*Liberia, Communications
Railroads:
480 km total; 328 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 152 km 1.067-meter narrow
gauge; all lines single track; rail systems owned and operated by foreign
steel and financial interests in conjunction with Liberian Government
Highways:
10,087 km total; 603 km bituminous treated, 2,848 km all weather, 4,313 km
dry weather; there are also 2,323 km of private, laterite-surfaced roads
open to public use, owned by rubber and timber companies
Ports: Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper (or Cape Palmas)
Merchant marine:
1,618 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 57,769,476 DWT/ 101,391,576 DWT;
includes 20 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 132 cargo, 56 refrigerated
cargo, 21 roll-on/roll-off, 58 vehicle carrier, 97 container, 3 barge
carrier, 499 oil tanker, 108 chemical, 68 combination ore/oil, 62 liquefied
gas, 6 specialized tanker, 456 bulk, 31 combination bulk; note - a flag of
convenience registry; all ships are foreign owned; the top 4 owning flags
are US 16%, Japan 14%, Norway 11%, and Hong Kong 9%
Airports:
total:
59
usable:
41
with permanent-surface runways:
2
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
4
Telecommunications:
telephone and telegraph service via radio relay network; main center is
Monrovia; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth station; most telecommunications services inoperable due to insurgency
movement
*Liberia, Defense Forces
Branches:
the ultimate structure of the Liberian military force will depend on who is
the victor in the ongoing civil war
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 684,681; fit for military service 365,518 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
*Libya, Geography
Location:
Northern Africa, on the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, between
Egypt and Tunisia
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
1,759,540 km2
land area:
1,759,540 km2
comparative area:
slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries:
total 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 north
International disputes:
claims and occupies the Aozou Strip in northern Chad; maritime boundary
dispute with Tunisia; Libya claims part of northern Niger and part of
southeastern Algeria
Climate:
Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
Terrain:
mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, gypsum
Land use:
arable land:
2%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
8%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
90%
Irrigated land:
2,420 km2 (1989 est.)
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:
4,872,598 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.73% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
45.66 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
8.37 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 65.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
63.47 years
male:
61.35 years
female:
65.7 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.44 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Libyan(s)
adjective:
Libyan
Ethnic divisions:
Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis,
Turks, Indians, Tunisians
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 97%
Languages:
Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
64%
male:
75%
female:
50%
Labor force:
1 million includes about 280,000 resident foreigners
by occupation:
industry 31%, services 27%, government 24%, agriculture 18%
*Libya, Government
Names:
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 Ishirakiyah
local short form:
none
Digraph:
LY
Type:
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace
through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship
Capital:
Tripoli
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)
Political parties and leaders:
none
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
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Elections:
national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of peoples' committees
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)