Libya Travel Guide

Libya — Country and Tourist Information

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Country Facts

Location: North Africa.
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.
Area: 1,775,500 sq km (685,520 sq miles).
Time Zone: 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.
Population: 6.2 million (2008).
Population Density: 3.5 per sq km.
Capital City: Tripoli (Tarabulus). Population: 2.1 million (2007).
Government: Jamahiriya (state of the masses) - in theory governed by the people through the local councils, but it is more like an authoritarian state in reality. Gained independence from Italy in 1951.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Ali al-Mahmudi al-Baghdadi since March 2006.
Head of State: Colonel Muammar Gaddafi (Leader of the Revolution) since 1969.
Religion: Sunni Muslim 97%.

Recent History

In the 1980s and 1990s Libya was ostracised from the international community because of Qaddafi's political and practical support for various revolutionary and terrorist groups, and its hand in several acts of terrorism in the West. The most serious were the 1988 bombing of the Pan Am flight over the Scottish town of Lockerbie that killed all of the 270 passengers on board. UN sanctions were imposed from 1992 onwards, a measure that cost Libya billions of dollars in revenue. When Qaddafi announced in 2003 that he would give up his nuclear weapons, sanctions were completely lifted and in 2006 Libya was rehabilitated and taken off the US government's list of states sponsoring terrorism.

Communications

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. Foreign press has recently been allowed in after a long absence.

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 and French.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
7 Dec Islamic New Year
16 Dec Ashoura

2011
15 Feb Mouloud (Prophet’s Birthday)
2 Mar Jamahiriya Day
28 Mar British Evacuation Day
11 Jun American Evacuation Day
28 Jun Ascension of the Prophet
30 Aug Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
1 Sep Revolution Day (National Day)
7 Oct Italian Evacuation Day
6 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
26 Nov Islamic New Year
5 Dec Ashoura

2012
4 Feb Mouloud (Prophet’s Birthday)
2 Mar Jamahiriya Day
27 Mar British Evacuation Day
11 Jun American Evacuation Day
17 Jun Ascension of the Prophet
19 Aug Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
1 Sep Revolution Day (National Day)
7 Oct Italian Evacuation Day
25 Oct Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
15 Nov Islamic New Year
24 Nov Ashoura
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
Note: There are no tourist offices in Libya or abroad, and this office regulates tourism in the country rather than providing practical information for visitors.

Embassy of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in France

2 rue Charles-Lamoureux, Paris 75116, France
Tel: (01) 4704 7160.

Libyan People's Bureau in the UK (Consular section)

61-62 Ennismore Gardens, London SW7 1NH, UK
Tel: (020) 7589 6120.
Opening hours: Mon-Wed 1000-1030 (visa application); Tues-Thurs 1400-1500 (visa collection).