Libya Passport

[Country Name] State of Libya.

【 Area 】 1.76 million square kilometers.

The population is 7.2 million (2023), mainly composed of Arabs, followed by Berbers. Arabic is the national language. The vast majority of residents believe in Islam.

【 Capital 】 Tripoli, with a population of 2.22 million (2023).

National Day (Independence Day): December 24th.

【 Overview 】 Located in northern Africa, it borders Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Algeria, Niger, and Chad. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north and has a coastline of over 1900 kilometers. Coastal areas have a Mediterranean climate, while inland areas have a tropical desert climate.

In the 3rd century BC, Libyans established a unified Kingdom of Numidia in their struggle against the rule of the Carthaginian Empire. In the 7th century, the Arabs defeated the Byzantines, conquered the local Berbers, and brought Arab culture and Islam. In the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire captured Tripolitania (now western Libya) and Cyrenaica (now eastern Libya), taking control of the coastal areas. In 1912, Libya became an Italian colony after the Italian Turkish War. In early 1943, France and Britain respectively occupied southern and northern Libya. After World War II, the United Nations exercised jurisdiction over all of Libya's territory. On December 24, 1951, Libya declared independence and established the federal United Kingdom of Libya, which was later renamed the Kingdom of Libya. On September 1, 1969, the "Free Officers Organization" led by Gaddafi launched a coup, overthrew the Idris dynasty, and established the Libyan Arab Republic. In March 1977, the country changed its name to the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Republic. In April 1986, the country changed its name to the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Republic. In 2011, the Gaddafi regime was overthrown. In May 2013, the country was named the State of Libya.

In February 2011, the situation in Libya continued to be turbulent, and after public demonstrations were suppressed by the authorities, it quickly escalated into a civil war. The opposition has established a "National Transitional Council" in the eastern city of Benghazi to compete with the Gaddafi regime. The United Nations Security Council has successively passed resolutions 1970 and 1973, imposing sanctions on Libya and authorizing the establishment of a "no fly zone" in Libya. NATO subsequently launched a military operation against Libya. On August 20th, the armed forces of the National Transitional Council captured Tripoli. On October 20th, Gaddafi was captured and killed. On November 22, the Libyan Transitional Government was established and successfully organized the National Assembly (Constituent Assembly) elections in July 2012. Mohammed Yousuf Magarief served as the first Speaker of the National Assembly (interim head of state). The Transitional Committee peacefully transfers power to the National Assembly. In October, the National Assembly elected Ali Zidan as the Prime Minister of the interim government, and in November, the new government was sworn in. In May 2013, the National Assembly passed the Political Segregation Law, which prohibited those who had served as high-ranking officials during the Gaddafi regime from holding important positions in the new regime. Maglev announced his resignation. In June, the National Assembly elected Nouri Abusahmin as the new Speaker. In March 2014, Prime Minister Zaidan was dismissed by the National Assembly and interim Defense Minister Abdullah Thinni was appointed as Acting Prime Minister. In June, Libya held elections for the National Assembly (the new Constituent Assembly), and the final election results were announced in July. In August, the National Assembly held its first meeting in the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk. After May 2014, the political and military struggles among various factions in Libya became increasingly fierce, and the situation deteriorated sharply. The international community, especially the United Nations, has gradually increased its mediation efforts and presided over several international conferences on the Libyan issue. In December 2015, various factions in Libya signed the Libyan Political Agreement in Morocco, establishing the Prime Minister's Council and forming a national unity government. In early 2016, the Prime Minister's Committee submitted two draft lists of national unity governments to the National Assembly, but both were rejected. The National Unity Government has never been recognized by the National Assembly. In 2017, Ghassan Salamai was appointed as the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Libya, proposing a roadmap for resolving the Libyan issue. In May 2018, France proposed to convene an international conference on the Libyan issue. After the conference, various factions in Libya issued the Paris Declaration and reached a preliminary consensus on holding elections within the year. From late August to mid September, large-scale armed conflicts erupted again in the Libyan capital of Tripoli. After mediation by the United Nations, the conflicting parties reached a ceasefire agreement on September 26th. In mid November 2018, the Italian government initiated the International Conference on Libya to be held in Palermo, the capital of Sicily. Special Representative Salami proposed a "three-step" plan to promote Libya's political transition, which includes holding the Libyan National Dialogue, constitutional referendum, presidential and parliamentary elections in the first half of 2019. In April 2019, the Libyan Eastern National Army launched an attack on the capital city of Tripoli controlled by the National Unity Government under the pretext of counter-terrorism, and the two sides continued to engage in fierce fighting around the capital. In November, Prime Minister Salaji of the Liberian National Unity Government visited Türkiye and signed two cooperation documents with Turkish President Erdogan on security cooperation and maritime demarcation. On January 5, 2020, Türkiye announced that it would deploy troops to Liberia at the request of the Liberian national unity government, which caused strong opposition from regional countries and European countries. On January 6th, the National Army of eastern Libya announced the capture of the coastal city of Sirte and continued to advance westward, engaging in a standoff with the National Unity Government in the suburbs of the capital city of Tripoli. On January 19th, the Berlin Summit on Libya was held and a communiqu é was issued, calling for a lasting ceasefire in Libya, restarting the political process, strictly enforcing the arms embargo on Libya, and opposing external interference in Libya. On February 12th, the Security Council passed Resolution 2510, approving the Berlin Summit Communique. On April 27, Haftar, commander of the National Army, announced that the Libyan Political Agreement signed at the end of 2015 was invalid, and the National Army would take over the state power according to the authorization of the Libyan people. The United States, Russia, France, Türkiye, the European Union and others all objected to this. Since then, with the support of Türkiye, the government of national unity has gradually recovered the strategic areas in the west, regained control of the surrounding areas of the capital Tripoli and continued to pursue the east, refusing to negotiate peace with the national army. The National Army retreated eastward and confronted the National Unity Government on the Sirte Jufra line in central Libya. The international community actively mediates and promotes the resumption of negotiations among various factions in Libya. The United Nations is pushing for the "5+5" Joint Military Commission negotiations between the conflicting parties. On October 23rd, the United Nations facilitated the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the conflicting parties. In November, the United Nations led Political Dialogue Forum on Liberia held its first meeting in Tunisia, pushing for consensus among various factions on political arrangements and announcing that elections will be held on December 24, 2021. On February 5, 2021, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum elected a new Presidential Council and Transitional Government Prime Minister. Mohamed Yunus Manfi, former Ambassador of Libya to Greece, was elected as the Chairman of the Presidential Council, and Abdulhamid Debeba, leader of the "Future Movement" political party, was elected as the Transitional Government Prime Minister. On March 10th, the new transitional government of Libya, the National Unity Government, was declared established through a vote of confidence in the National Assembly, taking over from the National Unity Government until December 24th, 2021, the date of the national elections in Libya. On June 23, Germany and the United Nations hosted the second Berlin Conference on the issue of Libya and issued a communiqu é, emphasizing support for the interim government and relevant parties to actively promote the timely holding of elections, and urging foreign armed personnel and mercenaries to withdraw from Libya as soon as possible. On November 12th, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Nations jointly held the Paris Summit on Libya, calling for support for the country's political transition process and pushing for regular elections. Due to the sharp contradictions among various factions within the country, the general election could not be held as scheduled. In February 2022, the National Assembly of eastern Libya elected former Interior Minister Bashaga as the Prime Minister to form a new transitional government, while the current Prime Minister of the National Unity Government, Debaba, refused to relinquish power. In May, Bashar al Assad attempted to enter the capital city of Tripoli to take over the government, but his armed forces clashed severely with those under the command of Debaba. Bashar al Assad was forced to withdraw from the capital and take up his duties in the central city of Sirte. In August, armed conflicts erupted again in the capital between the eastern and western governments. In January 2023, the National Assembly of Liberia held consultations with the Supreme Council of the country in Cairo, mediated by the United Nations and Egypt, on holding national elections and drafting a constitution. It was announced that 95% of the constitution draft had been agreed upon, and the disputed provisions were submitted to a national referendum for decision. In February, the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative for Libya, Battili, proposed a new plan to establish a "high-level steering committee for elections" to promote the holding of general elections within 2023. The Security Council issued a presidential statement expressing support for this plan. In April, the National Assembly and the Supreme Council of China established the "6+6" Election Joint Committee to negotiate on issues such as the election law, in order to promote the implementation of the election roadmap. In May, the National Assembly of Libya replaced the Prime Minister of the Eastern Government, Bashar al Assad, and appointed Hamad as the new Prime Minister. In June, various factions in Morocco held consultations on the draft constitution. In September, Hurricane Daniel hit the eastern region of Libya and caused flooding, resulting in significant casualties and property damage. In October, the National Assembly of Liberia passed the Presidential and Parliamentary Election Law, but the Supreme Council of the country expressed opposition and announced its withdrawal from the "6+6" Election Joint Committee. In March 2024, under the auspices of the Arab League, the Presidential Council, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Council of the country held trilateral talks. In April, the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative for Libya, Battili, resigned. In July, some members of the National Assembly and the Supreme Council of the country held a meeting in Cairo, Egypt and issued a statement announcing a consensus on forming a unified government.

The interim constitution was promulgated in December 1969. In 1973, Gaddafi launched the "Cultural Revolution" and announced the cessation of all current laws. In August 2011, the National Transitional Council issued the Constitutional Declaration, playing a temporary constitutional role during the political transition phase. The Constitutional Declaration stipulates that Libya will establish a multi-party democratic state, implement the rule of law, and ensure that all people enjoy basic freedoms and human rights equally. Islam is the state religion, and Islamic law is the main basis for national legislation. The state protects the religious freedom of non Muslim people. Due to the ongoing turmoil in the situation, sharp contradictions among all parties, and the stagnation of the constitutional process, the new constitution draft has not yet been completed.

During the Gaddafi regime, there was a General People's Assembly, which was the highest authority in the country. After the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime, in July 2012, Libya held elections for the National Assembly, in which 200 representatives were elected, with Mohammad Yusuf Margrave serving as the first speaker. In May 2013, Speaker Magrif resigned and Nuri Abu Sahming became the new Speaker. In June 2014, Libya held elections for the National Assembly to replace the National Assembly whose term had expired. In August, the National Assembly held its first meeting in the eastern city of Tobruk and elected Agile Saleh Issa Kavidel as the new Speaker (currently in office). But the National Assembly refused to stop operating and announced its resumption in Tripoli in the same month, with Abu Sahming as the speaker. In December 2015, various factions in Libya signed the Libyan Political Agreement in Morocco. According to the agreement, the National Assembly became the highest legislative body in Libya, renamed the National Supreme Council, and became the highest advisory and consultative body in Libya. In August 2024, Khalid al Mishri was elected as the Chairman of the National Supreme Council.

In December 2015, various factions in Libya signed the "Libyan Political Agreement" in Morocco, establishing the Prime Minister's Committee to exercise the duties of the head of state and be responsible for forming the National Unity Government. Faiz Mustafa Saragi served as the chairman of the Prime Minister's Committee and the Prime Minister of the National Unity Government. In February 2021, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum elected Abdul Hamid de Baiba as the Prime Minister of the Transitional Government. In March, the new Transitional Government, the National Unity Government, was declared established by a vote of confidence from the National Assembly. In February 2022, the National Assembly of eastern Libya elected former Interior Minister Bashaga as the Prime Minister to form a new transitional government. However, the Prime Minister of the National Unity Government, Debaiba, refused to relinquish power, leading to another situation of "two governments" coexisting in Libya. In May 2023, the National Assembly of Libya replaced the Prime Minister of the Eastern Government, Bashar al Assad, and appointed Hamad as the new Prime Minister.

Libya is divided into 22 provinces and 3 regions.

Libya has long implemented a single state-owned economy, relying on abundant oil resources, which once enriched Africa. Starting from 1992, the economy declined due to international sanctions imposed on the Lockerbie air disaster. After the United Nations lifted sanctions on Libya in 1999, with the rise of international oil prices, Libya's oil revenue increased significantly, and the Libyan economy showed a good development momentum. Since 2003, Libya has implemented economic reforms, attempted to establish a stock market, and accelerated the privatization process of some state-owned enterprises and banks. Before the outbreak of the civil war in 2011, Libya's daily crude oil production was about 1.6 million barrels. The turbulent situation has seriously affected Libya's oil production. After the end of the civil war, Libya's oil production briefly returned to pre war levels. After May 2014, the situation in Libya became turbulent again, with significant fluctuations in daily oil production. In 2018, Libya's oil production tended to stabilize, with a daily output of approximately 950000 barrels. After the outbreak of armed conflict in April 2019, oil production fluctuated again. In January 2020, the People's Army of Liberia announced the closure of oil fields and ports in the central and eastern regions, causing a significant drop in daily crude oil production to less than 100000 barrels. In September 2020, the National Army announced the resumption of oil production and exports. In 2021, Libya's crude oil production reached 410 million barrels, a year-on-year increase of 310%. From April to July 2022, due to the blockade of oilfield facilities by armed factions, major oil ports in Liberia were closed multiple times. In July, the Prime Minister of the National Unity Government, Debaba, appointed former central bank governor Kadara to replace Sanara as the chairman of the National Oil Company. Oil production and exports have gradually resumed, and the current daily crude oil production has reached 1.2 million barrels.

The main economic data for 2023 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 44.1 billion US dollars.

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 6125 US dollars.

Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate: 9.6%.

Currency name: Dinar.

Exchange rate: 1 US dollar ≈ 4.86 dinars.

The main resources are oil and natural gas, with proven reserves of 48.4 billion barrels and 154 trillion cubic meters, respectively. Others include iron (with reserves of 2-3 billion tons), potassium, manganese, phosphate, copper, tin, sulfur iodine, bauxite, etc. The fishery products mainly include tuna, sardine, sponges, etc.

Oil is the backbone of Libya's economy, with the vast majority of export revenue coming from it. After the discovery of oil in the 1950s, the oil extraction and refining industry developed rapidly. Li Petroleum mainly exports to countries such as Italy, Germany, Spain, and France. Other industries include petrochemicals, building materials, electricity, mining, textiles, food processing, etc.

Agriculture accounts for about 2.6% of the gross domestic product. The agricultural population accounts for 17% of the total population in the country. The arable land area accounts for 1.03% of the total national area, while irrigated land accounts for less than 1%. Libya's agriculture is very backward, with main crops including wheat, barley, corn, peanuts, citrus, olives, tobacco, dates, vegetables, etc. Animal husbandry holds an important position. There are approximately 8.5 million hectares of pastures nationwide. Libya's self-sufficiency in food is insufficient, with nearly half of its food and livestock products relying on imports.

Transportation mainly relies on highways, without railways.

Highway: The total length is 100000 kilometers, including 57000 kilometers of high-grade highways and 42000 kilometers of agricultural roads.

Water transportation: The main ports include Tripoli, Benghazi, Tobruk, Brega, Derna, Misrata, Zawiya, Rasranuf, etc.

Air freight: owns Libyan Arab Airlines and African Airlines. There are a total of 137 airports of various types. The main civilian airports are located in Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata, Sabha, Tobruk, Sirte, Brega and other places.

Financial and fiscal policies. In 2022, Libya's foreign exchange reserves amounted to approximately 79.4 billion US dollars.

The main export product of foreign trade is petroleum (with a production of over 80% for export). The main imports include grain, food, machinery, building materials, transportation equipment, electrical appliances, chemical and light industrial products, as well as weapons and equipment. The main trade partners are Italy, Türkiye, Germany, Egypt, China, etc.

The import and export situation in 2023 is as follows (in billions of US dollars):

Export amount 313

Import amount 112

Difference 201

Before the turbulent situation in February 2011, Libya had 17 comprehensive hospitals and 88 medical centers, with an average of 4.8 beds and 2 doctors per 1000 people. There are 122000 people nationwide who enjoy social insurance.

Before the turbulent situation in 2011, the total number of teachers in schools at all levels in China was 303100, with a total of 1.4555 million students. There are 73 junior normal colleges with 11400 students enrolled. At present, there are about 1.78 million students in the basic education stage, including about 317000 students in the high school stage. There are 20 higher education institutions in the country, mainly including Tripoli University, Benghazi University, etc.

[External Relations] Adhere to the attributes of Arab, African, Islamic, and developing countries, emphasizing principles such as independence, equality, mutual benefit, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.

After the turbulent situation in Libya in February 2011, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1970 on February 26 to sanction the Gaddafi regime, including imposing an arms embargo on Libya, restricting the travel of senior Libyan officials, freezing overseas assets of relevant personnel, and referring the situation in Libya to the International Criminal Court. On March 17th, the Security Council passed Resolution 1973, which decided to establish a "no fly zone" in Libya and demanded that relevant countries take all necessary measures to protect Libyan civilians, and impose stricter arms embargo and property freeze sanctions on Libya. After the end of the Libyan civil war, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2009 on September 16, lifting some sanctions on Libya and deciding to establish the United Nations Support Mission in Libya. On October 27th, the Security Council passed Resolution 2016, deciding to terminate the authorization of Resolution 1973 to protect civilians and establish a "no fly zone" after October 31st. In order to prevent the spread of weapons and prevent the proliferation of weapons in Libya from threatening the security and stability of neighboring countries, the Security Council passed resolutions 2017 and 2040 on October 31, 2011 and March 12, 2012, respectively. On March 14, 2013, the Security Council passed Resolution 2095, relaxing the embargo measures on non lethal military equipment exclusively for humanitarian or protective purposes. On August 27, 2014, the Security Council passed Resolution 2174, further strengthening sanctions against organizations and individuals who disrupt the political transition process in Libya. On March 5, 2015, the Security Council passed Resolution 2208, extending the ban on illegal exports of crude oil from Libya until the end of March. On March 27th, the Security Council passed resolutions 2213 and 2214, urging member states to provide support for Libya's fight against terrorism and deciding to consider adding relevant individuals and groups to the sanctions list. In June 2016, the Security Council passed Resolution 2292, authorizing member states to enforce an arms embargo on the high seas off the coast of Liberia. The resolution has been extended until June 2024. On February 11, 2020, the Security Council passed Resolution 2509, calling on member states to fully comply with the arms embargo against Libya. In October 2023, the Security Council passed a resolution to extend the authorization of the expert group of the Libya Sanctions Committee until November 15, 2024. In addition, the Security Council has also passed multiple resolutions related to the situation in Libya, asset freezes, and other related matters. At present, the United Nations has not lifted the arms embargo on Libya.