Global InformationLibya information
State of Libya[a]
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 Flag
 Seal
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| Anthem: ليبيا، ليبيا، ليبيا "Libya, Libya, Libya" | |
 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 |
| Official languages | Arabic[b] |
| Local vernacular | Libyan Arabic |
| Ethnic groups (1999)[2] |
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| Religion (2020)[3] |
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| Demonym(s) | Libyan |
| Government | Unitary republic under a provisional unity government |
• Chairman of the Presidential Council | Mohamed al-Menfi |
• Vice Chairman of the Presidential Council | Musa Al-Koni |
• Prime Minister | Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh (disputed)[n 1] |
• Speaker of the House of Representatives | Aguila Saleh Issa |
| Legislature | House of Representatives |
| Independence from Italy | |
• Independence declared[c] | 10 February 1947 |
• Kingdom established | 24 December 1951 |
• Coup d'état by Muammar Gaddafi | 1 September 1969 |
• Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 2 March 1977 |
• First Libyan Civil War | 17 February 2011 |
• NATO intervention in Libya | 19 March 2011 |
• End of Second Libyan Civil War | 23 October 2020 |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,759,541 km2 (679,363 sq mi) (16th) |
| Population | |
• 2023 estimate | 7,252,573[5] (106th) |
• Density | 3.74/km2 (9.7/sq mi) (218th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
• Total |  $183.39 billion[6] (75th) |
• Per capita | $26,528[6] (71st) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | $43.949 billion[6] (93rd) |
• Per capita | $6,357 [6] (93rd) |
| HDI (2022) |  0.746[7]high (92nd) |
| Currency | Libyan dinar (LYD) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +218 |
| ISO 3166 code | LY |
| Internet TLD | .ly ليبيا. |
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Libya,[a] officially the State of Libya,[b] is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. Libya 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. 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.[12] Libya claims 32,000 square kilometers of southeastern Algeria, south of the Libyan town of Ghat.[13][14] The country's official religion is Islam, with 96.6% of the Libyan population being Sunni Muslims.[15] The official language of Libya is Arabic, with vernacular Libyan Arabic being spoken most widely. The majority of Libya's population is Arab.[16] The largest city and capital, Tripoli, is located in northwestern Libya and contains over a million of Libya's seven million people.[17]
Libya has been inhabited by Berbers since the late Bronze Age as descendants from Iberomaurusian and Capsian cultures.[18] 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, Persians, and Greeks before the entire region becoming a part of the Roman Empire. Libya was an early center 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 favor 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 the Second World War, 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.[19] 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.[20] 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. By 2014 two rival authorities claimed to govern Libya,[21][22][23] 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.[24] 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.[25] Libya is a developing country ranking 104th by HDI[26] and has the 10th-largest proven oil reserves in the world.[27] Libya is a member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the African Union, the Arab League, the OIC and OPEC.
- ^ "The World Factbook Africa: Libya". The World Factbook. CIA. 18 May 2015. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- ^ Yakan, Mohamad (30 November 2017). Almanac of African Peoples and Nations. Routledge. p. 62. ISBN 978-1-351-28930-6.
- ^ "The World Factbook Africa: Libya". The World Factbook. CIA. 18 May 2015. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- ^ "Libya parliament suspends rival eastern-based PM Bashagha". Al Jazeera. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
- ^ "Libya". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Libya)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- ^ "Human Development Report 2023/24" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ "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.'
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Libya". The World Factbook. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ "Libya". The World Factbook. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Libya", The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 26 March 2024, retrieved 1 April 2024
- ^ "Libya-Algeria".
- ^ "The World Factbook Africa: Libya". The World Factbook. CIA. 18 May 2015. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- ^ Britannica Student Encyclopaedia. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 1 May 2014. ISBN 978-1-62513-172-0.
- ^ "Libya Demographics Profile 2014". Indexmundi.com. 30 June 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ J. Desanges, "The proto-Berbers", pp. 236–245, especially p. 237, in General History of Africa, vol. II: Ancient Civilizations of Africa (UNESCO 1990).
- ^ "1969: Bloodless coup in Libya". 1 September 1969. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
- ^ Kafala, Tarik (20 October 2011). "Gaddafi's quixotic and brutal rule". BBC News. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Chris Stephen. "Libyan parliament takes refuge in Greek car ferry". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ "Peace talks between Libyan factions to take place in Geneva". Sun Herald. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Human Development Report 2021-22 (Report). United Nations.
- ^ "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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