Demographics

Population: 5,445,436 (1996 est.). A growth rate of 3.67% is slightly above the average in the West. The main centres of population are coastal (Tripoli pop.1,000,000 - Benghazi pop. 500,000 - Misurata pop. 200,000 - Sirte pop. 100,000). Libya has the longest coastline of any country bordering the Mediterranean (1770 kms): distances between the two main cities of Tripoli and Benghazi at opposite ends of the country are considerable. The climate along the coast is Mediterranean but the interior is extremely hot and dry. Only 2% of Libya is arable. 97% of the population is Berber and Arab. There is an expatriate population of 280,000 approx. Arabic is the official language and while English is widely understood doing business may require an interpreter. All publications, road signs and public messages (except quotations from the Green Book) are in Arabic script.

Economy

Oil and gas dominated with some agricultural produce (6% of total). The 1970s were the oil boom years but a fall in oil prices in the 1980s led to a slow down in economic growth. UN economic sanctions were imposed in 1992 after the Lockerbie bombing and lifted in July 1999. The USA imposed its own sanctions which have yet to be lifted. Notwithstanding the considerable negative effect of sanctions on Libya's economy the annual GDP ($ 1442m in 1994',' has been in gradual decline due in the main to fluctuations in the price of oil. There is a small private sector due to a process of liberalisation in the late 1980s.

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Last modified: 03/30/04