Libya Facts and Figures1
Area: Total: 1,759,540 sq km (679,362 sq mi) Land: 1,759,540 sq km (679,362 sq mi) Water: 0 sq km
Land Boundaries: Total: 4,348 km (2,702 mi) Border Countries: Algeria 982 km (610 mi), Chad 1,055 km (656 mi), Egypt 1,115 km (693 mi), Niger 354 km (220 mi), Sudan 383 km (238 mi), Tunisia 459 km (285 mi)
Coastline: 1,770 km (1,100 mi)
Land Use: Arable land: 1.03% Permanent crops: 0.19% Other: 98.78% (2005)
Population: 6,733,620 (July 2012 est.) note: includes 166,510 non-nationals
Age Structure: 0–14 years: 32.8% (male 1,104,590/female 1,057,359) 15–64 years: 62.7% (male 2,124,053/female 2,011,226) 65 years and over: 4.6% (male 146,956/female 153,776) (2011 est.)
Median Age: Total: 24.5 years Male: 24.5 years Female: 24.4 years (2011 est.)
Population Growth Rate: 2.007% (2012 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate: Total: 19.34 deaths/1,000 live births Male: 21.26 deaths/1,000 live births Female: 17.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
1 All information in the Facts and Figures section comes directly from the following source: Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, “Libya,” 11 April 2012, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ly.html Life Expectancy at Birth: Total population: 77.83 years Male: 75.5 years Female: 80.27 years (2012 est.)
HIV/AIDS—Adult Prevalence Rate: 0.3% (2001 est.)
Nationality: Noun: Libyan(s) Adjective: Libyan
Ethnic Groups: Berber and Arab 97%, other 3% (includes Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians)
Religions: Sunni Muslim (official) 97%, other 3%
Languages: Arabic (official), Italian, English; all are widely understood in the major cities.
Literacy: Definition: age 15 and over can read and write Total population: 82.6% Male: 92.4% Female: 72% (2003 est.)
Country Name: Conventional long form: none Conventional short form: Libya Local long form: none Local short form: Libiya
Government Type: operates under a transitional government
Capital: Tripoli (Tarabulus)
Administrative Divisions: 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 Independence: 24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)
National Holiday: Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)
Constitution: The Transitional National Council, recognized by the UN in September 2011 as the legitimate interim government, operates under a temporary constitution.
Legal System: NA
Suffrage: NA
Executive and Legislative Branches: The UN in September 2011 recognized the Libyan Transitional National Council (TNC) as the legitimate governing authority for Libya until an interim government is in place; the TNC on 22 November 2011 established a new transitional government. Chief of state: Transitional National Council Chairman Mustafa Abd al-Jalil (since March 2011) Head of government: Transitional National Council Prime Minister Abd al-Rahim al-Keeb (since 23 October 2011) Cabinet: a new cabinet was formed by the prime minister in November 2011
Judicial Branch: NA
Political Parties and Leaders: NA
Political Pressure Groups and Leaders: NA
International Organization Participation: Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa; African Development Bank Group; Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development; Arab Monetary Fund; Arab Maghreb Union; African Union; Council of Arab Economic Unity; Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa; Food and Agriculture Organization; G-77; International Atomic Energy Agency; International Bank for Reconstruction and Development; International Civil Aviation Organization; International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement; International Development Association; Islamic Development Bank; International Fund for Agricultural Development; International Finance Corporation; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; International Labor Organization; International Monetary Fund; International Maritime Organization; International Mobile Satellite Organization; Interpol; International Olympic Committee; International Organization for Migration; Inter-Parliamentary Union; International Organization for Standardization; International Telecommunications Satellites Organization; International Telecommunication Union; League of Arab States (a.k.a. Arab League); Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency; Nonaligned Movement; Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries; Organization of the Islamic Conference; Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries; Permanent Court of Arbitration; United Nations; United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization; United Nations Industrial Development Organization; World Tourism Organization; Universal Postal Union; World Customs Organization; World Federation of Trade Unions; World Health Organization; World Intellectual Property Organization; World Meteorological Organization; World Trade Organization (observer)
Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.: Chief of mission: Ambassador Ali Suleiman Aujali Chancery: 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 705, Washington, DC 20037 Telephone: [1] (202) 944-9601 Fax: [1] (202) 944-9606
Diplomatic Representation from the U.S.: Chief of mission: Ambassador Gene A. Cretz Embassy: off Jaraba Street, behind the Libyan-Swiss clinic, Ben Ashour Mailing address: US Embassy, 8850 Tripoli Place, Washington, DC 20521-8850 Telephone: [218] 91-220-3239
GDP (purchasing power parity): $NA (2011 est.) $92.62 billion (2010 est.) $88.94 billion (2009 est.) note: data are in 2011 US dollars
GDP—real growth rate: NA% (2011 est.) 4.2% (2010 est.) –2.3% (2009 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: Agriculture: 3.6% Industry: 56.7% Services: 39.7% (2011 est.)
Labor Force: 1.16 million (2011 est.)
Labor Force—by occupation: Agriculture: 17% Industry: 23% Services: 59% (2004 est.)
Unemployment Rate: 30% (2004 est.)
Population below Poverty Line: NA note: About one-third of Libyans live at or below the national poverty line.
Agriculture—products: wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans; cattle
Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, aluminum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement
Telephones—main lines in use: 1.228 million (2010)
Telephones—mobile cellular: 10.9 million (2010)
Broadcast Media: state-owned terrestrial TV station and about a half-dozen state-owned satellite stations broadcast; some provinces operate local TV stations; a single, non-state-owned TV station launched in 2007; pan-Arab satellite TV stations are available; state-owned radio broadcasts on a number of frequencies, some of which carry regional programming; Voice of Africa, Libya’s external radio service, can also be heard; a single, non-state-owned radio station broadcasting (2007)
Internet Hosts: 17,787 (2011)
Internet Users: 353,900 (2009)
Airports: 137 (2010)
Roadways: Total: 100,024 km (62,152 mi) Paved: 57,214 km (35,551 mi) Unpaved: 42,810 km (26,601 mi) (2003)
Military Branches: In transition; government attempting to staff a new national army with anti-Qadhafi militia fighters and former members of Qadhafi’s military Formerly 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)
Military Service Age and Obligation: 17 years of age (2004)
Manpower Available for Military Service: Males age 16-49: 1,775,078 Females age 16-49: 1,714,194 (2010 est.)
Manpower Fit for Military Service: Males age 16-49: 1,511,144 Females age 16-49: 1,458,934 (2010 est.)
Manpower Reaching Militarily Significant Age Annually: Male: 59,547 Female: 57,070 (2010 est.)
Military Expenditures: 3.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Disputes—international: various Chadian rebels from the Aozou region reside in southern Libya
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons: Refugees (country of origin): 8,000 (Palestinian Territories) (2007)
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; Libya has experienced internal unrest, stranding many foreign workers in the country under harsh and unsafe conditions. Tier rating: Tier 3—the Libyan Government failed to demonstrate significant efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking offenses or to protect trafficking victims; the government’s policies and practices with respect to undocumented migrant workers resulted in Libyan authorities also punishing trafficking victims for unlawful acts that were committed as a result of their being trafficked; following the outbreak of civil unrest in February 2011, accurate information regarding the situation in Libya has become quite limited (2011).