Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
forms part of the vast Northern African Plateau extending from the Atlantic to the Red
Sea. About 90% of the population lives in and around the coastal cities, especially
Tripoli and Benghazi. Libya has one of the lowest population densities in the world, but
the population growth is high, averaging 3.59 in 1997. Formerly an Italian colony until
1942, and later on under British and French control, the country gained its independence
in 1951.
Libya's economy is
dominated by oil which contributes some 90% of the country's export earnings and
approximately 30% of GDP. Agricultural activities are highly concentrated in the coastal
area, and occupy over 13% of the total workforce. The UN sanction against Libya in 1992
following the suspected involvement of two Libyans in the Lockerbie aircraft bombing over
Scotland has heavily damaged the economy leading to unemployment, increasing import
costs and inflation, and decline of GDP. Long-term economic planning became virtually
impossible, and major development projects had to be abandoned. The sanctions imposed
against Libya in 1992 were lifted up as a result of the hand-over of the two suspects by
the Libyan government to the International Court, The Hague, in early 1999. This is
expected to bring about revival to the economy which is highly dependent on the sale of
oils.
The number of
connected telephone lines was approximately 550,000 in 1999, resulting in a telephone
density of 10.05 per hundred people.
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