Libya

The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks from 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. Libyan support for terrorism appeared to have decreased after the imposition of sanctions. During the 1990s, QADHAFI also began to rebuild his relationships with Europe. UN sanctions were suspended in April 1999 and finally lifted in September 2003 after Libya resolved the Lockerbie case. In December 2003, Libya announced that it had agreed to reveal and end its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction, and 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. QADHAFI also resolved in 2004 some of the outstanding cases against his government for terrorist activities in the 1980s by compensating some families of victims of the Pan Am 103, French airliner UTA, and La Belle disco bombings. The US resumed full diplomatic relations with Libya in May 2006 and rescinded Libya's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism in June.

Languages & Population

Approximate Population: 6,036,914

Nationality (Noun): Libyan(s)

Nationality (Adjective): Libyan

Official Language(s): Arabic

Major Languages Spoken: Arabic, English, Italian

Country Facts

Country Name (long form): Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Country Name (short form): Libya

Country Name (local long form): Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah

Name of Capital: Tripoli

UTC Time Difference (from capital): UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Countries Near by, and Bordering Libya: Tunisia, Niger, Sudan, Algeria, Chad, Egypt

Land Area: 1759540 sq km

Comparative Area: slightly larger than Alaska

Total Land Boundry: 4,348 km

Coastline: 1,770 km

National Holiday: Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)

International Phone Code: 218

Currency Code: Libyan dinar (LYD)

Internet Country Code: .ly

US Embassy Location: Corinthia Bab Africa Hotel, Souq At-Tlat Al-Qadim, Tripoli

US Embassy Mailing Address: US Embassy, 8850 Tripoli Place, Washington, DC 20521-8850

Services In, and Related to Libya

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