97%
Languages:
Arabic; Italian and English widely understood in major cities
Literacy:
64% (male 75%, female 50%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
1,000,000, includes about 280,000 resident foreigners; industry 31%,
services 27%, government 24%, agriculture 18%
Organized labor:
National Trade Unions' Federation, 275,000 members; General Union for Oil
and Petrochemicals; Pan-Africa Federation of Petroleum Energy and Allied
Workers
:Libya Government
Long-form name:
Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Digraph:
Tripoli Administration 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
Type:
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses); in theory, governed by the populace
through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship
Capital:
Tripoli Administration divisions
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
Independence:
24 December 1951 (from Italy)
Constitution:
11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977
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
National holiday:
Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)
Executive branch:
revolutionary leader, chairman of the General People's Committee (premier),
General People's Committee (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral General People's Congress
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Revolutionary Leader Col. Mu`ammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September
1969)
Head of Government:
Chairman of the General People's Committee (Premier) Abu Zayd `umar DURDA
(since 7 October 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
none
Suffrage:
universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of peoples' committees
Other political or pressure groups:
various Arab nationalist movements and the Arab Socialist Resurrection
(Ba'th) party with almost negligible memberships may be functioning
clandestinely, as well as some Islamic elements
Member of:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
:Libya Government
Diplomatic representation:
none
Flag:
plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion)
:Libya Economy
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. Since 1980, however, the sharp drop in oil prices and the
resulting decline in export revenues have adversely affected economic
development. In 1988 per capita GDP was the highest in Africa at $5,410, but
GDP growth rates have slowed and fluctuate sharply in response to changes in
the world oil market. Import restrictions and inefficient resource
allocations have led to shortages of basic goods and foodstuffs, although
the reopening of the Libyan-Tunisian border in April 1988 and the
Libyan-Egyptian border in December 1989 have somewhat eased shortages.
Austerity budgets and a lack of trained technicians have undermined the
government's ability to implement a number of planned infrastructure
development projects. Windfall revenues from the hike in world oil prices in
late 1990 improved the foreign payments position and resulted in a current
account surplus for the first time in five years. The nonoil manufacturing
and construction sectors, which account for about 22% of GDP, have expanded
from processing mostly agricultural products to include petrochemicals,
iron, steel, and aluminum. Although agriculture accounts for about 5% of
GDP, it employs about 20% of the labor force. Climatic conditions and poor
soils severely limit farm output, and Libya imports about 75% of its food
requirements.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $28.9 billion, per capita $6,800; real growth
rate 9% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
2% (1988 est.)
Budget:
revenues $8.1 billion; expenditures $9.8 billion, including capital
expenditures of $3.1 billion (1989 est.)
Exports:
$11 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
petroleum, peanuts, hides
partners:
Italy, USSR, Germany, Spain, France, Belgium/Luxembourg, Turkey
Imports:
$7.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods
partners:
Italy, USSR, Germany, UK, Japan
External debt:
$3.5 billion, excluding military debt (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate - 4%; accounts for 22% of GDP (not including oil) (1989)
Electricity:
4,700,000 kW capacity; 13,700 million kWh produced, 3,100 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement
Agriculture:
5% of GNP; cash crops - wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus fruits,
peanuts; 75% of food is imported
Economic aid:
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87),
$242 million; no longer a recipient