Libya is a North African country bordering on the Mediterranean. Tunisia and Algeria lie to the east, Niger, Chad and the Sedan to the south, and Egypt to the east. The area of Libya is about 679,000 square miles. This makes Libya one of the largest countries in Africa. Libya is important as an oil producing country.
The spelling of towns and cities in Libya varies depending on the resource consulted.
Population of Libya
The population of Libya is about 6.2 million of which around 1.69 million live in Tripoli, the capital. The State religion is Islam. Sunni Muslims make up about 97% of Libya. There are some Roman Catholics. An important factor to considering alliances in the region may be whether the potential ally or enemy of Libya is predominantly Sunni or Shiite.
The Climate of Libya
The hot and dry Sahara Desert covers most of Libya except for a narrow 12,000 mile belt next to the Mediterranean. Most of the population lives in this coastal strip. Also, most of the important cities and towns are located in this coastal area. These cities and towns include Tripoli in the west and Benghazi in the east. Wind and sand storms are common, even along the coast.
Libya is Oil Dependent
The economy in Libya is heavily dependent on its oil. The CIA World Fact Book reports that oil accounts for 95% of export earnings, 25% of GDP and 80% of government revenues. Because of the high income from oil and given the fact that the population of Libya is small, Libya is a rich country. However, according to the CIA World Fact Book most of this wealth does not flow down to the common people. This may be a reason why in March 2011, Libya was on the brink of civil war.
Government in Libya
In theory Libya is a country governed by the people through local councils. However, according to the CIA World Fact Book, Libya is an authoritarian state. The de facto Head of State in Libya is Col. al-QADHAFI. By the time of the 2011 revolution in Libya he had been in power for over 40 years.
Libya is an important country not only because of its oil but also because of its potential for instability due to the possibility that the riches from oil may not be getting to the common people. Hopefully discontent in Libya can be resolved by negotiation. The revolution that started in early 2011 does not augur well for this positive outcome.
Sources
"Libya." worldatlas.com website - site accessed 9th March, 2011
CIA World Fact Book on Libya - site accessed 9th March, 2011
John Bartels - John is a Lawyer (retired). A qualified Attorney, Notary Public and Conveyancer John has a BA,LLB from the University of Cape Town, South ...
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