Home

Libya vs. Algeria

Introduction

LibyaAlgeria
Background

Berbers have inhabited central north Africa since ancient times, but the region has been settled and ruled by Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Persians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Vandals. In the the 7th century, Islam spread through the region; in the mid-16th century, Ottoman rule began. The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and did not relinquish their hold until 1943 when they were defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and achieved independence in 1951. Following a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar al-QADHAFI assumed leadership and began to espouse his political system at home, which was a combination of socialism and Islam. During the 1970s, QADHAFI used oil revenues to promote his ideology outside Libya, supporting subversive and terrorist activities that included the downing of two airliners - one over Scotland, another in Northern Africa - and a discotheque bombing in Berlin. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically and economically following the attacks; sanctions were lifted in 2003 following Libyan acceptance of responsibility for the bombings and agreement to claimant compensation. QADHAFI also agreed to end Libya's program to develop weapons of mass destruction, and he made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations.

Unrest that began in several Middle Eastern and North African countries in late 2010 erupted in Libyan cities in early 2011. QADHAFI's brutal crackdown on protesters spawned a civil war that triggered UN authorization of air and naval intervention by the international community. After months of seesaw fighting between government and opposition forces, the QADHAFI regime was toppled in mid-2011 and replaced by a transitional government known as the National Transitional Council (NTC). In 2012, the NTC handed power to an elected parliament, the General National Congress (GNC). Voters chose a new parliament to replace the GNC in June 2014 - the House of Representatives (HoR), which relocated to the eastern city of Tobruk after fighting broke out in Tripoli and Benghazi in July 2014.

In December 2015, the UN brokered an agreement among a broad array of Libyan political parties and social groups - known as the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA). Members of the Libyan Political Dialogue, including representatives of the HoR and GNC, signed the LPA in December 2015. The LPA called for the formation of an interim Government of National Accord or GNA, with a nine-member Presidency Council, the HoR, and an advisory High Council of State that most ex-GNC members joined. The LPA's roadmap for a transition to a new constitution and elected government was subsequently endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2259, which also called upon member states to cease official contact with parallel institutions. In January 2016, the HoR voted to approve the LPA, including the Presidency Council, while voting against a controversial provision on security leadership positions and the Presidency Council's proposed cabinet of ministers. In March 2016, the GNA Presidency Council seated itself in Tripoli. In 2016, the GNA twice announced a slate of ministers who operate in an acting capacity, but the HoR did not endorse the ministerial list. The HoR and defunct-GNC-affiliated political hardliners continued to oppose the GNA and hamper the LPA's implementation. In September 2017, UN Special Representative Ghassan SALAME announced a new roadmap for national political reconciliation. SALAME's plan called for amendments to the LPA, a national conference of Libyan leaders, and a constitutional referendum and general elections. In November 2018, the international partners supported SALAME's recalibrated Action Plan for Libya that aimed to break the political deadlock by holding a National Conference in Libya in 2019 on a timeline for political transition.  The National Conference was delayed following a failure of the parties to implement an agreement mediated by SALAME in Abu Dhabi on February 27, and the subsequent military action by Khalifa HAFTAR's Libyan National Army against GNA forces in Tripoli that began in April 2019. 

Algeria has known many empires and dynasties starting with the ancient Numidians (3rd century B.C.), Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, over a dozen different Arab and Berber dynasties, Spaniards, and Ottoman Turks. It was under the latter that the Barbary pirates operated from North Africa and preyed on shipping beginning in roughly 1500, peaking in the early to mid-17th century, until finally subdued by the French capture of Algiers in 1830. The French southward conquest of the entirety of Algeria proceeded throughout the 19th century and was marked by many atrocities. The country was heavily colonized by the French in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A bloody eight-year struggle culminated in Algerian independence in 1962.

Algeria's primary political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), was established in 1954 as part of the struggle for independence and has since largely dominated politics. The Government of Algeria in 1988 instituted a multi-party system in response to public unrest, but the surprising first round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December 1991 legislative elections led the Algerian army to intervene and postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming power. The army began a crackdown on the FIS that spurred FIS supporters to begin attacking government targets. Fighting escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense violence from 1992-98, resulting in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the upper hand by the late-1990s, and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000.

Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA, with the backing of the military, won the presidency in 1999 in an election that was boycotted by several candidates protesting alleged fraud, and won subsequent elections in 2004, 2009, and 2014. The government in 2011 introduced some political reforms in response to the Arab Spring, including lifting the 19-year-old state of emergency restrictions and increasing women's quotas for elected assemblies, while also increasing subsidies to the populace. Since 2014, Algeria's reliance on hydrocarbon revenues to fund the government and finance the large subsidies for the population has fallen under stress because of declining oil prices. Protests broke out across the country in late February 2019 against President BOUTEFLIKA's decision to seek a fifth term. BOUTEFLIKA resigned on 2 April 2019, and the speaker of the upper house of parliament, Abdelkader BENSALAH, became interim head of state on 9 April. BENSALAH remained in office beyond the 90-day constitutional limit until Algerians elected former Prime Minister Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE as the country's new president in December 2019.

Geography

LibyaAlgeria
LocationNorthern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt, Tunisia, and AlgeriaNorthern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia
Geographic coordinates25 00 N, 17 00 E28 00 N, 3 00 E
Map referencesAfricaAfrica
Areatotal: 1,759,540 sq km

land: 1,759,540 sq km

water: 0 sq km
total: 2,381,740 sq km

land: 2,381,740 sq km

water: 0 sq km
Area - comparativeabout 2.5 times the size of Texas; slightly larger than Alaskaslightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas
Land boundariestotal: 4,339 km

border countries (6): Algeria 989 km, Chad 1050 km, Egypt 1115 km, Niger 342 km, Sudan 382 km, Tunisia 461 km
total: 6,734 km

border countries (6): Libya 989 km, Mali 1359 km, Mauritania 460 km, Morocco 1941 km, Niger 951 km, Tunisia 1034 km
Coastline1,770 km998 km
Maritime claimsterritorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive fishing zone: 62 nm

note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north
territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 nm
ClimateMediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interiorarid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer
Terrainmostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressionsmostly high plateau and desert; Atlas Mountains in the far north and Hoggar Mountains in the south; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Elevation extremeshighest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m

lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m

mean elevation: 423 m
highest point: Tahat 2,908 m

lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m

mean elevation: 800 m
Natural resourcespetroleum, natural gas, gypsumpetroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
Land useagricultural land: 8.8% (2018 est.)

arable land: 1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 7.6% (2018 est.)

forest: 0.1% (2018 est.)

other: 91.1% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: 17.4% (2018 est.)

arable land: 3.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 13.8% (2018 est.)

forest: 0.8% (2018 est.)

other: 81.8% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land4,700 sq km (2012)13,600 sq km (2014)
Natural hazardshot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstormsmountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season; droughts
Environment - current issuesdesertification; limited natural freshwater resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, brings water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities; water pollution is a significant problem; the combined impact of sewage, oil byproducts, and industrial waste threatens Libya's coast and the Mediterranean Seaair pollution in major cities; soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices; desertification; dumping of raw sewage, petroleum refining wastes, and other industrial effluents is leading to the pollution of rivers and coastal waters; Mediterranean Sea, in particular, becoming polluted from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment - international agreementsparty to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Law of the Sea
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - notenote 1: more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert

note 2: the volcano Waw an Namus lies in south central Libya in the middle of the Sahara; the caldera is an oasis - the name means "oasis of mosquitoes" - containing several small lakes surrounded by vegetation and hosting various insects and a large diversity of birds
largest country in Africa but 80% desert; canyons and caves in the southern Hoggar Mountains and in the barren Tassili n'Ajjer area in the southeast of the country contain numerous examples of prehistoric art - rock paintings and carvings depicting human activities and wild and domestic animals (elephants, giraffes, cattle) - that date to the African Humid Period, roughly 11,000 to 5,000 years ago, when the region was completely vegetated
Total renewable water resources700 million cubic meters (2017 est.)11.667 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Population distributionwell over 90% of the population lives along the Mediterranean coast in and between Tripoli to the west and Al Bayda to the east; the interior remains vastly underpopulated due to the Sahara and lack of surface water as shown in this population distribution mapthe vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast as shown in this population distribution map

Demographics

LibyaAlgeria
Population7,017,224 (July 2021 est.)

note: immigrants make up just over 12% of the total population, according to UN data (2019)
43,576,691 (July 2021 est.)
Age structure0-14 years: 33.65% (male 1,184,755/female 1,134,084)

15-24 years: 15.21% (male 534,245/female 513,728)

25-54 years: 41.57% (male 1,491,461/female 1,373,086)

55-64 years: 5.52% (male 186,913/female 193,560)

65 years and over: 4.04% (male 129,177/female 149,526) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 29.58% (male 6,509,490/female 6,201,450)

15-24 years: 13.93% (male 3,063,972/female 2,922,368)

25-54 years: 42.91% (male 9,345,997/female 9,091,558)

55-64 years: 7.41% (male 1,599,369/female 1,585,233)

65 years and over: 6.17% (male 1,252,084/female 1,401,357) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 25.8 years

male: 25.9 years

female: 25.7 years (2020 est.)
total: 28.9 years

male: 28.6 years

female: 29.3 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate1.76% (2021 est.)1.41% (2021 est.)
Birth rate22.23 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)19.24 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate3.46 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)4.32 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate-1.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)-0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.09 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female

total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female

total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 11.48 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 12.97 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 9.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 20.23 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 22.36 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 17.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 76.93 years

male: 74.68 years

female: 79.29 years (2021 est.)
total population: 77.79 years

male: 76.32 years

female: 79.33 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate3.13 children born/woman (2021 est.)2.55 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate0.1% (2020)<.1% (2020 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Libyan(s)

adjective: Libyan
noun: Algerian(s)

adjective: Algerian
Ethnic groupsBerber and Arab 97%, other 3% (includes Egyptian, Greek, Indian, Italian, Maltese, Pakistani, Tunisian, and Turkish)Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%

note: although almost all Algerians are Berber in origin (not Arab), only a minority identify themselves as primarily Berber, about 15% of the total population; these people live mostly in the mountainous region of Kabylie east of Algiers and several other communities; the Berbers are also Muslim but identify with their Berber rather than Arab cultural heritage; Berbers have long agitated, sometimes violently, for autonomy; the government is unlikely to grant autonomy but has officially recognized Berber languages and introduced them into public schools
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS9,500 (2020)18,000 (2020 est.)
ReligionsMuslim (official; virtually all Sunni) 96.6%, Christian 2.7%, Buddhist 0.3%, Hindu <0.1, Jewish <0.1, folk religion <0.1, unafilliated 0.2%, other <0.1 (2010 est.)

note: non-Sunni Muslims include native Ibadhi Muslims (<1% of the population) and foreign Muslims
Muslim (official; predominantly Sunni) 99%, other (includes Christian and Jewish) <1% (2012 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths<100 (2020)<200 (2020 est.)
LanguagesArabic (official), Italian, English (all widely understood in the major cities); Berber (Nafusi, Ghadamis, Suknah, Awjilah, Tamasheq)

major-language sample(s):
???? ????? ??????? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ????????? ??? ????????? ???????? (Arabic)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Arabic (official), French (lingua franca), Berber or Tamazight (official); dialects include Kabyle Berber (Taqbaylit), Shawiya Berber (Tacawit), Mzab Berber, Tuareg Berber (Tamahaq)

major-language sample(s):
???? ????? ??????? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ????????? ??? ????????? ???????? (Arabic)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Literacydefinition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 91%

male: 96.7%

female: 85.6% (2015)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 81.4%

male: 87.4%

female: 75.3% (2018)
Education expendituresNANA
Urbanizationurban population: 81% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 74.3% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 1.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: total: 98.5% of population

unimproved: total: 1.5% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 99.2% of population

rural: 97.4% of population

total: 98.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 0.8% of population

rural: 2.1% of population

total: 1.1% of population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: total: 100% of population

unimproved: total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 96.9% of population

rural: 93.4% of population

total: 96% of population

unimproved: urban: 3.1% of population

rural: 6.6% of population

total: 4% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population1.170 million TRIPOLI (capital), 919,000 Misratah, 836,000 Benghazi (2021)2.809 million ALGIERS (capital), 910,000 Oran (2021)
Maternal mortality rate72 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)112 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight11.7% (2014)2.7% (2018/19)
Physicians density2.09 physicians/1,000 population (2017)1.72 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Hospital bed density3.2 beds/1,000 population (2017)1.9 beds/1,000 population (2015)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate32.5% (2016)27.4% (2016)
Demographic profile

Despite continuing unrest, Libya remains a destination country for economic migrants. It is also a hub for transit migration to Europe because of its proximity to southern Europe and its lax border controls. Labor migrants have been drawn to Libya since the development of its oil sector in the 1960s. Until the latter part of the 1990s, most migrants to Libya were Arab (primarily Egyptians and Sudanese). However, international isolation stemming from Libya's involvement in international terrorism and a perceived lack of support from Arab countries led QADHAFI in 1998 to adopt a decade-long pan-African policy that enabled large numbers of Sub-Saharan migrants to enter Libya without visas to work in the construction and agricultural industries. Although Sub-Saharan Africans provided a cheap labor source, they were poorly treated and were subjected to periodic mass expulsions.

By the mid-2000s, domestic animosity toward African migrants and a desire to reintegrate into the international community motivated QADHAFI to impose entry visas on Arab and African immigrants and to agree to joint maritime patrols and migrant repatriations with Italy, the main recipient of illegal migrants departing Libya. As his regime neared collapse in 2011, QADHAFI reversed his policy of cooperating with Italy to curb illegal migration and sent boats loaded with migrants and asylum seekers to strain European resources. Libya's 2011 revolution decreased immigration drastically and prompted nearly 800,000 migrants to flee to third countries, mainly Tunisia and Egypt, or to their countries of origin. The inflow of migrants declined in 2012 but returned to normal levels by 2013, despite continued hostility toward Sub-Saharan Africans and a less-inviting job market.

While Libya is not an appealing destination for migrants, since 2014, transiting migrants - primarily from East and West Africa - continue to exploit its political instability and weak border controls and use it as a primary departure area to migrate across the central Mediterranean to Europe in growing numbers. In addition, more than 200,000 people were displaced internally as of August 2017 by fighting between armed groups in eastern and western Libya and, to a lesser extent, by inter-tribal clashes in the country's south.

For the first two thirds of the 20th century, Algeria's high fertility rate caused its population to grow rapidly. However, about a decade after independence from France in 1962, the total fertility rate fell dramatically from 7 children per woman in the 1970s to about 2.4 in 2000, slowing Algeria's population growth rate by the late 1980s. The lower fertility rate was mainly the result of women's rising age at first marriage (virtually all Algerian children being born in wedlock) and to a lesser extent the wider use of contraceptives. Later marriages and a preference for smaller families are attributed to increases in women's education and participation in the labor market; higher unemployment; and a shortage of housing forcing multiple generations to live together. The average woman's age at first marriage increased from about 19 in the mid-1950s to 24 in the mid-1970s to 30.5 in the late 1990s.

Algeria's fertility rate experienced an unexpected upturn in the early 2000s, as the average woman's age at first marriage dropped slightly. The reversal in fertility could represent a temporary fluctuation in marriage age or, less likely, a decrease in the steady rate of contraceptive use.

Thousands of Algerian peasants - mainly Berber men from the Kabylia region - faced with land dispossession and economic hardship under French rule migrated temporarily to France to work in manufacturing and mining during the first half of the 20th century. This movement accelerated during World War I, when Algerians filled in for French factory workers or served as soldiers. In the years following independence, low-skilled Algerian workers and Algerians who had supported the French (known as Harkis) emigrated en masse to France. Tighter French immigration rules and Algiers' decision to cease managing labor migration to France in the 1970s limited legal emigration largely to family reunification.

Not until Algeria's civil war in the 1990s did the country again experience substantial outmigration. Many Algerians legally entered Tunisia without visas claiming to be tourists and then stayed as workers. Other Algerians headed to Europe seeking asylum, although France imposed restrictions. Sub-Saharan African migrants came to Algeria after its civil war to work in agriculture and mining. In the 2000s, a wave of educated Algerians went abroad seeking skilled jobs in a wider range of destinations, increasing their presence in North America and Spain. At the same time, legal foreign workers principally from China and Egypt came to work in Algeria's construction and oil sectors. Illegal migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Malians, Nigeriens, and Gambians, continue to come to Algeria in search of work or to use it as a stepping stone to Libya and Europe.

Since 1975, Algeria also has been the main recipient of Sahrawi refugees from the ongoing conflict in Western Sahara (today part of Morocco). More than 1000,000 Sahrawis are estimated to be living in five refugee camps in southwestern Algeria near Tindouf.

Contraceptive prevalence rate27.7% (2014)57.1% (2012/13)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 47.7

youth dependency ratio: 41

elderly dependency ratio: 6.7

potential support ratio: 15 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 60.1

youth dependency ratio: 49.3

elderly dependency ratio: 10.8

potential support ratio: 9.3 (2020 est.)

Government

LibyaAlgeria
Country nameconventional long form: State of Libya

conventional short form: Libya

local long form: Dawiat Libiya

local short form: Libiya

etymology: name derives from the Libu, an ancient Libyan tribe first mentioned in texts from the 13th century B.C.
conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

conventional short form: Algeria

local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah

local short form: Al Jaza'ir

etymology: the country name derives from the capital city of Algiers
Government typein transitionpresidential republic
Capitalname: Tripoli (Tarabulus)

geographic coordinates: 32 53 N, 13 10 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: originally founded by the Phoenicians as Oea in the 7th century B.C., the city changed rulers many times over the successive centuries; by the beginning of the 3rd century A.D. the region around the city was referred to as Regio Tripolitana by the Romans, meaning "region of the three cities" - namely Oea (i.e., modern Tripoli), Sabratha (to the west), and Leptis Magna (to the east); over time, the shortened name of "Tripoli" came to refer to just Oea, which derives from the Greek words "tria" and "polis" meaning "three cities"
name: Algiers

geographic coordinates: 36 45 N, 3 03 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: name derives from the Arabic "al-Jazair" meaning "the islands" and refers to the four islands formerly off the coast but joined to the mainland since 1525
Administrative divisions22 governorates (muhafazah, singular - muhafazat); 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 (Benghazi), Darnah, Ghat, Misratah, Murzuq, Nalut, Sabha, Surt, Tarabulus (Tripoli), Wadi al Hayat, Wadi ash Shati48 provinces (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanrasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen
Independence24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)5 July 1962 (from France)
National holidayLiberation Day, 23 October (2011)Independence Day, 5 July (1962); Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)
Constitutionhistory: previous 1951, 1977; in July 2017, the Constitutional Assembly completed and approved a draft of a new permanent constitution; in September 2018, the House of Representatives passed a constitutional referendum law in a session with contested reports of the quorum needed to pass the vote, and submitted it to the High National Elections Commission in December to begin preparations for a constitutional referendumhistory: several previous; latest approved by referendum 23 February 1989

amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or through the president with the support of three fourths of the members of both houses of Parliament in joint session; passage requires approval by both houses, approval by referendum, and promulgation by the president; the president can forego a referendum if the Constitutional Council determines the proposed amendment does not conflict with basic constitutional principles; articles including the republican form of government, the integrity and unity of the country, and fundamental citizens' liberties and rights cannot be amended; amended 2002, 2008, 2016; last in 2020
Legal systemLibya's post-revolution legal system is in flux and driven by state and non-state entitiesmixed legal system of French civil law and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials including several Supreme Court justices
Suffrage18 years of age, universal18 years of age; universal
Executive branchchief of state: Chairman, Presidential Council, Mohammed Al MENFI (since 5 February 2021)

head of government: Prime Minister Abdul Hamid DBEIBEH (since 5 February 2021)

cabinet: GNA Presidency Council (pending approval by the House of Representatives - as of December 2018)

elections/appointments:

direct presidential election to be held pending election-related legislation and constitutional referendum law



election results: on 5 February 2021, a UN-led forum elected - in a runoff - Mohammed Al MENFI  chairman, Presidential Council and Abdul Hamid DBEIBEH, prime minister

chief of state: President Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (since 12 December 2019)

head of government: Prime Minister Ayman BENABDERRAHMANE (since 7 July 2021); note - President TEBBOUNE appointed BENABDERRAHMANE as prime minister following the resignation of Prime Minister Abdelaziz DJERAD on 24 June

 

 

Abdelaziz DJERAD (since 28 December 2019)

cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 December 2019 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister nominated by the president after consultation with the majority party in Parliament

election results: Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (NLF) 58.1%, Abdelkader BENGRINA (Movement of National Construction) 17.4%, Ali BENFLIS (Vanguard of Freedoms) 10.6%, Azzedine MIHOUBI (RND) 7.3%, Abdelaziz BELAID (Future Front) 6.7%

Legislative branchdescription: unicameral House of Representatives (Majlis Al Nuwab) or HoR (200 seats including 32 reserved for women; members directly elected by majority vote; member term NA); note - the High Council of State serves as an advisory group for the HoR

elections: last held on 25 June 2014 ( next election to be held on 24 December 2021); note - the Libyan Supreme Court in November 2014 declared the HoR election unconstitutional, but the HoR and the international community rejected the ruling

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 158, women 30, percent of women 16%; note - only 188 of the 200 seats were filled in the June 2014 election because of boycotts and lack of security at some polling stations; some elected members of the HoR also boycotted the election
description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
Council of the Nation (upper house with 144 seats; one-third of members appointed by the president, two-thirds indirectly elected by simple majority vote by an electoral college composed of local council members; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years)
National People's Assembly (lower house with 407 seats including 8 seats for Algerian diaspora); members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); note - in March 2021, President TEBBOUNE ordered the number of Assembly seats be reduced to 407 from 462

elections:
Council of the Nation - last held on 29 December 2018 (next to be held in December 2021)
National People's Assembly - snap election held on 12 June 2021 (next to be held on 12 June 2026)

election results:
Council of the Nation - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 137, women 7, percent of women 5%,
National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 98, MSP 65, RND 58, EL Mostakbel 48, Movement of National Construction 39, other 15, independent 84; composition - men 373, women 34, percent of women 8.4%; note - total Parliament percent of women 7.4%
Judicial branchhighest courts: NA; note - government is in transitionhighest courts: Supreme Court or Cour Suprême, (consists of 150 judges organized into 8 chambers: Civil, Commercial and Maritime, Criminal, House of Offenses and Contraventions, House of Petitions, Land, Personal Status, and Social; Constitutional Council (consists of 12 members including the court chairman and deputy chairman); note - Algeria's judicial system does not include sharia courts

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Council of Magistracy, an administrative body presided over by the president of the republic, and includes the republic vice-president and several members; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council members - 4 appointed by the president of the republic, 2 each by the 2 houses of Parliament, 2 by the Supreme Court, and 2 by the Council of State; Council president and members appointed for single 6-year terms with half the membership renewed every 3 years

subordinate courts: appellate or wilaya courts; first instance or daira tribunals
Political parties and leadersNA
Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI]
Algerian Popular Movement or MPA [Amara BENYOUNES]
Algerian Rally or RA [Ali ZAGHDOUD]
Algeria's Hope Rally or TAJ [Amar GHOUL]
Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Hamid FERHI]
Dignity or El Karama [Aymene HARKATI]
Ennour El Djazairi Party (Algerian Radiance Party) or PED [Badreddine BELBAZ]
Front for Justice and Development or El Adala [Abdallah DJABALLAH]
Future Front or El Mostakbel [Abdelaziz BELAID]
Islamic Renaissance Movement or Ennahda Movement [Mohamed DOUIBI]
Justice and Development Front or FJD [Abdellah DJABALLAH]
Movement of National Construction (Harakat El-Binaa El-Watani) [Abdelkader BENGRINA]
Movement of National Understanding or MEN
Movement for National Reform or Islah [Filali GHOUINI]
Movement of Society for Peace or MSP [Abderrazak MAKRI]
National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA]
National Front for Social Justice or FNJS [Khaled BOUNEDJEMA]
National Liberation Front or FLN [Mohamed DJEMAI]
National Party for Solidarity and Development or PNSD [Dalila YALAQUI]
National Reform Movement or Islah [Djahid YOUNSI]
National Republican Alliance or ANR [Belkacem SAHLI]
New Dawn Party or PFJ [Tahar BENBAIBECHE]
New Generation or Jil Jadid [Soufiane DJILALI]
Oath of 1954 or Ahd 54 [Ali Fawzi REBAINE]
Party of Justice and Liberty [Mohammed SAID]
Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Mohcine BELABBAS]
Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hakim BELAHCEL]
Union for Change and Progress or UCP [Zoubida Assoul]
Union of Democratic and Social Forces or UFDS [Noureddine BAHBOUH]
Vanguard of Freedoms (Talaie El Houriat) [Ali BENFLIS]
Youth Party or PJ [Hamana BOUCHARMA]
Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUNE]

note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997
International organization participationABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BDEAC, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), 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 (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, CAEU, CD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the USchief of mission:

Ambassador Wafa M.T. BUGHAIGHIS (since 29 November 2017)



chancery:

1460 Dahlia Street NW, Washington, DC 20012



telephone: [1] (202) 944-9601

FAX: [1] (202) 944-9606

email address and website:
info@embassyoflibyadc.com

https://www.embassyoflibyadc.org/

chief of mission: Ambassador Madjid BOUGUERRA (since 23 February 2015)

chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800

FAX: [1] (202) 986-5906

email address and website:
mail@algerianembassy.org

https://www.algerianembassy.org/

consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the USchief of mission: Ambassador Richard B. NORLAND (since 22 August 2019)

embassy: Sidi Slim Area/Walie Al-Ahed Road, Tripoli (temporarily closed)

mailing address: 8850 Tripoli Place, Washington, DC  20521-8850

telephone: [216] 71-107-000

email address and website:
LibyaACS@state.gov

https://ly.usembassy.gov/

note: the US Embassy in Tripoli closed in July 2014 due to fighting near the embassy related to Libyan civil unrest; embassy staff and operations temporarily first relocated to Valetta, Malta and currently are temporarily relocated to Tunis, Tunisia
chief of mission: ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Gautam RANA (since 20 January 2021)

embassy: 05 Chemin Cheikh Bachir, Ibrahimi, El-Biar 16030, Alger

mailing address: 6030 Algiers Place, Washington DC  20521-6030

telephone: [213] (0) 770-08-2000

FAX: [213] (0) 770-08-2299

email address and website:
ACSAlgiers@state.gov

https://dz.usembassy.gov/
Flag descriptionthree 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 countrytwo equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, five-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; the colors represent Islam (green), purity and peace (white), and liberty (red); the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols, but the crescent is more closed than those of other Muslim countries because Algerians believe the long crescent horns bring happiness
National anthemname: Libya, Libya, Libya

lyrics/music: Al Bashir AL AREBI/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB

note: also known as "Ya Beladi" or "Oh, My Country!"; adopted 1951; readopted 2011 with some modification to the lyrics; during the QADHAFI years between 1969 and 2011, the anthem was "Allahu Akbar," (God is Great) a marching song of the Egyptian Army in the 1956 Suez War
name: "Kassaman" (We Pledge)

lyrics/music: Mufdi ZAKARIAH/Mohamed FAWZI

note: adopted 1962; ZAKARIAH wrote "Kassaman" as a poem while imprisoned in Algiers by French colonial forces
International law organization participationhas not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICChas not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
National symbol(s)star and crescent, hawk; national colors: red, black, greenfive-pointed star between the extended horns of a crescent moon, fennec fox; national colors: green, white, red
Citizenshipcitizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent or grandparent must be a citizen of Libya

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: varies from 3 to 5 years
citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: the mother must be a citizen of Algeria

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Economy

LibyaAlgeria
Economy - overview

Libya's economy, almost entirely dependent on oil and gas exports, has struggled since 2014 given security and political instability, disruptions in oil production, and decline in global oil prices. The Libyan dinar has lost much of its value since 2014 and the resulting gap between official and black market exchange rates has spurred the growth of a shadow economy and contributed to inflation. The country suffers from widespread power outages, caused by shortages of fuel for power generation. Living conditions, including access to clean drinking water, medical services, and safe housing have all declined since 2011. Oil production in 2017 reached a five-year high, driving GDP growth, with daily average production rising to 879,000 barrels per day. However, oil production levels remain below the average pre-Revolution highs of 1.6 million barrels per day.

The Central Bank of Libya continued to pay government salaries to a majority of the Libyan workforce and to fund subsidies for fuel and food, resulting in an estimated budget deficit of about 17% of GDP in 2017. Low consumer confidence in the banking sector and the economy as a whole has driven a severe liquidity shortage.

Algeria's economy remains dominated by the state, a legacy of the country's socialist post-independence development model. In recent years the Algerian Government has halted the privatization of state-owned industries and imposed restrictions on imports and foreign involvement in its economy, pursuing an explicit import substitution policy.

Hydrocarbons have long been the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 30% of GDP, 60% of budget revenues, and nearly 95% of export earnings. Algeria has the 10th-largest reserves of natural gas in the world - including the 3rd-largest reserves of shale gas - and is the 6th-largest gas exporter. It ranks 16th in proven oil reserves. Hydrocarbon exports enabled Algeria to maintain macroeconomic stability, amass large foreign currency reserves, and maintain low external debt while global oil prices were high. With lower oil prices since 2014, Algeria's foreign exchange reserves have declined by more than half and its oil stabilization fund has decreased from about $20 billion at the end of 2013 to about $7 billion in 2017, which is the statutory minimum.

Declining oil prices have also reduced the government's ability to use state-driven growth to distribute rents and fund generous public subsidies, and the government has been under pressure to reduce spending. Over the past three years, the government has enacted incremental increases in some taxes, resulting in modest increases in prices for gasoline, cigarettes, alcohol, and certain imported goods, but it has refrained from reducing subsidies, particularly for education, healthcare, and housing programs.

Algiers has increased protectionist measures since 2015 to limit its import bill and encourage domestic production of non-oil and gas industries. Since 2015, the government has imposed additional restrictions on access to foreign exchange for imports, and import quotas for specific products, such as cars. In January 2018 the government imposed an indefinite suspension on the importation of roughly 850 products, subject to periodic review.

President BOUTEFLIKA announced in fall 2017 that Algeria intends to develop its non-conventional energy resources. Algeria has struggled to develop non-hydrocarbon industries because of heavy regulation and an emphasis on state-driven growth. Algeria has not increased non-hydrocarbon exports, and hydrocarbon exports have declined because of field depletion and increased domestic demand.

GDP (purchasing power parity)$102.842 billion (2019 est.)

$100.298 billion (2018 est.)

$87.115 billion (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
$495.564 billion (2019 est.)

$491.631 billion (2018 est.)

$485.801 billion (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP - real growth rate64% (2017 est.)

-7.4% (2016 est.)

-13% (2015 est.)
1.4% (2017 est.)

3.2% (2016 est.)

3.7% (2015 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)$15,174 (2019 est.)

$15,018 (2018 est.)

$13,238 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
$11,511 (2019 est.)

$11,642 (2018 est.)

$11,737 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP - composition by sectoragriculture: 1.3% (2017 est.)

industry: 52.3% (2017 est.)

services: 46.4% (2017 est.)
agriculture: 13.3% (2017 est.)

industry: 39.3% (2017 est.)

services: 47.4% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty line

note: about one-third of Libyans live at or below the national poverty line

5.5% (2011 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage sharelowest 10%: NA

highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: 2.8%

highest 10%: 26.8% (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)28.5% (2017 est.)

25.9% (2016 est.)
1.9% (2019 est.)

4.2% (2018 est.)

5.6% (2017 est.)
Labor force1.114 million (2017 est.)10.859 million (2017 est.)
Labor force - by occupationagriculture: 17%

industry: 23%

services: 59% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 10.8%

industry: 30.9%

services: 58.4% (2011 est.)
Unemployment rate30% (2004 est.)11.7% (2017 est.)

10.5% (2016 est.)
Budgetrevenues: 15.78 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 23.46 billion (2017 est.)
revenues: 54.15 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 70.2 billion (2017 est.)
Industriespetroleum, petrochemicals, aluminum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cementpetroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing
Industrial production growth rate60.3% (2017 est.)0.6% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - productspotatoes, watermelons, tomatoes, onions, dates, milk, olives, wheat, poultry, vegetablespotatoes, wheat, milk, watermelons, barley, onions, tomatoes, oranges, dates, vegetables
Exports$18.38 billion (2017 est.)

$11.99 billion (2016 est.)
$34.37 billion (2017 est.)

$29.06 billion (2016 est.)
Exports - commoditiescrude petroleum, natural gas, gold, refined petroleum, scrap iron (2019)crude petroleum, natural gas, refined petroleum, fertilizers, ammonia (2019)
Exports - partnersItaly 18%, China 16%, Germany 15%, Spain 15%, United Arab Emirates 6%, France 6%, United States 5% (2019)Italy 13%, France 13%, Spain 12%, United States 7%, United Kingdom 7%, India 5%, South Korea 5% (2019)
Imports$11.36 billion (2017 est.)

$8.667 billion (2016 est.)
$48.54 billion (2017 est.)

$49.43 billion (2016 est.)
Imports - commoditiesrefined petroleum, cars, broadcasting equipment, cigarettes, jewelry (2019)refined petroleum, wheat, packaged medical supplies, milk, vehicle parts (2019)
Imports - partnersChina 16%, Turkey 14%, Italy 9%, United Arab Emirates 9%, Egypt 5% (2019)China 18%, France 14%, Italy 8%, Spain 8%, Germany 5%, Turkey 5% (2019)
Debt - external$3.02 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$3.116 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$5.574 billion (2019 est.)

$5.666 billion (2018 est.)
Exchange ratesLibyan dinars (LYD) per US dollar -

1.413 (2017 est.)

1.3904 (2016 est.)

1.3904 (2015 est.)

1.379 (2014 est.)

1.2724 (2013 est.)
Algerian dinars (DZD) per US dollar -

131.085 (2020 est.)

119.775 (2019 est.)

118.4617 (2018 est.)

100.691 (2014 est.)

80.579 (2013 est.)
Fiscal yearcalendar yearcalendar year
Public debt4.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

7.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
27.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

20.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover central government debt as well as debt issued by subnational entities and intra-governmental debt
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold$74.71 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$66.05 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$97.89 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$114.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Current Account Balance$2.574 billion (2017 est.)

-$4.575 billion (2016 est.)
-$22.1 billion (2017 est.)

-$26.47 billion (2016 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)$52.259 billion (2019 est.)$169.912 billion (2019 est.)
Ease of Doing Business Index scoresOverall score: 32.7 (2020)

Starting a Business score: 73.1 (2020)

Trading score: 64.7 (2020)

Enforcement score: 48.4 (2020)
Overall score: 48.6 (2020)

Starting a Business score: 78 (2020)

Trading score: 38.4 (2020)

Enforcement score: 54.8 (2020)
Taxes and other revenues51.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)32.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)-25.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)-9.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24total: 48.7%

male: 40.8%

female: 67.8% (2012 est.)
total: 39.3%

male: 33.1%

female: 82% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end usehousehold consumption: 71.6% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 19.4% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 2.7% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 1.3% (2016 est.)

exports of goods and services: 38.8% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -33.8% (2017 est.)
household consumption: 42.7% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 20.2% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 38.1% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 11.2% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 23.6% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -35.8% (2017 est.)
Gross national saving5% of GDP (2017 est.)

-9% of GDP (2016 est.)

-25.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
38.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

37.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

36.4% of GDP (2015 est.)

Energy

LibyaAlgeria
Electricity - production34.24 billion kWh (2016 est.)

note: persistent electricity shortages have contributed to the ongoing instability throughout the country
66.89 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - consumption27.3 billion kWh (2016 est.)55.96 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - exports0 kWh (2015 est.)641 million kWh (2015 est.)
Electricity - imports376 million kWh (2016 est.)257 million kWh (2016 est.)
Oil - production1.039 million bbl/day (2018 est.)1.259 million bbl/day (2018 est.)
Oil - imports0 bbl/day (2015 est.)5,340 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Oil - exports337,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)

note: Libyan crude oil export values are highly volatile because of continuing protests and other disruptions across the country
756,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Oil - proved reserves48.36 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)12.2 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves1.505 trillion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)4.504 trillion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
Natural gas - production9.089 billion cu m (2017 est.)93.5 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - consumption4.446 billion cu m (2017 est.)41.28 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - exports4.644 billion cu m (2017 est.)53.88 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - imports0 cu m (2017 est.)0 cu m (2017 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity9.46 million kW (2016 est.)19.27 million kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)96% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production89,620 bbl/day (2015 est.)627,900 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption260,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)405,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports16,880 bbl/day (2015 est.)578,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports168,200 bbl/day (2015 est.)82,930 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Electricity accesselectrification - total population: 100% (2019)electrification - total population: 99.4% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 99.6% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 97% (2019)

Telecommunications

LibyaAlgeria
Telephones - main lines in usetotal subscriptions: 1,618,511

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 23.95 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 4,635,217

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10.96 (2019 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellulartotal subscriptions: 6,182,105

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 91.48 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 47,081,131

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 111.29 (2019 est.)
Internet country code.ly.dz
Internet userstotal: 1,440,859

percent of population: 21.76% (July 2018 est.)
total: 24,819,531

percent of population: 59.58% (July 2018 est.)
Telecommunication systemsgeneral assessment:

political and security instability in Libya has disrupted its telecom sector, as warring factions make mobile towers a target and construction workers regularly cut cables by mistake; much of its infrastructure remains superior to that in most other African countries; rival operators fight for control; investment in fiber backbone and upgrades to international cables; limited LTE and 5G service; some satellite broadband; importer of broadcasting equipment from UAE and video displays from China (2021)

(2020)

domestic: 24 per 100 fixed-line and 91 per 100 mobile-cellular subscriptions; service generally adequate (2019)

international: country code - 218; landing points for LFON, EIG, Italy-Libya, Silphium and Tobrok-Emasaed submarine cable system connecting Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat, Arabsat, and Intersputnik;  microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

general assessment:

Algeria has a steadily developing telecom infrastructure through sound regulatory measures and government policies aimed at providing Internet connections across the country, including underserved areas; mobile penetration and LTE services are growing steadily; in common with other markets in the region, mobile connections account for the vast majority of Internet accesses; well served by satellite and submarine cable connections; importer of broadcasting equipment from China (2021)

(2020)

domestic: a limited network of fixed-lines with a teledensity of less than 11 telephones per 100 persons has been offset by the rapid increase in mobile-cellular subscribership; mobile-cellular teledensity was roughly 109 telephones per 100 persons (2019)

international: country code - 213; ALPAL-2 is a submarine telecommunications cable system in the Mediterranean Sea linking Algeria and the Spanish Balearic island of Majorca; ORVAL is a submarine cable to Spain; landing points for the TE North/TGN-Eurasia/SEACOM/SeaMeWe-4 fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; MED cable connecting Algeria with France; microwave radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; Algeria part of the 4,500 Km terrestrial Trans Sahara Backbone network which connects to other fiber networks in the region; Alcomstat-1 satellite offering  telemedicine network (2020)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Broadband - fixed subscriptionstotal: 168,920

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2017 est.)
total: 3,582,739

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8.47 (2019 est.)
Broadcast mediastate-funded and private TV stations; some provinces operate local TV stations; pan-Arab satellite TV stations are available; state-funded radio (2019)state-run Radio-Television Algerienne operates the broadcast media and carries programming in Arabic, Berber dialects, and French; use of satellite dishes is widespread, providing easy access to European and Arab satellite stations; state-run radio operates several national networks and roughly 40 regional radio stations

Transportation

LibyaAlgeria
Roadwaystotal: 37,000 km (2010)

paved: 34,000 km (2010)

unpaved: 3,000 km (2010)
total: 104,000 km (2015)

paved: 71,656 km (2015)

unpaved: 32,344 km (2015)
Pipelines882 km condensate, 3743 km gas, 7005 km oil (2013)2600 km condensate, 16415 km gas, 3447 km liquid petroleum gas, 7036 km oil, 144 km refined products (2013)
Ports and terminalsmajor seaport(s): Marsa al Burayqah (Marsa el Brega), Tripoli

oil terminal(s): Az Zawiyah, Ra's Lanuf

LNG terminal(s) (export): Marsa el Brega
major seaport(s): Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda

LNG terminal(s) (export): Arzew, Bethioua, Skikda
Merchant marinetotal: 94

by type: general cargo 2, oil tanker 12, other 80 (2020)
total: 114

by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 2, general cargo 11, oil tanker 11, other 89 (2020)
Airportstotal: 146 (2013)total: 149 (2020)
Airports - with paved runwaystotal: 68 (2017)

over 3,047 m: 23 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 (2017)

1,524 to 2,437 m: 30 (2017)

914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2017)

under 914 m: 1 (2017)
total: 67 (2020)

over 3,047 m: 14

2,438 to 3,047 m: 27

1,524 to 2,437 m: 18

914 to 1,523 m: 6

under 914 m: 2
Airports - with unpaved runwaystotal: 78 (2013)

over 3,047 m: 2 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m: 37 (2013)

under 914 m: 20 (2013)
total: 82 (2020)

2,438 to 3,047 m: 2

1,524 to 2,437 m: 16

914 to 1,523 m: 36

under 914 m: 28
Heliports2 (2013)3 (2013)
National air transport systemnumber of registered air carriers: 9 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 55

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 927,153 (2018)
number of registered air carriers: 3 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 87

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 6,442,442 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 28.28 million mt-km (2018)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix5A7T

Military

LibyaAlgeria
Military branchesnote - in transition; the Government of National Accord (GNA) has various ground, air, and naval/coast guard forces under its command; the forces are comprised of a mix of semi-regular military units, militias, civilian volunteers, and foreign troops and mercenaries

forces under Khalifa HAFTER, known as the Libyan National Army (LNA), also include various ground, air, and naval units comprised of semi-regular military personnel, militias, and foreign troops and mercenaries (2020)
Algerian People's National Army (ANP): Land Forces, Naval Forces (includes coast guard), Air Forces, Territorial Air Defense Forces, Republican Guard (under ANP, but responsible to the President), National Gendarmerie; Ministry of Interior: General Directorate of National Security (2021)
Military and security service personnel strengthsnot availablethe Algerian People's National Army (ANP) has approximately 130,000 total active personnel (110,000 Army; 6,000 Navy; 14,000 Air Force); estimated 140,000 National Gendarmerie (information varies widely) (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitionsboth the forces of the Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army are largely equipped with weapons of Russian or Soviet origin; as of 2020, Russia, Turkey, and the UAE were reportedly providing weapons and military equipment to the forces in Libya (2020)the ANP's inventory includes mostly Russian-sourced equipment; since 2010, Russia is the leading supplier of armaments to Algeria, followed by China and Germany (2020)

Transnational Issues

LibyaAlgeria
Disputes - international

dormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the FLN's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco; various Chadian rebels from the Aozou region reside in southern Libya

Algeria and many other states reject Moroccan administration of Western Sahara; the Polisario Front, exiled in Algeria, represents the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" which Algeria recognizes; the Algerian-Moroccan land border remains closed; dormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km of southeastern Algeria and the National Liberation Front's (FLN) assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco.

 

Refugees and internally displaced personsrefugees (country of origin): 15,971 (Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 14,412 (Syria) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2021)

IDPs: 245,483 (conflict between pro-QADHAFI and anti-QADHAFI forces in 2011; post-QADHAFI tribal clashes 2014) (2021)
refugees (country of origin): more than 100,000 (Sahrawi, mostly living in Algerian-sponsored camps in the southwestern Algerian town of Tindouf) (2018); 7,757 (Syria) (2019)
Trafficking in personscurrent situation: Libya is a destination and transit country for men and women from Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia subjected to forced labor and forced prostitution; migrants who seek employment in Libya as laborers and domestic workers or who transit Libya en route to Europe are vulnerable to forced labor; private employers also exploit migrants from detention centers as forced laborers on farms and construction sites, returning them to detention when they are no longer needed; some Sub-Saharan women are reportedly forced to work in Libyan brothels, particularly in the country's south; since 2013, militia groups and other informal armed groups, including some affiliated with the government, are reported to conscript Libyan children under the age of 18; large-scale violence driven by militias, civil unrest, and increased lawlessness increased in 2014, making it more difficult to obtain information on human trafficking

tier rating: Tier 3 - the Libyan Government does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, the government's capacity to address human trafficking was hampered by the ongoing power struggle and violence; the judicial system was not functioning, preventing any efforts to investigate, prosecute, or convict traffickers, complicit detention camp guards or government officials, or militias or armed groups that used child soldiers; the government failed to identify or provide protection to trafficking victims, including child conscripts, and continued to punish victims for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked; no public anti-trafficking awareness campaigns were conducted (2015)
current situation:

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims; Algerian women and girls are vulnerable to sex trafficking due to financial problems or after running away from home; undocumented sub-Saharan migrants are vulnerable to labor and sex trafficking and are exploited in restaurants, houses, and informal worksites; sub-Saharan men and women needing more funds for their onward journey to Europe work illegally in construction and commercial sex and are vulnerable to sex trafficking and debt bondage; foreign women and girls, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, are subject to sex trafficking in bars and informal brothels; criminal begging rings that exploit sub-Saharan African migrant children are common



tier rating: Tier 3 - Algeria does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; authorities prosecuted fewer traffickers and identified fewer victims compared to last year and convicted no traffickers; the government continued to lack effective procedures and mechanisms to screen for, identify, and refer potential victims to protective services and punished some potential victims for unlawful acts traffickers forced them to commit; the government took some steps to combat trafficking, including prosecuting some traffickers, identifying some victims, and continuing to implement its 2019-2021 national anti-trafficking action plan (2020)

Terrorism

LibyaAlgeria
Terrorist Group(s)Ansar al-Sharia groups; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Libya; al-Mulathamun Battalion (al-Mourabitoun); al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) - Algeria; al-Mulathamun Battalion (al-Mourabitoun)

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix T

Environment

LibyaAlgeria
Air pollutantsparticulate matter emissions: 44.17 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 50.56 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 45.76 megatons (2020 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 35.17 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 150.01 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 49.94 megatons (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawalmunicipal: 700 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 280 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 4.85 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
municipal: 3.6 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 191 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 6.671 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Revenue from forest resourcesforest revenues: 0.06% of GDP (2018 est.)forest revenues: 0.1% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coalcoal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Waste and recyclingmunicipal solid waste generated annually: 2,147,596 tons (2011 est.)municipal solid waste generated annually: 12,378,740 tons (2016 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 990,299 tons (2013 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 8% (2013 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook