Since he took power in a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI has espoused his own political system - a combination of socialism and Islam - which he calls the Third International Theory. Viewing himself as a revolutionary leader, he used oil funds during the 1970s and 1980s to promote his ideology outside Libya, even supporting subversives and terrorists abroad to hasten the end of Marxism and capitalism. Libyan military adventures failed, e.g., the prolonged foray of Libyan troops into the Aozou Strip in northern Chad was finally repulsed in 1987. Libyan support for terrorism decreased after UN sanctions were imposed in 1992. Those sanctions were suspended in April 1999.

petroleum, natural gas, gypsum

arable land: 1.03%
permanent crops: 0.17%
other: 98.8% (1998 est.)

5,499,074
note: includes 166,510 non-nationals (July 2003 est.)

Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians

Sunni Muslim 97%

Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 82.6%
male: 92.4%
female: 72% (2003 est.)

Tripoli

Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship

24 December 1951 (from Italy)

Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)