Libya

Country	Libya
Capital	Tripoli
Continent	Africa
Currency	Libyan dinar(LYD)
Languages	Arabic, Berber & Libyan Arabic

Tripoli

Currency Exchange

Information

Introduction

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 own political system, the Third Universal Theory. The system is a combination of socialism and Islam derived in part from tribal practices and is supposed to be implemented by the Libyan people themselves in a unique form of "direct democracy." QADHAFI has always seen himself as a revolutionary and visionary leader. He 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 has made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations since then. He has received various Western European leaders as well as many working-level and commercial delegations, and made his first trip to Western Europe in 15 years when he traveled to Brussels in April 2004. The US rescinded Libya's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism in June 2006. In January 2008, Libya assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008-09 term. 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. QADHAFI in February 2009 took over as chairman of the African Union for the 2009-10 term; in September 2009, a Libyan took over the year-long presidency of UN General Assembly.

[+] Geography

[+] People

[+] Government

Country Name

Conventional long form: Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Conventional short form:Libya
Local long form:Al Jamahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al Ishtirakiyah al Uthma
Local short form:none

Government Type

Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in practice, an authoritarian state

Capital

Name:Tripoli (Tarabulus)
Geographic coordinates:32 53 N, 13 10 E
Time difference:UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions

22 states (shabiyat, singular - shabiyat); Al Butnan, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jabal Al Gharbi, Al Jafarah, Al Jafrah, Al Kafrah, Al Maraj, Al Marqab, Al Murzuq, Al Wahat, An Nuqat al Khams, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghat, Misratah, Nalut, Sibha, Surt, Tarabulus, Wadi al Hayat, Wadi ash Shati

Independence

24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)

National Holiday

Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)

Constitution

none; note - following the September 1969 military overthrow of the Libyan government, the Revolutionary Command Council replaced the existing constitution with the Constitutional Proclamation in December 1969; in March 1977, Libya adopted the Declaration of the Establishment of the People's Authority

Legal system

based on Italian and French civil law systems and Islamic law; separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and technically compulsory

Executive branch

Chief of state:Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969); note - holds no official title, but is de facto chief of state
Head of government:Secretary of the General People's Committee (Prime Minister) al-Baghdadi Ali al-MAHMUDI (since 5 March 2006)
Cabinet:General People's Committee established by the General People's Congress
(For more information visit the World Leaders website)
Elections:national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of people's committees; head of government elected by the General People's Congress; election last held in March 2010 (next elections expected in early 2011)
Election results: NA

Legislative branch

unicameral General People's Congress (760 seats; members elected indirectly through a hierarchy of people's committees)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Political Parties and Leaders

none

Political pressure groups and leaders

Other:Arab nationalist movements; anti-QADHAFI Libyan exile Movement; Islamic elements

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, 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, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chief of mission:Ambassador Ali Suleiman AUJALI
Chancery: 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 705, Washington, DC 20037
Telephone:[1] (202) 944-9601
FAX:[1] (202) 944-9060

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission:Ambassador Gene A. CRETZ
Embassy:off Jaraba Street, behind the Libyan-Swiss clinic, Ben Ashour
Mailing address:US Embassy, 8850 Tripoli Place, Washington, DC 20521-8850
Telephone:[218] 91-220-3239