idra closing line:
32 degrees 30 minutes north
International disputes:
claims and occupies the Aozou Strip in northern Chad; maritime boundary
dispute with Tunisia; Libya claims part of northern Niger and part of
southeastern Algeria
Climate:
Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
Terrain:
mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, gypsum
Land use:
arable land:
2%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
8%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
90%
Irrigated land:
2,420 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in
spring and fall; desertification; sparse natural surface-water resources
Note:
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

*Libya, People

Population:
4,872,598 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.73% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
45.66 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
8.37 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 65.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
63.47 years
male:
61.35 years
female:
65.7 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.44 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Libyan(s)
adjective:
Libyan
Ethnic divisions:
Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis,
Turks, Indians, Tunisians
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 97%
Languages:
Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
64%
male:
75%
female:
50%
Labor force:
1 million includes about 280,000 resident foreigners
by occupation:
industry 31%, services 27%, government 24%, agriculture 18%

*Libya, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
conventional short form:
Libya
local long form:
Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al Ishirakiyah
local short form:
none
Digraph:
LY
Type:
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace
through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship
Capital