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NAVIGATION
Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Libya
Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al Ishtirakiyah
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Since he took power in a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI has espoused his own political system - a combination of socialism and Islam - which he calls the Third International Theory. Viewing himself as a revolutionary leader, he used oil funds during the 1970s and 1980s to promote his ideology outside Libya, even supporting subversives and terrorists abroad to hasten the end of Marxism and capitalism. Libyan military adventures failed, e.g., the prolonged foray of Libyan troops into the Aozou Strip in northern Chad was finally repulsed in 1987. Libyan support for terrorism decreased after UN sanctions were imposed in 1992. Those sanctions were suspended in April 1999. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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25 00 N, 17 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 1,759,540 sq km
water: 0 sq km land: 1,759,540 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Alaska |
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Land boundaries:
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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:
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1,770 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 NM
note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north |
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Climate:
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Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior |
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Terrain:
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mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m
highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, gypsum |
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Land use:
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arable land: 1.03%
permanent crops: 0.17% other: 98.8% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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4,700 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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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:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban |
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Geography - note:
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more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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5,368,585
note: includes 662,669 non-nationals, of which an estimated 500,000 or more are Africans living in Libya (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 35% (male 958,243; female 917,940)
15-64 years: 61% (male 1,694,986; female 1,581,400) 65 years and over: 4% (male 105,500; female 110,516) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.41% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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27.59 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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3.5 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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27.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 75.86 years
female: 78.11 years (2002 est.) male: 73.71 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.57 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.05% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Libyan(s)
adjective: Libyan |
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Ethnic groups:
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Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians |
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Religions:
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Sunni Muslim 97% |
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Languages:
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Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 76.2% male: 87.9% female: 63% (1995 est.) |