Official title

Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Capital

Tripoli (population 1,083,000; 1988 estimate)

Main port

Tripoli

Additional urban centre

Benghazi (population 446,250; 1988 estimate)

Population

5,225,000 (1994 estimate) with an annual growth rate of 3-4%. More than two-thirds of the population live in the coastal area.

Population profile

Mixed Arab and Berber descent; a tribal society. 75% of the population live in urban areas.

Land area

1,759,540 sq km (679,362 sq miles)

Official language

Arabic; with some Berber spoken. English and Italian are used in business.

Currency

Libyan dinar, divided into 1,000 dirhams; issued by the Central Bank of Libya.

Government

Socialist state, administered through the General People's Congress.

Head of state

Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi (since 1969)

Religion

Islam; 97% of the population are Sunnite Muslims.

Time zone

GMT +2 hours

Electricity

240 volts. Available almost everywhere, except in very isolated parts.

Weights and measures

Metric