| Libya | |
Libya lies in Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia.
Land Boundaries:
Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,115 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, and Tunisia 459 km.
Geography:
Size is 1,759,540 sq km , slightly larger than Alaska, US. Libya's terrain is mostly barren and flat but with some undulating plains, plateaus, and depressions. Libya's climate is similar to Mediterranean countries along its coast but very dry and hot as you move further inland. Libya's lowest point is at the Sabkhat Ghuzayyil which measures -47 m (below sea level) ; its highest point is Bikku Bitti which stands at 2,267 m. Libya doesn't have much arable land since 90% of the country is desert. Libya does have a lot of oil and natural gas.
Population:
Just over 5.7 million people live in Libya. Life expectancy is around 76 years. Birth rate is on average 3.3 per woman. Literacy rate is just over 82%.
Languages:
Arabic, Italian, and English, all are widely understood in the major cities.
Ethnic Groups:
Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians make up the rest of the population.
Religion:
Sunni Muslims make up 97% of the population.
Political History:
From the earliest days of his rule following his 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi has espoused 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. Libyan support for terrorism appeared to have decreased after the imposition of sanctions. During the 1990s, Qadhafi also began to rebuild his relationships with Europe. UN sanctions were suspended in April 1999 and finally lifted in September 2003 after Libya resolved the Lockerbie case. In December 2003, Libya announced that it had agreed to reveal and end its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction, and 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. Qadhafi also finally resolved in 2004 several outstanding cases against his government for terrorist activities in the 1980s by paying compensation to the families of victims of the UTA and La Belle disco bombings.
Economic Overview:
The Libyan economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contribute practically all export earnings and about one-quarter of GDP. These oil revenues and 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 four 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. Almost all US unilateral sanctions against Libya were removed in April 2004, helping Libya attract more foreign direct investment. 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 about 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.
Source: CIA World Factbook
Further Reading:
Libya Travel Guide
Africa Vacation Planner
How to Get a Cheap Flight to Africa
Egypt Travel Guide
Tunisia Travel Guide
Morocco Travel Guide
