| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Africa |
| Geographical Location |
25° 00' North Latitude
17° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
1,759,540 sq km |
| Climate |
Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior |
| Natural Resources |
Petroleum, natural gas, gypsum |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya |
| Capital City |
Tripoli |
| Government Type |
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship |
| 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Tarhunah, Tubruq, Yafran, Zlitan; note - the 25 municipalities may have been replaced by 13 regions |
| Independence Day |
24 December 1951 (from Italy) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
5,765,563
Note: includes 166,510 non-nationals (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Libyan |
| Ethnic Groups |
Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians |
| Religion |
Sunni Muslim 97% |
| Languages |
Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities |
| Population Growth Rate |
2.33% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Libyan dinar (LYD) |
| Industries |
Petroleum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement |
| Labor Force |
1.59 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 17%, industry 29%, services 54% (1997 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans; cattle |
| Export Commodities |
Crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas |
| Export Partners |
Italy 37.7%, Germany 16.7%, Spain 11.6%, Turkey 7.5%, France 6.5% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery, transport equipment, semi-finished goods, food, consumer products (1999) |
| Import Partners |
Italy 28.2%, Germany 11.1%, Tunisia 6%, UK 5.8%, Turkey 5%, France 4.1% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
0 km |
| Highways |
83,200 km |
| Pipelines |
Condensate 225 km; gas 3,611 km; oil 7,252 km (2004) |
| Airports |
139 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Al Khums, Banghazi, Darnah, Marsa al Burayqah, Misratah, Ra's Lanuf, Tubruq, Tripoli, Zuwarah |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+218 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.ly |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
From the earliest days of his rule following his 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI has espoused his own political system, the Third Universal Theory.
The system is a combination of socialism and Islam derived in part from tribal practices and is supposed to be implemented by the Libyan people themselves in a unique form
of "direct democracy." QADHAFI has always seen himself as a revolutionary and visionary leader. He used oil funds during the 1970s and 1980s to promote his ideology outside Libya,
supporting subversives and terrorists abroad to hasten the end of Marxism and capitalism. In addition, beginning in 1973, he engaged in military operations in northern Chad's Aozou Strip -
to gain access to minerals and to use as a base of influence in Chadian politics - but was forced to retreat in 1987. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically following the downing
of Pan AM Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Libyan support for terrorism appeared to have decreased after the imposition of sanctions. During the 1990s, QADHAFI also began to rebuild his
relationships with Europe. UN sanctions were suspended in April 1999 and finally lifted in September 2003 after Libya resolved the Lockerbie case. In December 2003, Libya announced that it
had agreed to reveal and end its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction, and QADHAFI has made significant strides in normalizing relations with western nations since then.
He has received various Western European leaders as well as many working-level and commercial delegations, and made his first trip to Western Europe in 15 years when he traveled to Brussels in April 2004.
QADHAFI also finally resolved in 2004 several outstanding cases against his government for terrorist activities in the 1980s by paying compensation to the families of victims of the UTA and La Belle disco bombings. |
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