_#_Independence: 24 December 1951 (from Italy)

_#_Constitution: 11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977

_#_Legal system: based on Italian civil law system and Islamic law;
separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial
review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

_#_National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)

_#_Executive branch: revolutionary leader, chairman of the General
People's Committee, General People's Committee (cabinet)

_#_Legislative branch: unicameral General People's Congress

_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State--Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar
al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969);

Head of Government--Chairman of the General People's Committee
(Premier) Abu Zayd Umar DURDA (since 7 October 1990)

_#_Political parties and leaders: none

_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18

_#_Elections: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of
revolutionary committees

_#_Political parties: none

_#_Communists: no organized party, negligible membership

_#_Other political or pressure groups: various Arab nationalist
movements and the Arab Socialist Resurrection (Ba'th) party with
almost negligible memberships may be functioning clandestinely, as
well as some Islamic elements

_#_Member of: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

_#_Diplomatic representation: none

_#_Flag: plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the
state religion)

_*_Economy
_#_Overview: The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon
revenues from the oil sector, which contributes practically all export
earnings and about one-third of GNP. Since 1980, however, the sharp
drop in oil prices and the resulting decline in export revenues have
adversely affected economic development. In 1988 per capita GNP was the
highest in Africa at $5,410, but it had been $2,000 higher in 1982.
Severe cutbacks in imports over the past five years have led to shortages
of basic goods and foodstuffs, although the reopening of the
Libyan-Tunisian border in April 1988 and the Libyan-Egyptian border in
December 1989 have somewhat eased shortages. Austerity budgets and a lack
of trai