Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Libya
local long form: none
local short form: Libiya
Government type:
operates under a transitional government
Capital:
name: Tripoli (Tarabulus)
geographic coordinates: 32 53 N, 13 10 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
22 districts (shabiyat, singular - shabiyat); Al Butnan, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jabal al Gharbi, Al Jafarah, Al Jufrah, Al Kufrah, Al Marj, Al Marqab, Al Wahat, An Nuqat al Khams, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghat, Misratah, Murzuq, Nalut, Sabha, Surt, Tarabulus, Wadi al Hayat, Wadi ash Shati
Independence:
24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)
National holiday:
Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)
Constitution:
note - following the September 1969 military overthrow of the Libyan government, the Revolutionary Command Council replaced the existing constitution with the Constitutional Proclamation in December 1969; in March 1977, Libya adopted the Declaration of the Establishment of the People's Authority; note - the Transitional National Council, recognized by the UN in September 2011 as the legitimate interim government, operates under a temporary constitution
International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Suffrage:
NA
[see also: Suffrage country ranks ]
Executive branch:
note: the UN in September 2011 recognized the Libyan Transitional National Council (TNC) as the legitimate governing authority for Libya until an interim government is in place; the TNC on 22 November 2011 established a new transitional government
chief of state: Transitional National Council Chairman Mustafa Abd al-JALIL (since March 2011)
head of government: Transitional National Council Prime Minister Abd al-Rahim al-KEEB (since 23 October 2011)
cabinet: a new cabinet was formed by the prime minister in November 2011
elections: TNC Chairman al-JALIL in August 2011 announced transitional national assembly elections to be held in June 2012
election results: NA
Legislative branch:
the UN in September 2011 recognized the Libyan Transitional National Council (TNC) as the legitimate governing authority for Libya
elections: TNC Chairman al-JALIL in August 2011 announced transitional national assembly elections to be held in June 2012
election results: NA
Political parties and leaders:
NA
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ali Suleiman AUJALI
chancery: 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 705, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 944-9601
FAX: [1] (202) 944-9060
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gene A. CRETZ
embassy: off Jaraba Street, behind the Libyan-Swiss clinic, Ben Ashour
mailing address: US Embassy, 8850 Tripoli Place, Washington, DC 20521-8850
telephone: [218] 91-220-3239
Flag description:
three horizontal bands of red (top), black (double width), and green with a white crescent and star centered on the black stripe; the National Transitional Council reintroduced this flag design of the former Kingdom of Libya (1951-1969) on 27 February 2011; it replaced the former all-green banner promulgated by the QADHAFI regime in 1977; the colors represent the three major regions of the country: red stands for Fezzan , black symbolizes Cyrenaica, and green denotes Tripolitania; the crescent and star represent Islam, the main religion of the country
National symbol(s):
star and crescent; hawk
National anthem:
name: "Allahu Akbar" (God Is Greatest)
lyrics/music: Mahmoud el-SHERIF/Abdalla Shams el-DIN
note: adopted 1969; the anthem was originally a battle song for the Egyptian Army in the 1956 Suez War