Three 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. 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 country.
22 municipalities (sha`biyat, singular - sha`biyah): Al Butnan, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jabal al Gharbi, Al Jifarah, Al Jufrah, Al Kufrah, Al Marj, Al Marqab, Al Wahah, An Nuqat al Khams, Az Zawiyah, Benghazi, Darnah, Ghat, Misratah, Murzuq, Nalut, Sabha, Surt, Tripoli, Wadi al Hayat, and Wadi ash Shati'.
Population:
6,597,960
Languages:
Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities
Geographic coordinates:
25° 00' N, 17° 00' E
Area total:
1,759,540 sq. km
Land area:
1,759,540 sq. km
Water area:
0 sq. km
Total land boundaries:
4,348 km
Borders with neighbor countries:
Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,115 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km
Coastline:
1,770 km
Elevation extremes:
Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m - Bikku Bitti 2,267 m
Internet country code:
.ly
Currency:
Libyan dinar (LYD)
Name - conventional long form:
State of Libya
Name - conventional short form:
Libya
Name - local long form:
Dawiat Libya
Name - local short form:
Libya
Independence:
24 December 1951 (from Italy)
Constitution:
none
Government type:
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils, in fact, a military dictatorship