General information

Capital:

Tripoli

Location:

Libya is located in the centre of Northern Africa, Mediterranean Sea (North), between Egypt (East), Tunisia & Algeria (West), Niger & Chad (South) and Sudan (South East)

Religion:

All Libyans are Muslims. There are also churches and place of worship for the foreigners who are estimated to be more than one million living in Libya.

Population:

Libya’s population according to the latest statistic of 2007 is estimated to be 5,673.000 million in total, Libyans forms 5,323.00, and the rest are foreigners of 350.00, and said to be growing a rate of 3.5 per cent, one of the highest population growth rates in the world, more than 85 percent of population live along the Mediterranean coast.

Area – comparative:

Libya is the fourth largest country in Africa, seven times the size of the UK.

Climate:

Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior. The cooling Mediterranean sea gives Libya mild winters and warm summers, with a pleasant range of temperatures throughout the year between 8 C and 30 C, it may sometimes climb over 35 C in summer. As more that 90 percent of Libya is arid desert or semi-desert, winter and spring temperature in the desert can rise to 25 C, but it can drop to below freezing overnight. In summer it can reach 50 C

Natural resources:

Petroleum, natural gas, gypsum?Environment – current issues: ?Desertification; 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.?Geography – note: ?More than 90% of the country is desert or semi desert.

Legal System:

The Libyan legal system is a civil law system similar to that of France, like others, there is a hierarchy of legislative texts with, in descending order of authority, the constitutions, laws, executive regulations and executive and ministerial decisions. In absence of applicable legal provisions, a judge refers to other source of law and will apply the following principles; Islamic law (Shari’a), Prevailing customs, Principles of natural law and rules of eguity.

Cities of Libya:

Libya was divided into several governorates (muhafazat) before being split into 25 municipalities (baladiyat), Currently Libya is divided into thirty two sha’biyah.

Economy:

Libya is a major oil producer, with the oil sector contributing practically all export earnings and over one-quarter of GDP. Libya has begun a process of economic reform. Efforts are being made to modernise the economy as part of a broader campaign to reintegrate with the international community. Initial steps include applying for WTO membership, cautiously reducing subsidies, and announcing plans for privatisation. 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 aluminium. Libya imports about 75% of its food.

Major Industries:

Oil and gas, petrochemicals

Major trading partners:

Italy, France, Germany, Turkey, and the UK.