Libya

For other uses, see Libya (disambiguation).

State of Libya[a]
  • دولة ليبيا (Arabic)
    Dawlat Lībiyā
Anthem: ليبيا، ليبيا، ليبيا
"Libya, Libya, Libya"
Location of Libya (dark green) in northern Africa
Location of Libya (dark green) in northern Africa
Capital
and largest city
Tripoli[1]
32°52′N 13°11′E / 32.867°N 13.183°E / 32.867; 13.183
Official languagesArabic[b]
Local vernacularLibyan Arabic
Ethnic groups
(1999)[2]
Religion
(2020)[1]
Demonym(s)Libyan
GovernmentUnitary republic under a provisional government
Mohamed al-Menfi[a]
Musa Al-Koni[b]
Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh[c]
Aguila Saleh Issa
LegislatureHouse of Representatives
Establishment
15 August 1551
5 November 1911
• Independence declared[c]
10 February 1947
24 December 1951
1 September 1969
2 March 1977
17 February 2011
19 March 2011
23 October 2020
Area
• Total
1,759,541 km2 (679,363 sq mi) (16th)
Population
• 2024 estimate
7,361,263[1] (103rd)
• Density
4.184/km2 (10.8/sq mi) (218th)
GDP (PPP)2024 estimate
• Total
Increase $183.39 billion[3] (79th)
• Per capita
Increase $26,928[3] (68th)
GDP (nominal)2024 estimate
• Total
Increase $48.22 billion[3] (93rd)
• Per capita
Increase $6,987 [3] (93rd)
HDI (2022)Steady 0.746[4]
high (92nd)
CurrencyLibyan dinar (LYD)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
Drives onright
Calling code+218
ISO 3166 codeLY
Internet TLD.ly
ليبيا.
  1. ^ United Nations note concerning official name: "Following the adoption by the General Assembly of resolution 66/1, the Permanent Mission of Libya to the United Nations formally notified the United Nations of a Declaration by the National Transitional Council of 3 August changing the official name of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to 'Libya' and changing Libya's national flag."
  2. ^ The official language is simply identified as "Arabic" (Constitutional Declaration, article 1).
  3. ^ The UK and France held a joint condominium over Libya through the United Nations Trusteeship Council.

Libya,[d] officially the State of Libya,[e] is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad to the south, Niger to the southwest, Algeria to the west, and Tunisia to the northwest, as well as maritime borders with Greece, Italy and Malta to the north. Libya comprises three historical regions: Tripolitania, Fezzan, and Cyrenaica. With an area of almost 1.8 million km2 (700,000 sq mi), it is the fourth-largest country in Africa and the Arab world, and the 16th-largest in the world.[7] Libya claims 32,000 square kilometres of southeastern Algeria, south of the Libyan town of Ghat.[1][8] The country's official religion is Islam, with 96.6% of the Libyan population being Sunni Muslims.[1] The official language of Libya is Arabic, with vernacular Libyan Arabic being spoken most widely. The majority of Libya's population is Arab.[9] The largest city and capital, Tripoli, is located in northwestern Libya and contains over a million of Libya's seven million people.[10]

Libya has been inhabited by Berbers since the late Bronze Age as descendants from Iberomaurusian and Capsian cultures.[11] In classical antiquity, the Phoenicians established city-states and trading posts in western Libya, while several Greek cities were established in the East. Parts of Libya were variously ruled by Carthaginians, Numidians, Persians, and Greeks before the entire region becoming a part of the Roman Empire. Libya was an early centre of Christianity. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the area of Libya was mostly occupied by the Vandals until the 7th century when invasions brought Islam to the region. From then on, centuries of Arab migration to the Maghreb shifted the demographic scope of Libya in favour of Arabs. In the 16th century, the Spanish Empire and the Knights of St John occupied Tripoli until Ottoman rule began in 1551. Libya was involved in the Barbary Wars of the 18th and 19th centuries. Ottoman rule continued until the Italo-Turkish War, which resulted in the Italian occupation of Libya and the establishment of two colonies, Italian Tripolitania and Italian Cyrenaica (1911–1934), later unified in the Italian Libya colony from 1934 to 1943.

During World War II, Libya was an area of warfare in the North African Campaign. The Italian population then went into decline. Libya became independent as a kingdom in 1951. A bloodless military coup in 1969, initiated by a coalition led by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, overthrew King Idris I and created a republic.[12] Gaddafi was often described by critics as a dictator, and was one of the world's longest serving non-royal leaders, ruling for 42 years.[13] He ruled until being overthrown and killed during the 2011 Libyan Civil War, which was part of the wider Arab Spring, with authority transferred to the National Transitional Council then to the elected General National Congress. Since 2011, Libya has been involved in a political and humanitarian crisis, and by 2014, two rival authorities claimed to govern Libya,[14][15][16] which led to a second civil war, with parts of Libya split between the Tobruk and Tripoli-based governments as well as various tribal and Islamist militias.[17] The two main warring sides signed a permanent ceasefire in 2020, and a unity government took authority to plan for democratic elections, though political rivalries continue to delay this.[18] In March 2022, the House of Representatives ceased recognising the Government of National Unity and proclaimed an alternative government, the Government of National Stability (GNS). Both governments have been functioning simultaneously since then, which has led to dual power in Libya. The international community continues to recognise the unity government as the legitimate government of the country.[19]

Libya is a developing country ranking 92nd by HDI,[4] the highest score in mainland Africa, and has the 10th-largest proven oil reserves in the world.[20] Libya is a member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the African Union, the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and OPEC.

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Libya". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 7 August 2024. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  2. ^ Yakan, Mohamad (30 November 2017). Almanac of African Peoples and Nations. Routledge. p. 62. ISBN 978-1-351-28930-6. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "IMF DataMapper, 2024 Edition. (Libya)". International Monetary Fund.
  4. ^ a b "Human Development Report 2023/24" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Member States". United Nations. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021. On 22 December 2017, the Permanent Mission of Libya to the United Nations formally notified the United Nations that the government is changing the official name of Libya to 'State of Libya.'
  6. ^ "Publications Office – Interinstitutional style guide – Annex A5 – List of countries, territories and currencies". Europa (web portal). Archived from the original on 5 August 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  7. ^ "Demographic Yearbook (3) Pop., Rate of Pop. Increase, Surface Area & Density" (PDF). United Nations Statistics Division. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  8. ^ "Libya-Algeria". Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  9. ^ Britannica Student Encyclopaedia. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 1 May 2014. ISBN 978-1-62513-172-0.
  10. ^ "Libya Demographics Profile 2014". Indexmundi.com. 30 June 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  11. ^ J. Desanges, "The proto-Berbers", pp. 236–245, especially p. 237, in General History of Africa, vol. II: Ancient Civilizations of Africa (UNESCO 1990).
  12. ^ "1969: Bloodless coup in Libya". 1 September 1969. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  13. ^ Kafala, Tarik (20 October 2011). "Gaddafi's quixotic and brutal rule". BBC News. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Rival second Libyan assembly chooses own PM as chaos spreads". Reuters. 25 August 2014. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  15. ^ Chris Stephen. "Libyan parliament takes refuge in Greek car ferry". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  16. ^ "Peace talks between Libyan factions to take place in Geneva". Sun Herald. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.[permanent dead link]
  17. ^ "Libyan government offensive in Benghazi stalls as Islamists dig in". Reuters. 6 August 2015. Archived from the original on 9 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  18. ^ "Libyan Civil War: Two warring factions sign 'permanent' ceasefire". The Daily Star. 24 October 2020. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  19. ^ "Libya — a tale of two governments, again". Arab News. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  20. ^ "World proven crude oil reserves by country, 1980–2004". OPEC. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2013.


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