Libya became independent as a kingdom in 1951. A military coup in 1969 overthrew King Idris I. The coup leader Muammar Gaddafi ruled the country from the Libyan Cultural Revolution in 1973 until he was overthrown and killed in the Libyan Civil War of 2011. Since the death of Gaddafi, Libya has been unstable.
Languages: Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities
Ethnic Groups: Berber and Arab 97%, other 3% (includes Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians)
Belief Systems: Sunni Muslim 97%, other 3%
Demographics:
Population: 6.55 million people (World Rank: 105th) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 9.64 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 231st) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 0.566 %/yr (World Rank: 155th) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 75.3 years (World Rank: 92nd) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 25.6 years (World Rank: 108th) (2010 estimate)
Sites for More Information:
Map of Libya
Worldatlas.com
Country Profile for Libya
United Nations
Libya - Facts and Information 1
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Libya - Facts and Information 2
U.S. Library of Congress
Libya - Facts and Information 3
Middle East Network Information Center
Libya - Facts and Information 4
Encyclopedia.com
Tourism:
Current News About Libya
AllAfrica.com
Traveling to Libya
Africaguide.com
Language Resources:
Learn Arabic
Madinaharabic
Government Related:
Libyan Government Web Sites
by Gunnar Anzinger
