Libya - A Land of Aquifers, Oil, and Sand
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General Facts 2
Capital
Tripoli Largest Cities Tripoli, Benghazi, Homs, Mistratah, Zawiyah Population 6,244,174 Area 679,362 sq mi (1,759,540 km sq) Area-Comparative Slightly larger than Alaska Bordering Countries Egypt, Saudan, Chad, Niger, Algeria, Tunisia Date of Founding (Current State) November 21, 1949 Type of Government Socialist Military Dictatorship Languages Spoken Arabic (majority), Berber and Tamohek (minority) Religions Practiced Sunni Muslims (97%) Jews, Christians, Others (1%) GDP per Capita $11,300 (USD) Latest GDP Growth Rate - 5.1% Top Exports Natural Gas, Petroleum Products, Oil National Holidays Jamahiriya Day – March 2, British Evacuation Day – March 28, American Evacuation Day – June 11, National Day – September 1, Day of Mourning – October 26, Independence Day – December 24 Money Currency Dinar (LYD) Literacy Percent: 83 Life Expectancy: 76 Random Facts It’s illegal to consume alcohol in Libya Libya is home to the Great Man-Made River, the world's largest irrigation project. |
Historic Timeline of War/Strife 5
Correlations Between Historic events and the Economy
It can't be denied that historic/social events have effect on the economy. This can be seen glaringly when looking at the GDP of a country and at the same time go through some historic events. We can do this now by looking at the graph seen below and looking at how the GDP changed for each year something happened in the above timeline. But specifically lets point out some of the events that had the most effect.
The Gaddafi Era Begins
As seen in the graph below the GDP skyrocketed after 1969. For the first time in history Libya was growing and developing at a healthy rate. This is due to the discovery of oil. But probably a better reason is Gaddafi taking control. He took reins over the economy and implemented many new policies that increased the revenue of Libya and spread that wealth out more evenly. He was a bad man but it can not be ignored that when he took control Libya saw its greatest economic growth in its history
Lockerbie Bombing
During the years in between 1980 and 2002 Libya had an unstable economy. Conflicts between Libya and other nations resulted in things like an an oil embargo and, specifically in response to the Lockerbie Bombing, the U.N. put sanctions on Libya. The conflicts do not help the economy and did not give Libya good reputation to do business with. During this time terrorism had an effect on the economy and if looked at closely for each little fall in the GPA a conflict can probably be found to go with it.
Civil War
The time following the revolution and Gaddafi's death is full of chaos. Libya is divided between the military, the government, local militias, and the common people. This results in Libya's economy being hurt and that can be seen in the graph below with the fall in GDP after the revolution. The conflict prevents Libya's industries from functioning properly and Libya is on its way to financial ruin now because of the lack of income.
The Gaddafi Era Begins
As seen in the graph below the GDP skyrocketed after 1969. For the first time in history Libya was growing and developing at a healthy rate. This is due to the discovery of oil. But probably a better reason is Gaddafi taking control. He took reins over the economy and implemented many new policies that increased the revenue of Libya and spread that wealth out more evenly. He was a bad man but it can not be ignored that when he took control Libya saw its greatest economic growth in its history
Lockerbie Bombing
During the years in between 1980 and 2002 Libya had an unstable economy. Conflicts between Libya and other nations resulted in things like an an oil embargo and, specifically in response to the Lockerbie Bombing, the U.N. put sanctions on Libya. The conflicts do not help the economy and did not give Libya good reputation to do business with. During this time terrorism had an effect on the economy and if looked at closely for each little fall in the GPA a conflict can probably be found to go with it.
Civil War
The time following the revolution and Gaddafi's death is full of chaos. Libya is divided between the military, the government, local militias, and the common people. This results in Libya's economy being hurt and that can be seen in the graph below with the fall in GDP after the revolution. The conflict prevents Libya's industries from functioning properly and Libya is on its way to financial ruin now because of the lack of income.
This video gives an explanation of what Libya has been like since the 2011 revolution. Its a good recap of the time after Gaddafi death.
Natural Resources 19
Petroleum was first discovered in Libya in 1956 and is Libya’s most important mineral resource. It completely turned the economy around, quickly becoming one of Libya's biggest sources of profit.
Other mineral resources are limited. "Apart from petroleum, Libya's other natural resources are natural gas and gypsum. Its economy depends primarily on the oil sector, which represents over 95 per cent of export earnings" ("OPEC," 2015). 60 percent of Libya's GDP is made up of by oil and gas.
A different and more interesting resource Libya has access to is the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) which is the world’s largest known fossil water aquifer system.
Other mineral resources are limited. "Apart from petroleum, Libya's other natural resources are natural gas and gypsum. Its economy depends primarily on the oil sector, which represents over 95 per cent of export earnings" ("OPEC," 2015). 60 percent of Libya's GDP is made up of by oil and gas.
A different and more interesting resource Libya has access to is the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) which is the world’s largest known fossil water aquifer system.
When Libya became independent they had an economy that was highly based on agriculture. The agricultural business was divided between agricultural crops and livestock products. "Agriculture was the counties main source for exports and trade and it employed more than 70 percent of the labor force. Thirty percent of Libya's GDP was taken up by agriculture at this time" ("Growth and Structure of the Economy", 1987).
Back then, similarly to today, any of Libya's agricultural business is limited to "two narrow stretches along the Mediterranean Sea and a few desert oases"(Metz, 1987). We must keep in mind that agricultural skills were undeveloped and primitive so none of this was efficient. A big challenge was having enough water when it didn't rain much and there are no rivers to rely on. Therefore we say it was the biggest part of the economy at the time but the economy was tiny.
Theses days "only about 1 percent of the total land area is cultivated" (Fowler, 2015), mostly on plains, which are irrigated and pastured in some places. Agricultural development by irrigation is a government priority. The Great Man-Made River project, begun during 1984, is the largest underground piping network in the world. The pipes carry water from wells in the southern Sahara to places like Tripoli and the Al-Kufrah oasis up in the north.
In the topographic map below, the area in green is where most of the agriculture takes place. The exceptions being oases in the desert.
Back then, similarly to today, any of Libya's agricultural business is limited to "two narrow stretches along the Mediterranean Sea and a few desert oases"(Metz, 1987). We must keep in mind that agricultural skills were undeveloped and primitive so none of this was efficient. A big challenge was having enough water when it didn't rain much and there are no rivers to rely on. Therefore we say it was the biggest part of the economy at the time but the economy was tiny.
Theses days "only about 1 percent of the total land area is cultivated" (Fowler, 2015), mostly on plains, which are irrigated and pastured in some places. Agricultural development by irrigation is a government priority. The Great Man-Made River project, begun during 1984, is the largest underground piping network in the world. The pipes carry water from wells in the southern Sahara to places like Tripoli and the Al-Kufrah oasis up in the north.
In the topographic map below, the area in green is where most of the agriculture takes place. The exceptions being oases in the desert.
Economic Development 23
Through most of Libya history it has been one of the poorest places in the world. Through the 1970s, "the government expanded its role to take control of Libya's economic resources" ("The Economy- Role of the Goverment", 1987). For example, the public Libyan Petroleum Company was replaced in 1970 by the National Oil Company (NOC) which then decided on the oil policies for Libya. The government also took control of another important resource in the dry land of Libya. The government dominates the water supply industry and decides on the water rights. The government controls the highways, communications, airports, and electric power stations. The government controls the trade as well. The public sector is very restricted in what it can do. "By 1977 these included construction materials, livestock, fertilizers, fish fodder, insecticides, insurance, banking, advertising, and publishing" ("The Economy- Role of the Goverment", 1987). Today Libya's economy is getting hit hard by the recent revolution and the disorganization of the government. The disruptions to oil production especially has hurt Libya due to it being its biggest export. Oil provides most of the jobs in Libya. Agriculture make up a pert of the economy but its such a small part due to the limitations of libias climate. In the end the government has a great deal of power over how Libya's economy runs and with the government the way it is right now, Libya most likely has a rough future to look forward to.
Cuisine 24
Libyan cuisine comes from Mediterranean, North African and the Middle Eastern traditions. Notable dishes include Shorba Libya which is a thick, highly-spiced soup. Bazeen is a traditional Libyan doughy role eaten on important days. Other things include Couscous,
Mhalbiya (Rice Pudding), Bureek (Turnovers), and Shakshoka.
Mhalbiya (Rice Pudding), Bureek (Turnovers), and Shakshoka.
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