Country name:
conventional long form: Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
conventional short form:
Libya
local long form:
Al Jamahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al Ishtirakiyah al Uthma
local short form:
none
Government type:
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in practice, an authoritarian state
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 states (shabiyat, singular - shabiyat); Al Butnan, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jabal Al Gharbi, Al Jafarah, Al Jafrah, Al Kafrah, Al Maraj, Al Marqab, Al Murzuq, Al Wahat, An Nuqat al Khams, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghat, Misratah, Nalut, Sibha, Surt, Tarabulus, Wadi al Hayat, Wadi ash Shati
Independence:
24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)
National holiday:
Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)
Constitution:
none; 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
Legal system:
based on Italian and French civil law systems and Islamic law; separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and technically compulsory
Executive branch: Legislative branch: Judicial branch: Political parties and leaders: Political pressure groups and leaders: International organization participation: Diplomatic representation in the US: Diplomatic representation from the US: Flag description: National anthem:
chief of state: Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969); note - holds no official title, but is de facto chief of state
head of government:
Secretary of the General People's Committee (Prime Minister) al-Baghdadi Ali al-MAHMUDI (since 5 March 2006)
cabinet:
General People's Committee established by the General People's Congress
(For more information visit the )
elections:
national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of people's committees; head of government elected by the General People's Congress; election last held in March 2010 (next elections expected in early 2011)
election results:
NA
unicameral General People's Congress (760 seats; members elected indirectly through a hierarchy of people's committees)
Supreme Court
none
other: anti-QADHAFI Libyan exile movement; Islamic elements
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)
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
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
plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion)
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