The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and did not relinquish their hold until 1943 when defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and achieved independence in 1951. Following a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI began to espouse his political system, the Third Universal Theory. The system was a combination of socialism and Islam derived in part from tribal practices and was supposed to be implemented by the Libyan people themselves in a unique form of "direct democracy." QADHAFI 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. During the 1990s, QADHAFI began to rebuild his relationships with Europe. UN sanctions were suspended in April 1999 and finally lifted in September 2003 after Libya accepted responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing. In December 2003, Libya announced that it had agreed to reveal and end its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction and to renounce terrorism. QADHAFI subsequently made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations. The US rescinded Libya's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism in June 2006. In August 2008, the US and Libya signed a bilateral comprehensive claims settlement agreement to compensate claimants in both countries who allege injury or death at the hands of the other country, including the Lockerbie bombing, the LaBelle disco bombing, and the UTA 772 bombing. In October 2008, the US Government received $1.5 billion pursuant to the agreement to distribute to US national claimants, and as a result effectively normalized its bilateral relationship with Libya. The two countries then exchanged ambassadors for the first time since 1973 in January 2009. Libya in May 2010 was elected to its first three-year seat on the UN Human Rights Council, prompting protests from international non-governmental organizations and human rights campaigners. Unrest that began in several Near Eastern and North African countries in late December 2010 spread to several Libyan cities in early 2011. In March 2011, a Transitional National Council (TNC) was formed in Benghazi with the stated aim of overthrowing the QADHAFI regime and guiding the country to democracy. In response to QADHAFI's harsh military crackdown on protesters, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1973, which demanded an immediate ceasefire and authorized the international community to establish a no-fly zone over Libya. After several months of see-saw fighting, anti-QADHAFI forces in August 2011 captured the capital, Tripoli. In mid-September, the UN General Assembly voted to recognize the TNC as the legitimate interim governing body of Libya. The TNC on 23 October officially declared the country liberated following the defeat of the last remaining pro-QADHAFI stronghold and QADHAFI's death. In July 2012, Libya held its first post-QADHAFI nationwide election, which resulted in the formation of a 200-member National Congress (NC). In August 2012, the NC elected a congress president and in October, a new prime minister.

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria

slightly larger than Alaska

Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions

petroleum, natural gas, gypsum

hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms

desertification; limited natural freshwater resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, brings water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities

more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert

Berber and Arab 97%, other 3% (includes Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians)

Arabic (official), Italian, English (all widely understood in the major cities); Berber (Nafusi, Ghadamis, Suknah, Awjilah, Tamasheq)

Sunni Muslim (official) 97%, other 3%

5,613,380 (July 2012 est.)

17.5 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

4.9 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

TRIPOLI (capital) 1.095 million (2009)

58 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

2.12 children born/woman (2012 est.)

1.9 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

3.7 beds/1,000 population (2009)

urban: 97% of population

rural: 96% of population

total: 97% of population

urban: 3% of population

rural: 4% of population

total: 3% of population

operates under a transitional government

22 districts (shabiyat, singular - shabiyat); Al Butnan, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jabal al Gharbi, Al Jafarah, Al Jufrah, Al Kufrah, Al Marj, Al Marqab, Al Wahat, An Nuqat al Khams, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghat, Misratah, Murzuq, Nalut, Sabha, Surt, Tarabulus, Wadi al Hayat, Wadi ash Shati

24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)

Liberation Day, 23 October (2011)

none; note - Libya has yet to draft a new constitution

Libya's post-revolution legal system is in flux and driven by state and non-state entities

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

unicameral National Congress (200 seats; 120 individual seats elected from 69 constituencies and 80 party list seats elected from 20 constituencies; member term NA)

Al-Watan (Homeland) Party; Justice and Construction Party or JCP [Muhammad SAWAN]; National Front (initially the National Front for the Salvation of Libya, formed in 1981 as a diaspora opposition group); National Forces Alliance [Mahmoud JIBRIL] (includes many political organizations, NGOs, and independents); Union for the Homeland [Abd al-Rahman al-SUWAYHILI]

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BDEAC, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

three horizontal bands of red (top), black (double width), and green with a white crescent and star centered on the black stripe; the National Transitional Council reintroduced this flag design of the former Kingdom of Libya (1951-1969) on 27 February 2011; it replaced the former all-green banner promulgated by the QADHAFI regime in 1977; the colors represent the three major regions of the country: red stands for Fezzan, black symbolizes Cyrenaica, and green denotes Tripolitania; the crescent and star represent Islam, the main religion of the country

star and crescent; hawk

Libya's economy is structured primarily around the nation's energy sector, which generates about 95% of export earnings, 80% of GDP, and 99% of government revenue. Substantial income from the energy sector coupled with a small population give Libya one of the highest per capita GDPs in Africa, but Tripoli largely has not used its significant financial resources to develop national infrastructure or the economy, leaving many citizens poor. In the final five years of Qadhafi's rule, Libya made some progress on economic reform 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 after Libya announced in December 2003 that it would abandon programs to build weapons of mass destruction. The process of lifting US unilateral sanctions began in the spring of 2004; all sanctions were removed by June 2006, helping Libya attract greater foreign direct investment, especially in the energy and banking sectors. Libyan oil and gas licensing rounds drew high international interest, but new rounds are unlikely to be successful until Libya establishes a more permanent government and is able to offer increased security and more attractive financial terms on contracts. Libya's production of crude oil, at roughly 500,000 bbl/day, is far below the 2012 target of 3 million bbl/day set by the The National Oil Corporation (NOC). Libya faces a long road ahead in liberalizing its primarily socialist economy, but the revolution probably has unleashed previously restrained entrepreneurial activity and increased the potential for the evolution of a more market-based economy. The service and construction sectors, which account for roughly 20% of GDP, expanded over the past five years and could expand further if Tripoli prioritizes capital spending on development projects once political uncertainty subsides. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit agricultural output, and Libya imports about 80% of its food. Libya's primary agricultural water source remains the Great Manmade River Project.

$87.91 billion (2012 est.)

$39.62 billion (2011 est.)

$98.28 billion (2010 est.)

$85.11 billion (2012 est.)

1.437 million (2012 est.)

3.7% of GDP (2012 est.)

66.8% of GDP (2012 est.)

6.4% of GDP (2012 est.)

1.9% of GDP (2012 est.)

4.3% of GDP (2011 est.)

9.52% (31 December 2010 est.)

3% (31 December 2009 est.)

6% (31 December 2012 est.)

6% (31 December 2011 est.)

$38.21 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$41.16 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$42.39 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$44.76 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$41.41 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$38.98 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans; cattle

$33.32 billion (2012 est.)

$4.002 billion (2011 est.)

$51.48 billion (2012 est.)

$15.16 billion (2011 est.)

crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas, chemicals

Italy 22.8%, Germany 14.3%, France 14.2%, China 10.7%, Spain 5.2%, Tunisia 4.8% (2011)

$16.31 billion (2012 est.)

$10.07 billion (2011 est.)

machinery, semi-finished goods, food, transport equipment, consumer products

Tunisia 13.3%, Turkey 9.1%, China 8.8%, Italy 8.4%, Egypt 6.7%, Syria 5.2%, France 4.9%, Germany 4.8% (2011)

$130.3 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$105 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$5.054 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$4.744 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$17.15 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$16.43 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$17.47 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$16.89 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Libyan dinars (LYD) per US dollar -

28.6 billion kWh (2009 est.)

24.29 billion kWh (2009 est.)

124 million kWh (2009 est.)

73 million kWh (2009 est.)

6.766 million kW (2009 est.)

100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

502,400 bbl/day (2011 est.)

1.039 million bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

48.08 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)

309,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)

314,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)

84,490 bbl/day (2008 est.)

575.3 bbl/day (2008 est.)

16.81 billion cu m (2010 est.)

6.844 billion cu m (2010 est.)

9.97 billion cu m (2010 est.)

1.495 trillion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

60.6 million Mt (2010 est.)

state-funded and private TV stations; some provinces operate local TV stations; pan-Arab satellite TV stations are available; state-funded radio (2012)

condensate 776 km; gas 3,216 km; oil 6,960 km (2010)

Az Zawiyah, Marsa al Burayqah (Marsa el Brega), Ra's Lanuf, Tripoli

note - in transition; government attempting to staff a new national army with anti-QADAFI militia fighters and former members of QADAFI's military (2008)

3.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

dormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the FLN's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco; various Chadian rebels from the Aozou region reside in southern Libya