Page last updated on January 28, 2014
The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and did not relinquish their hold until 1943 when defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and achieved independence in 1951. Following a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar al-QADHAFI assumed leadership and began to espouse his political system at home, which was a combination of socialism and Islam. During the 1970s, QADHAFI used oil revenues to promote his ideology outside Libya, supporting subversive and terrorist activities that included the downing of two airliners - one over Scotland, another in Northern Africa - and a discotheque bombing in Berlin. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically and economically following the attacks; sanctions were lifted in 2003 following Libyan acceptance of responsibility for the bombings and agreement to claimant compensation. QADHAFI also agreed to end Libya's program to develop weapons of mass destruction, and he made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations. Unrest that began in several Middle Eastern and North African countries in late 2010 erupted in Libyan cities in early 2011. QADHAFI's brutal crackdown on protesters spawned a civil war that triggered UN authorization of air and naval intervention by the international community. After months of seesaw fighting between government and opposition forces, the QADHAFI regime was toppled in mid-2011 and replaced by a transitional government. Libya in 2012 formed a new parliament and elected a new prime minister.
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria
total: 1,759,540 sq km
country comparison to the world: 17
land: 1,759,540 sq km
water: 0 sq km
slightly larger than Alaska
total: 4,348 km
border countries: Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,115 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km
territorial sea: 12 nm
note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north
exclusive fishing zone: 62 nm
Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m
highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m
petroleum, natural gas, gypsum
arable land: 0.99%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 98.82% (2011)
total: 4.33 cu km/yr (14%/3%/83%)
per capita: 796.1 cu m/yr (2000)
hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms
desertification; limited natural freshwater resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, brings water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert
noun: Libyan(s)
adjective: Libyan
Berber and Arab 97%, other 3% (includes Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians)
Arabic (official), Italian, English (all widely understood in the major cities); Berber (Nafusi, Ghadamis, Suknah, Awjilah, Tamasheq)
Sunni Muslim (official) 97%, other 3%
6,002,347 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
note: includes 166,510 non-nationals
0-14 years: 27.3% (male 837,984/female 800,423)
15-24 years: 18.6% (male 578,780/female 535,828)
25-54 years: 45.6% (male 1,432,265/female 1,302,187)
55-64 years: 4.6% (male 143,862/female 134,414)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 120,043/female 116,561) (2013 est.)
total dependency ratio: 52.1 %
youth dependency ratio: 44.8 %
elderly dependency ratio: 7.3 %
potential support ratio: 13.7 (2013)
total: 27.1 years
male: 27.2 years
female: 26.9 years (2013 est.)
4.85% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
18.74 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
3.56 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213
33.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
urban population: 77.7% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
TRIPOLI (capital) 1.095 million (2009)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female
total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
58 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 103
total: 12.26 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 128
male: 13.25 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 75.83 years
country comparison to the world: 88
male: 74.17 years
female: 77.57 years (2013 est.)
2.09 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
4.4% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 153
1.9 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
3.7 beds/1,000 population (2009)
0.3% (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
10,000 (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
27.8% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 35
5.6% (2007)
country comparison to the world: 84
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89.5%
male: 95.8%
female: 83.3% (2011 est.)
total: 16 years
male: 16 years
female: 16 years (2003)
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Libya
local long form: none
local short form: Libiya
operates under a transitional government
name: Tripoli (Tarabulus)
geographic coordinates: 32 53 N, 13 10 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends last Friday in October
note: on 10 November 2012, Libya changed its standard time from UTC+2 to UTC+1
22 districts (shabiyat, singular - shabiyat); Al Butnan, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jabal al Gharbi, Al Jafarah, Al Jufrah, Al Kufrah, Al Marj, Al Marqab, Al Wahat, An Nuqat al Khams, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghat, Misratah, Murzuq, Nalut, Sabha, Surt, Tarabulus, Wadi al Hayat, Wadi ash Shati
24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)
Liberation Day, 23 October (2011)
previous 1951, 1977; latest 2011 (interim); note - in mid-July 2013, Libya's legislative body agreed on steps for drafting a new constitution (2013)
Libya's post-revolution legal system is in flux and driven by state and non-state entities
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
18 years of age, universal
chief of state: President, General National Congress Nuri Abu SAHMAYN
head of government: Prime Minister Ali ZAYDAN (since 14 October 2012); Deputy Prime Ministers Awad Ibrik Ibrahim al-BARASI, Sadiq Abd al-Karim Abd al-Rahman KARIM, Abd-al-Salam Muhammad al-Mahdi al-QADI
cabinet: new cabinet approved by the National Congress on 31 October 2012
elections: prime minister and National Congress president elected by the National Congress
election results: NA
unicameral General National Congress (200 seats; 120 individual seats elected from 69 constituencies and 80 party list seats elected from 20 constituencies; member term NA)
elections: first General National Congress election held on 7 July 2012 (next to be held NA)
election results: percent of vote for party list seats only - NFA 48.7%, JCP 21.3%, other parties 30%; list and constituent seats - NFA 39, JCP 17, other 24, independents 120
highest court(s): NA; note - government in transition
Al-Watan (Homeland) Party
note: list includes some of the larger political parties and leaders
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BDEAC, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Suleiman ABULHI
chancery: 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 705, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 944-9601
FAX: [1] (202) 944-9606
chief of mission: Ambassador Deborah K. JONES (since 11 June 2013)
note: on 11 September 2012, US Ambassador Christopher STEVENS and three other American diplomats were killed in an attack by heavily armed militants on a US diplomatic post in the eastern city of Benghazi
embassy: Sidi Slim Area/Walie Al-Ahed Road, Tripoli
mailing address: US Embassy, 8850 Tripoli Place, Washington, DC 20521-8850
telephone: [218] (0) 91-220-3239
three horizontal bands of red (top), black (double width), and green with a white crescent and star centered on the black stripe; the National Transitional Council reintroduced this flag design of the former Kingdom of Libya (1951-1969) on 27 February 2011; it replaced the former all-green banner promulgated by the QADHAFI regime in 1977; the colors represent the three major regions of the country: red stands for Fezzan, black symbolizes Cyrenaica, and green denotes Tripolitania; the crescent and star represent Islam, the main religion of the country
name: "Allahu Akbar" (God Is Greatest)
lyrics/music: Mahmoud el-SHERIF/Abdalla Shams el-DIN
note: adopted 1969; the anthem was originally a battle song for the Egyptian Army in the 1956 Suez War
Libya's economy is structured primarily around the nation's energy sector, which generates about 95% of export earnings, 80% of GDP, and 99% of government income. Substantial revenue from the energy sector coupled with a small population give Libya one of the highest per capita GDPs in Africa, but Tripoli largely has not used its significant financial resources to develop national infrastructure or the economy, leaving many citizens poor. In the final five years of QADHAFI''s rule, Libya made some progress on economic reform as part of a broader campaign to reintegrate the country into the international fold. This effort picked up steam after UN sanctions were lifted in September 2003 and after Libya announced in December 2003 that it would abandon programs to build weapons of mass destruction. The process of lifting US unilateral sanctions began in the spring of 2004; all sanctions were removed by June 2006, helping Libya attract greater foreign direct investment, especially in the energy and banking sectors. Libyan oil and gas licensing rounds drew high international interest, but new rounds are unlikely to be successful until Libya establishes a more permanent government and is able to offer more attractive financial terms on contracts and increase security. Libya faces a long road ahead in liberalizing its primarily socialist economy, but the revolution has unleashed previously restrained entrepreneurial activity and increased the potential for the evolution of a more market-based economy. The service and construction sectors, which account for roughly 60% of GDP, expanded over the past five years and could become a larger share of GDP if Tripoli prioritizes capital spending on development projects once political and security uncertainty subside. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit agricultural output, and Libya imports about 80% of its food. Libya''s primary agricultural water source is the Great Manmade River Project.
$76.52 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
$80.81 billion (2012 est.)
104.5% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
$11,900 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
44.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
household consumption: 42.9%
government consumption: 14.2%
investment in fixed capital: 4.9%
investment in inventories: 0.4%
exports of goods and services: 60.5%
imports of goods and services: -22.9%
agriculture: 1.6%
industry: 43.6%
services: 54.8% (2012 est.)
wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans; cattle
petroleum, petrochemicals, aluminum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement
117% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
1.353 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
agriculture: 17%
industry: 23%
services: 59% (2004 est.)
30% (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
NA%
note: about one-third of Libyans live at or below the national poverty line
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $57.48 billion
expenditures: $35.08 billion (2012 est.)
71.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
27.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
4.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
6.1% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
9.52% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
6% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
$45.2 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
$42.39 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
$-47.25 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
$27.17 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
$52.02 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas, chemicals
Italy 23.3%, Germany 12.4%, China 11.2%, France 9.7%, Spain 7.6%, UK 4.7%, US 4.5% (2012)
$18.1 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
machinery, semi-finished goods, food, transport equipment, consumer products
China 13%, Turkey 11.6%, Italy 8.2%, Egypt 7.7%, Tunisia 6.6%, South Korea 5.8%, Greece 5.4%, Germany 4.6% (2012)
$118.6 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
$5.278 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
$16.84 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
$17.21 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
Libyan dinars (LYD) per US dollar -
29.72 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
25.24 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
129 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
76 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
6.766 million kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195
1.483 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
1.378 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
48.01 billion bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 9
388,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
314,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
119,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41
575.3 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
7.855 billion cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
6.844 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
3.666 billion cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
1.547 trillion cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 22
49.67 million Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
814,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 85
9.59 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 81
general assessment: telecommunications system is state-owned and service is poor, but investment is being made to upgrade; state retains monopoly in fixed-line services; mobile-cellular telephone system became operational in 1996
domestic: multiple providers for a mobile telephone system that is growing rapidly; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity has soared
international: country code - 218; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat, NA Arabsat, and NA Intersputnik; submarine cable to France and Italy; microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel (2010)
state-funded and private TV stations; some provinces operate local TV stations; pan-Arab satellite TV stations are available; state-funded radio (2012)
17,926 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 121
353,900 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 124
146 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 41
total: 68
over 3,047 m: 23
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 30
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 1 (2013)
total: 78
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 37
under 914 m:
condensate 882 km; gas 3,743 km; oil 7,005 km (2013)
total: 100,024 km
country comparison to the world: 45
paved: 57,214 km
unpaved: 42,810 km (2003)
total: 23
country comparison to the world: 91
by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 2 (Kuwait 1, Norway 1)
registered in other countries: 6 (Hong Kong 1, Malta 5) (2010)
major seaport(s): Marsa al Burayqah (Marsa el Brega), Tripoli
oil terminal(s): Az Zawiyah, Ra's Lanuf
note - in transition; government attempting to staff a new national army with anti-QADAFI militia fighters and former members of QADAFI's military (2008)
18 years of age for mandatory or voluntary service (2012)
males age 16-49: 1,775,078
females age 16-49: 1,714,194 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 1,511,144
females age 16-49: 1,458,934 (2010 est.)
male: 59,547
female: 57,070 (2010 est.)
dormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the FLN's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco; various Chadian rebels from the Aozou region reside in southern Libya
IDPs: 74,000 (conflict between pro-Qadhafi and anti-Qadhafi forces; figure does not include displaced third-country nationals) (2012)
