1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 1,759,540 sq km land: 1,759,540 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative
slightly larger than Alaska
Climate
Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
Coastline
1,770 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m
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
Environment--international agreements
party to: Desertification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea
Geographic coordinates
25 00 N, 17 00 E
Irrigated land
4,700 sq km (1993 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: 1% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 8% forests and woodland: 0% other: 91% (1993 est.)
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm note: Gulf of Sidra closing line--32 degrees 30 minutes north
Natural hazards
hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, gypsum
Terrain
mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 36% (male 930,661; female 891,046) 15-64 years: 60% (male 1,545,958; female 1,437,120) 65 years and over: 4% (male 93,726; female 94,327) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
27.33 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
3.35 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians
Infant mortality rate
28.15 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.73 years male: 73.81 years female: 77.74 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 76.2% male: 87.9% female: 63% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Libyan(s) adjective: Libyan
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
4,992,838 (July 1999 est.) note: includes 161,251 non-nationals (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
2.4% (1999 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: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
3.79 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
25 municipalities (baladiyat, singular--baladiyah); 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
Capital
Tripoli
Constitution
11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977
Country name
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
Data code
LY
Executive branch
chief of state: Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969); note--holds no official title, but is de facto chief of state head of government: Secretary of the General People's Committee (Premier) Muhammad Ahmad al-MANQUSH (since NA January 1998) cabinet: General People's Committee established by the General People's Congress elections: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of peoples' committees; head of government elected by the General People's Congress; election last held NA (next to be held NA) election results: Muhammad Ahmad al-MANQUSH elected head of government; percent of General People's Congress vote--NA
Flag description
plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion)
Government type
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship
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, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO Diplomatic representation in the US: Libya does not have an embassy in the US Diplomatic representation from the US: the US suspended all embassy activities in Tripoli on 2 May 1980
Judicial branch
Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: none Political pressure groups and leaders: various Arab nationalist movements with almost negligible memberships may be functioning clandestinely, as well as some Islamic elements
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 (NA seats; members elected indirectly through a hierarchy of peoples' committees)
National holiday
Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Economy
Agriculture--products
wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts; beef, eggs
Budget
revenues: $3.6 billion expenditures: $5.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Currency
1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams
Debt--external
$4 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid--recipient
$8.4 million (1995)
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. These oil revenues and a small population give Libya one of the highest per capita GDPs in Africa, but little of this income flows down to the lower orders of society. Low oil prices in 1998 cut back revenue sharply, and GDP growth fell by 1%. In this statist society, 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. 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 do not have a major impact on the economy although they have increased transaction and transportation costs.
Electricity--consumption
17 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
17 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1--0.3799 (November 1998), 0.3891 (1997), 0.3651 (1996), 0.3532 (1995), 0.3596 (1994); official rate: 0.45 (December 1998)
Exports
$6.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Exports--commodities
crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas
Exports--partners
Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Turkey, Greece, Egypt
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$38 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 5% industry: 55% services: 40% (1996 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$6,700 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
-1% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$6.9 billion (c.i.f., 1998 est.)
Imports--commodities
machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods
Imports--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)
24.2% (1998 est.)
Labor force
1 million
Labor force--by occupation
industry 31%, services 27%, government 24%, agriculture 18%
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
30% (1998 est.)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 17, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1998 est.)
Radios
1 million (1998 est.)
Telephone system
telecommunications system is being modernized; cellular telephone system became operational in 1996 domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, cellular, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations international: satellite earth stations--4 Intelsat, NA Arabsat, and NA Intersputnik; submarine cables to France and Italy; microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel
Telephones
411,000 (1999 est.)
Television broadcast stations
12 (in addition, there is one low-power repeater) (1997)
Televisions
550,000 (1998 est.)
Transportation
Airports
143 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 60 over 3,047 m: 24 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 3 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 83 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 42 under 914 m: 19 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 83,200 km paved: 47,590 km unpaved: 35,610 km (1996 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 588,928 GRT/989,662 DWT ships by type: cargo 9, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas tanker 3, oil tanker 9, roll-on/roll-off cargo 4, short-sea passenger 4 (1998 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 4,383 km; petroleum products 443 km (includes liquefied petroleum gas or LPG 256 km); natural gas 1,947 km Ports and harbors: 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
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Command
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$NA
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
NA%
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 1,372,261 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 816,186 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
17 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 62,098 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia; Libya claims about 19,400 sq km in northern Niger and part of southeastern Algeria