Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

National name: Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al Ishtirakiyah al Uzma

Chief of State: Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi (1969)

Prime Minister: Mubarak Abdallah al-Shamikh (2000)

Total area: 679,358 sq mi (1,759,540 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 5,900,754 (growth rate: 2.3%); birth rate: 26.5/1000; infant mortality rate: 23.7/1000; life expectancy: 76.7; density per sq mi: 9

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Tripoli, 2,357,800 (metro. area), 1,269,700 (city proper)

Other large city: Benghazi, 734,900

Monetary unit: Libyan dinar

Languages: Arabic, Italian, and English widely understood in major cities

Ethnicity/race: Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians

Religion: Islam (Sunni) 97%

Literacy rate: 83% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $48.29 billion; per capita $ $8,400. Real growth rate: 8.5%. Inflation: –1%. Unemployment: 30% (2004 est.). Arable land: 1%. Agriculture: wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans; cattle. Labor force: 1.64 million; agriculture 17%, industry 23%, services 60% (2004 est.). Industries: petroleum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement. Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, gypsum. Exports: $30.79 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas. Imports: $10.82 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery, transport equipment, semi-finished goods, food, consumer products. Major trading partners: Italy, Germany, Spain, Turkey, France, South Korea, UK, Tunisia (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 500,000 (1998); mobile cellular: 20,000 (1998). Radio broadcast stations: AM 16, FM 3, shortwave 3 (2002). Radios: 1.35 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 12 (plus one low-power repeater) (1999). Televisions: 730,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2002). Internet users: 20,000 (2001).

Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 83,200 km; paved :47,590 km; unpaved: 35,610 km (1999 est.). Waterways: none. Ports and harbors: Al Khums, Banghazi, Darnah, Marsa al Burayqah, Misratah, Ra's Lanuf, Tobruk, Tripoli, Zuwarah. Airports: 136 (2002).

International disputes: Libya has claimed more than 32,000 sq km in southeastern Algeria and about 25,000 sq km in Niger in currently dormant disputes; various Chadian rebels from the Aozou region reside in southern Libya.


 

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