UNTIL LIBYA ACHIEVED independence in 1951, its history was
essentially that of tribes, regions, and cities, and of the empires
of which it was a part. Derived from the name by which a single
Berber tribe was known to the ancient Egyptians, the name
Libya was subsequently applied by the Greeks to most of
North Africa and the term Libyan to all of its Berber
inhabitants. Although ancient in origin, these names were not used
to designate the specific territory of modern Libya and its people
until the twentieth century, nor indeed was the whole area formed
into a coherent political unit until then. Hence, despite the long
and distinct histories of its regions, modern Libya must be viewed
as a new country still developing national consciousness and
institutions.
Geography was the principal determinant in the separate
historical development of Libya's three traditional regions--
Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan. Cut off from each other by
formidable deserts, each retained its separate identity into the
1960s. At the heart of Tripolitania was its metropolis, Tripoli,
for centuries a terminal for caravans plying the Saharan trade
routes and a port sheltering pirates and slave traders.
Tripolitania's cultural ties were with the
Maghrib, (see Glossary),
of which it was a part geographically and culturally and with which
it shared a common history. Tripolitanians developed their
political consciousness in reaction to foreign domination, and it
was from Tripolitania that the strongest impulses came for the
unification of modern Libya.
In contrast to Tripolitania, Cyrenaica historically was
oriented toward Egypt and the
Mashriq (see Glossary).
With the
exception of some of its coastal towns, Cyrenaica was left
relatively untouched by the political influence of the regimes that
claimed it but were unable to assert their authority in the
hinterland. An element of internal unity was brought to the
region's tribal society in the nineteenth century by a Muslim
religious order, the Sanusi, and many Cyrenaicans demonstrated a
determination to retain their regional autonomy even after Libyan
independence and unification.
Fezzan was less involved with either the Maghrib or the
Mashriq. Its nomads traditionally looked for leadership to tribal
dynasties that controlled the oases astride the desert trade
routes. Throughout its history, Fezzan maintained close relations
with sub-Saharan Africa as well as with the coast.
The most significant milestones in Libya's history were the
introduction of Islam and the Arabization of the country in the
Middle Ages, and, within the last two generations, national
independence, the discovery of petroleum, and the September 1969
revolution that brought Muammar al Qadhafi to power. The era since
1969 has brought many important changes. The Qadhafi regime has
made the first real attempt to unify Libya's diverse peoples and to
create a distinct Libyan state and identity. It has created new
political structures and made a determined effort at diversified
economic development financed by oil revenues. The regime has also
aspired to leadership in Arab and world affairs. As a consequence
of these developments, Libyan society has been subjected to a
significant degree of government direction and supervision, much of
it at the behest of Qadhafi himself. Although the merits of the
regime and its policies were much debated by Libyans and foreigners
alike, there was no question that Libya in the 1980s was a
significantly different country from the one it had been only two
or three decades earlier.
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Background | | 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 Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI began to espouse 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. During the 1990s, QADHAFI began to rebuild his relationships with Europe. UN sanctions were suspended in April 1999 and finally lifted in September 2003 after Libya accepted responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing. In December 2003, Libya announced that it had agreed to reveal and end its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction and to renounce terrorism. 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. The US rescinded Libya's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism in June 2006. In January 2008, Libya assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008-09 term. In August 2008, the US and Libya signed a bilateral comprehensive claims settlement agreement to compensate claimants in both countries who allege injury or death at the hands of the other country, including the Lockerbie bombing, the LaBelle disco bombing, and the UTA 772 bombing. In October 2008, the US Government received $1.5 billion pursuant to the agreement to distribute to US national claimants, and as a result effectively normalized its bilateral relationship with Libya. The two countries then exchanged ambassadors for the first time since 1973 in January 2009. QADHAFI in February 2009 took over as chairman of the African Union for the 2009-10 term; in September 2009, a Libyan took over the year-long presidency of UN General Assembly.
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Location | | Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia
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Area(sq km) | | total: 1,759,540 sq km
land: 1,759,540 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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Geographic coordinates | | 25 00 N, 17 00 E
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Land boundaries(km) | | 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
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Coastline(km) | | 1,770 km
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Climate | | Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
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Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m
highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m
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Natural resources | | petroleum, natural gas, gypsum
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Land use(%) | | arable land: 1.03%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 98.78% (2005)
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Irrigated land(sq km) | | 4,700 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 0.6 cu km (1997)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 4.27 cu km/yr (14%/3%/83%)
per capita: 730 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards | | hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms
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Environment - current issues | | desertification; 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
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Environment - international agreements | | 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
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Geography - note | | more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert
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Population | | 6,310,434
note: includes 166,510 non-nationals (July 2009 est.)
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Age structure(%) | | 0-14 years: 33% (male 1,064,866/female 1,019,790)
15-64 years: 62.7% (male 2,033,478/female 1,920,755)
65 years and over: 4.3% (male 133,092/female 138,453) (2009 est.)
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Median age(years) | | total: 23.9 years
male: 24 years
female: 23.8 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate(%) | | 2.17% (2009 est.)
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Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 25.15 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 3.45 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
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Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | NA (2009 est.)
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Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 78% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio(male(s)/female) | | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births) | | total: 21.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 23.21 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 77.26 years
male: 74.98 years
female: 79.65 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 3.08 children born/woman (2009 est.)
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Nationality | | noun: Libyan(s)
adjective: Libyan
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Ethnic groups(%) | | Berber and Arab 97%, other 3% (includes Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians)
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Religions(%) | | Sunni Muslim 97%, other 3%
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Languages(%) | | Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities
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Country name | | conventional long form: Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
conventional short form: Libya
local long form: Al Jamahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al Ishtirakiyah al Uthma
local short form: none
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Government type | | Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in practice, an authoritarian state
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Capital | | name: Tripoli (Tarabulus)
geographic coordinates: 32 53 N, 13 10 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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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
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Constitution | | none; note - following the September 1969 military overthrow of the Libyan government, the Revolutionary Command Council replaced the existing constitution with the Constitutional Proclamation in December 1969; in March 1977, Libya adopted the Declaration of the Establishment of the People's Authority
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Legal system | | based on Italian and French civil law systems and Islamic law; separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage | | 18 years of age; universal and technically compulsory
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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 (Prime Minister) al-Baghdadi Ali al-MAHMUDI (since 5 March 2006)
cabinet: General People's Committee established by the General People's Congress
elections: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of people's committees; head of government elected by the General People's Congress; election last held March 2009 (next to be held NA)
election results: NA
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Legislative branch | | unicameral General People's Congress (760 seats; members elected indirectly through a hierarchy of people's committees)
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Judicial branch | | Supreme Court
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Political pressure groups and leaders | | other: Arab nationalist movements; anti-QADHAFI Libyan exile Movement; Islamic elements
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International organization participation | | ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, 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, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
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Flag description | | plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion)
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Economy - overview | | The Libyan economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contribute about 95% of export earnings, about one-quarter of GDP, and 60% of public sector wages. The expected weakness in world hydrocarbon prices throughout 2009 will reduce Libyan government tax income and constrain Libyan economic growth in 2009. Substantial revenues from the energy sector coupled with 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. Libyan officials in the past five years have made progress on economic reforms 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 as Libya announced in December 2003 that it would abandon programs to build weapons of mass destruction. UN Sanctions against Libya were lifted in September 2003. 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 sector. Libyan oil and gas licensing rounds continue to draw high international interest; the National Oil Company set a goal of nearly doubling oil production to 3 million bbl/day by 2012. Libya faces a long road ahead in liberalizing the socialist-oriented economy, but initial steps - including applying for WTO membership, reducing some subsidies, and announcing plans for privatization - are laying the groundwork for a transition to a more market-based economy. The non-oil manufacturing and construction sectors, which account for more than 20% of GDP, have expanded from processing mostly agricultural products to include the production of petrochemicals, iron, steel, and aluminum. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit agricultural output, and Libya imports about 75% of its food. Libya's primary agricultural water source remains the Great Manmade River Project, but significant resources are being invested in desalinization research to meet growing water demands.
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GDP (purchasing power parity) | | $87.72 billion (2008 est.)
$82.83 billion (2007 est.)
$78.44 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate) | | $89.92 billion (2008 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 5.9% (2008 est.)
5.6% (2007 est.)
5.9% (2006 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $14,200 (2008 est.)
$13,700 (2007 est.)
$13,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 1.7%
industry: 70.9%
services: 27.4% (2008 est.)
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Labor force | | 1.64 million (2008 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture: 17%
industry: 23%
services: 59% (2004 est.)
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Unemployment rate(%) | | 30% (2004 est.)
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Population below poverty line(%) | | 7.4% (2005 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 9.3% of GDP (2008 est.)
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Budget | | revenues: $58.04 billion
expenditures: $35.22 billion (2008 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 10.4% (2008 est.)
6.3% (2007 est.)
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Stock of money | | $26.66 billion (31 December 2008)
$18.04 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of quasi money | | $4.264 billion (31 December 2008)
$3.192 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of domestic credit | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$NA (31 December 2007)
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Market value of publicly traded shares | | $NA
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Economic aid - recipient | | ODA, $24.44 million (2005 est.)
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Public debt(% of GDP) | | 4% of GDP (2008 est.)
8.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
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Agriculture - products | | wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans; cattle
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Industries | | petroleum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement
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Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 6.2% (2008 est.)
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Current account balance | | $37.39 billion (2008 est.)
$28.45 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports | | $64.5 billion (2008 est.)
$46.97 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports - commodities(%) | | crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas, chemicals
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Exports - partners(%) | | Italy 38%, Germany 12%, France 7.4%, Spain 6.9%, US 6.4%, Switzerland 4.6% (2008)
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Imports | | $26.55 billion (2008 est.)
$17.7 billion (2007 est.)
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Imports - commodities(%) | | machinery, semi-finished goods, food, transport equipment, consumer products
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Imports - partners(%) | | Italy 22.2%, China 9.3%, Germany 8.6%, Turkey 6.1%, Tunisia 5.8%, South Korea 4.7%, US 4.1%, France 4.1% (2008)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $92.51 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$79.6 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Debt - external | | $6.223 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$4.837 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | | $11.23 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$8.775 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | | $5.15 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$3.7 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Exchange rates | | Libyan dinars (LYD) per US dollar - 1.2112 (2008 est.), 1.2604 (2007), 1.3108 (2006), 1.3084 (2005), 1.305 (2004)
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Currency (code) | | Libyan dinar (LYD)
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Telephones - main lines in use | | 1.033 million (2008)
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Telephones - mobile cellular | | 4.828 million (2008)
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Telephone system | | 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; multiple providers for a mobile telephone system that is growing rapidly; combined fixed line and mobile telephone density is approaching 100 telephones per 100 persons
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, cellular, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations
international: country code - 218; 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 (2008)
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Internet country code | | .ly
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Internet users | | 323,000 (2008)
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Airports | | 137 (2009)
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Pipelines(km) | | condensate 776 km; gas 2,860 km; oil 6,987 km (2008)
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Roadways(km) | | total: 100,024 km
paved: 57,214 km
unpaved: 42,810 km (2003)
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Ports and terminals | | As Sidrah, Az Zuwaytinah, Marsa al Burayqah, Ra's Lanuf, Tripoli, Zawiyah
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Military branches | | Armed Peoples on Duty (APOD, Army), Libyan Arab Navy, Libyan Arab Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jamahiriya al-Arabia al-Libyya, LAAF), Libyan Coast Guard (2008)
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Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | 17 years of age (2004)
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Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 1,682,183
females age 16-49: 1,611,001 (2008 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 1,466,578
females age 16-49: 1,409,684 (2009 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 60,710
female: 58,219 (2009 est.)
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Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 3.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
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Disputes - international | | Libya has claimed more than 32,000 sq km in southeastern Algeria and about 25,000 sq km in the Tommo region of Niger in a currently dormant dispute; various Chadian rebels from the Aozou region reside in southern Libya
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Refugees and internally displaced persons | | refugees (country of origin): 8,000 (Palestinian Territories) (2007)
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Trafficking in persons | | current situation: Libya is a transit and destination country for men and women from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Libya is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to address trafficking in persons in 2007 when compared to 2006, particularly in the area of investigating and prosecuting trafficking offenses; Libya did not publicly release any data on investigations or punishment of any trafficking offenses (2008)
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Electricity - production(kWh) | | 23.98 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 22.17 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 104 million kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 77 million kWh (2007 est.)
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Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 1.875 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 273,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 1.542 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 575.3 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 43.66 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 15.9 billion cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 5.5 billion cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 10.4 billion cu m (2008)
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Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 1.54 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | 0.3% (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | 10,000 (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths | | NA
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Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 82.6%
male: 92.4%
female: 72% (2003 est.)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 17 years
male: 16 years
female: 17 years (2003)
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Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 2.7% of GDP (1999)
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