Libya
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Libya Geography Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia Geographic coordinates: 25 00 N, 17 00 E Map references: Africa Area: total: 1,759,540 sq km land: 1,759,540 sq km water: 0 sq km AreaŃcomparative: slightly larger than Alaska 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 Coastline: 1,770 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm note: Gulf of Sidra closing lineŃ32 degrees 30 minutes north Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior Terrain: mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, gypsum Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 8% forests and woodland: 0% other: 91% (1993 est.) Irrigated land: 4,700 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms EnvironmentŃcurrent 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 EnvironmentŃinternational agreements: party to: Desertification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea People Population: 5,690,727 (July 1998 est.) note: includes 144,363 non-nationals (July 1998 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 48% (male 1,399,354; female 1,351,442) 15-64 years: 49% (male 1,412,067; female 1,361,372) 65 years and over: 3% (male 81,711; female 84,781) (July 1998 est.) Population growth rate: 3.68% (1998 est.) Birth rate: 43.95 births/1,000 population (1998 est.) Death rate: 7.15 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female (1998 est.) Infant mortality rate: 55.81 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 65.44 years male: 63.21 years female: 67.78 years (1998 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.18 children born/woman (1998 est.) Nationality: noun: Libyan(s) adjective: Libyan Ethnic groups: 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: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 76.2% male: 87.9% female: 63% (1995 est.) Government 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 Government type: Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship National capital: Tripoli Administrative divisions: 25 municipalities (baladiyah, singularŃbaladiyat); 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 1,500 communes in 1992 Independence: 24 December 1951 (from Italy) National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 September (1969) 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 Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Executive branch: chief of state: Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969); noteŃholds 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 voteŃNA Legislative branch: unicameral General People's Congress (NA seats; members elected indirectly through a hierarchy of peoples' committees) 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 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, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) 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 Flag description: plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion) Economy EconomyŃoverview: The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contributes practically all export earnings and about one-third of GDP. Per capita GDP is the highest in Africa at $6,700, but disproportionately little of national income flows down to the lower orders of society. GDP growth fluctuates sharply in response to changes in the world oil market; GDP has either contracted or grown very sluggishly since 1992. 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. Although 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. GDP: purchasing power parityŃ$38 billion (1997 est.) GDPŃreal growth rate: 0.5% (1997 est.) GDPŃper capita: purchasing power parityŃ$6,700 (1997 est.) GDPŃcomposition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: 55% services: 40% (1996 est.) Inflation rateŃconsumer price index: 30% (1997 est.) Labor force: total: 1 million by occupation: industry 31%, services 27%, government 24%, agriculture 18% note: 3% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.) Unemployment rate: 25% (1997 est.) Budget: revenues: $10.4 billion expenditures: $10.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.5 billion (1995 est.) Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement Industrial production growth rate: NA% ElectricityŃcapacity: 4.6 million kW (1995) ElectricityŃproduction: 17 billion kWh (1995) ElectricityŃconsumption per capita: 3,239 kWh (1995) AgricultureŃproducts: wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts; meat, eggs Exports: total value: $9 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas partners: Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Turkey, Greece, Egypt Imports: total value: $6.2 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods partners: Italy, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Turkey, Tunisia, Eastern Europe DebtŃexternal: $2.6 billion excluding military debt (1995 est.) Economic aid: $NA Currency: 1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams Exchange rates: Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1Ń0.3902 (January 1998), 0.3891 (1997), 0.3651 (1996), 0.3532 (1995), 0.3596 (1994), 0.3250 (1993) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Telephones: 370,000 Telephone system: modern telecommunications system domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations international: satellite earth stationsŃ2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); planned Arabsat and Intersputnik satellite earth stations; submarine cables to France and Italy; microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel Radio broadcast stations: AM 17, FM 3, shortwave 0 Radios: 1 million (1993 est.) Television broadcast stations: 12 (1987 est.) Televisions: 500,000 (1993 est.) Transportation 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 Highways: total: 83,200 km paved: 47,590 km unpaved: 35,610 km (1996 est.) Waterways: none 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 Merchant marine: total: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 615,505 GRT/1,044,175 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 (1997 est.) Airports: 145 (1997 est.) AirportsŃwith paved runways: total: 60 over 3,047 m: 24 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 23 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 3 (1997 est.) AirportsŃwith unpaved runways: total: 85 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 43 under 914 m: 20 (1997 est.) Military Military branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Command Military manpowerŃmilitary age: 17 years of age Military manpowerŃavailability: males age 15-49: 1,229,080 (1998 est.) Military manpowerŃfit for military service: males: 731,963 (1998 est.) Military manpowerŃreaching military age annually: males: 59,730 (1998 est.) Military expendituresŃdollar figure: $1.4 billion (1994 est.) Military expendituresŃpercent of GDP: 6.1% (1994 est.) Transnational Issues DisputesŃinternational: maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia; Libya claims about 19,400 sq km in northern Niger and part of southeastern Algeria