Libya Country & Tourist Information

Location
North Africa.

Area
1,775,500 sq km (685,520 sq miles).

Population
5.9 million (CIA estimate 2006).

Population Density
3.3 per sq km.

Capital
Tripoli (Tarabulus).
Population: 2 million (UN estimate 2003).

Government
Jamahiriya (state of the masses). Gained independence from Italy in 1951.

Language
Arabic (which must be used for all official purposes), with some English and Italian. English is normally understood by people working in hotels, restaurants and shops.

Religion
Sunni Muslim 97%.

Time
GMT + 2.

Electricity
127/230 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs used are European-style with two circular metal pins and
South African/Indian-style with two circular metal pins above a large circular grounding pin.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Baghdadi Mahmudi since March 2006.

Head of State
Muammar Gaddafi (Leader of the Revolution) since 1969.

Recent History
Following the Libyan government’s political and practical support for a variety of revolutionary and terrorist groups, and its complicity in various acts of terrorism in the West, Libya became ostracised from the international community. The most serious of these were the destruction of two airliners: one French over the Sahara in 1987, the other American over the Scottish town of Lockerbie the following year. The West’s response was to impose economic sanctions and to engage in a series of attempts to dispose of Gaddafi, all of which have failed. The Libyan government has now made some reparations for its alleged misdeeds. By 2003, almost all sanctions had been lifted. Libya had opened up a number of new channels to the West. The most important of these is with Italy, with which Libya has important historic and economic links.

Telephone
Country code: 218. International calls can be made from Internet cafes and telephone offices, readily available in main towns.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with some international mobile phone companies. Coverage is limited to Tripoli and the surrounding towns.

Internet
There are Internet cafes in Tripoli and other main towns.

Media
The state owns and controls all the media. Criticism of government policies is not allowed.

Post
Postal services are available in all main towns. Mail to Europe takes approximately one week, and to North America or Australia, one-two weeks. The main post office in Tripoli is on Maidan al-Jezayir. Post office (main) hours: Sat-Thurs 0800-2230; smaller offices’ hours are usually Sat-Thurs 0800-1300 and 1700-2000.

Press
There are several newspapers and periodicals. The main dailies are Al-Fajir al-Jadid and Az-zahf al-Akhdar.

Radio
Great Jamahiriyah Radio is state-run. Voice of Africa is a state-run service, broadcasting in Arabic, English, French.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
7 Jan Ashoura.
2 Mar Jamahiriya Day
28 Mar British Evacuation Day. 
9 Mar Mouloud (Prophet's Birthday).
11 Jun Evacuation Day.
23 Jul Revolution Day.
20 Jul Ascension of the Prophet.
1 Sep National Day.
7 Oct Italian Evacuation Day.
21 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
28 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice).
18 Dec Islamic New Year.
27 Dec Ashoura.

2010
2 Mar Jamahiriya Day
26 Feb Mouloud (Prophet's Birthday).
28 Mar British Evacuation Day. 
11 Jun Evacuation Day.
23 Jul Revolution Day.
9 Jul Ascension of the Prophet.
1 Sep National Day.
7 Oct Italian Evacuation Day.
11 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
17 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice).
7 Dec Islamic New Year.
16 Dec Ashoura.

Note
Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region.

Contact Information:

General People's Committee of Tourism
PO Box 82063, Tripoli, Libya
Tel: (21) 333 6452 or 7576 or 8062.
Website: www.libyan-tourism.org

Embassy of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahirya in France
2 rue Charles-Lamoureux, Paris 75116, France
Tel: (01) 4704 7160.
Fax: (01) 4755 9625.

Libyan People's Bureau in the UK
61-62 Ennismore Gardens, London SW7 1NH, UK
Tel: (020) 7589 9137.
Fax: (020) 7589 9137 (consular section).
Opening hours: Mon-Wed 1000-1030 (visa application); Tues-Thurs 1400-1500 (visa collection).

Permanent Mission of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to the United Nations
309-315 East 48th Street, New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: (212) 752 5775.


Next Page »

Related Libya Content