*Libya, Government
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
Diplomatic representation in US:
none
US 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. In 1990 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 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 20% of GDP, have expanded from
processing mostly agricultural products to include petrochemicals, iron,
steel, and aluminum. Although agriculture accounts for only 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.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $26.1 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
0.2% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$5,800 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $8.1 billion; expenditures $9.8 billion, including capital
expenditures of $3.1 billion (1989 est.)
Exports:
$9.71 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas
partners:
Italy, former USSR, Germany, Spain, France, Belgium/Luxembourg, Turkey
Imports:
$8.66 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods
partners:
Italy, former USSR, Germany, UK, Japan, Korea
External debt:
$3.5 billion excluding military debt (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 10.5%; accounts for 7.6% of GDP (not including oil) (1990)
Electricity:
4,935,000 kW capacity; 14,385 million kWh produced, 2,952 kWh per capita
(1992)
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
*Libya, Economy
Economic aid:
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87),
$242 million; no longer a recipient
Currency:
1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams
Exchange rates:
Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1 - 0.2998 (January 1993), 0.3013 (1992), 0.2684
(1991), 0.2699 (1990), 0.2922 (1989), 0.2853 (1988)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
*Libya, Communications
Railroads:
Libya has had no railroad in operation since 1965, all previous systems
having been dismantled; current plans are to construct a standard gauge
(1.435 m) 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, progress
unknown
Highways:
19,300 km total; 10,800 km bituminous/bituminous treated, 8,500 km crushed
stone or earth
Inland waterways:
none
Pipelines:
crude oil 4,383 km; natural gas 1,947 km; petroleum products 443 km
(includes liquified petroleum gas 256 km)
Ports:
Tobruk, Tripoli, Banghazi, Misratah, Marsa al Burayqah, Ra's Lanuf, Ra's al
Unif
Merchant marine:
32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 694,883 GRT/1,215,494 DWT; includes 4
short-sea passenger, 11 cargo, 4 roll-on/roll-off, 10 oil tanker, 1 chemical
tanker, 2 liquefied gas
Airports:
total:
138
usable:
124
with permanent-surface runways:
56
with runways over 3,659 m: 9
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
27
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
47
Telecommunications:
modern telecommunications system using radio relay, coaxial cable,
tropospheric scatter, and domestic satellite stations; 370,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 17 AM, 3 FM, 12 TV; satellite earth stations - 1
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 14 domestic; submarine
cables to France and Italy; radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric
scatter to Greece; planned ARABSAT and Intersputnik satellite stations
*Libya, Defense Forces
Branches:
Armed Peoples of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriyah (including Army, Navy, Air and
Air Defense Command)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 1,058,134; fit for military service 628,285; reach military
age (17) annually 50,997 (1993 est.); conscription now being implemented
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $3.3 billion, 15% of GDP (1989 est.)