|
Your Libya
Fact Sheet
Full Name: The Great Socialist People's Libyan
Arab Jamahiriya
Capital City:
Tripoli
Landa Area:
1,759,540 sq km/679,358 sq miles
Population:
5,700,000
Time Zone:
GMT+2 hours
Area Code:
+218
Electricity:127V,50Hz
Electricity Plug Details:
European plug with two circular metal pins. South African/Indian-style
plug with two circular metal pins above a large circular
grounding pin.
Weights and Measures:
Metric
Main Airport:
Tripoli - International Airport (TIP)
Languages spoken:
Arabic is the official language, although Berber is sometimes
spoken and English and Italian are used in trade. Arabic is used
for all official purposes.
Visas/Vaccinations:
Visas are required by all except nationals for Arab countries.
Holders of Israeli passports
Will not be admitted.
Visitors coming from any area where there has been an outbreak
of any infectious disease must be in possession of valid
vaccination certificates against such infectious diseases.
Currency:
Libyan Dinar = 1000 Dirhams.
There are 2
denominations:
- Paper denominations:
quarter dinar, half dinar, one dinar, five dinars, ten dinars,
and 20 dinars.
There are two denominations:
The metal denomination: 50 dirhams, 100
dirhams, 250 dirhams equivalent to a quarter dinar
Approximate Exchange
Rates
1USD = 1.40 Libyan Dinar
1GBP = 1.65 Libyan Dinar
1EUR = 1,6 Libyan Dinar
Emergency Numbers:
Ambulance - 119
Average Temperature:
Minimum- January between
8 and 12 degrees Centigrade.
Maximum - August between
30 and 35 degrees Centigrade.
Credit/ Debit Card
Information: Cash is almost
always used. Some credit cards are accepted in major hotels and
banks. ATMS in Tripoli are unreliable.
Travellers Cheque Advice:
Traveller's cheques are generally not accepted.
Currency Restrictions:
Free import of foreign currency, subject to declaration. Export
of foreign currency is limited to the amount declared on arrival.
The import and export of local currency is prohibited.
Banking Hours:
Sat-Wed 0800-1200 (winter); Sat-Thurs 0800-1200 and Sat-Wed
1600-1700 (summer).
Business working hours:
Summer: 7:30 am to 14:30
pm.
Winter: 8:00 am to 15:00
pm
Mobile phones:
Mobile phones operate on GSM 900 and 1800 networks and general
telecommunications are being modernised. Coverage is limited to
Tripoli and surrounding areas.
Internet
There are several Internet Service Providers and Internet cafes
available in Tripoli and other major centres, as well as some
other towns.
Tipping
Hotels and restaurants usually include a service charge of 15%,
but it is customary to include a small additional tip for the
waiter.
Media:
The state owns and controls all the media. Criticism of
government policies is not allowed.
Press: There are several newspapers and periodicals, but
none are published in English. The main dailies are Al-Fajir
al-Jadid and Az-zahf al-Akhdar.
TV:
Great Jamahiriyah TV is state-run and is available terrestrially
and via satellite. Radio: Great Jamahiriyah Radio is
state-run. Voice of Africa is a state-run service, broadcasting
in Arabic, English, French.
Post:
Postal services are available in all main towns, but services
are generally poor and erratic, and mail may be subject to
censorship. Airmail to Europe takes approximately two weeks.
Public Holidays
10th January
2006 - Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
31st January -
Islamic New Year
9th February -
Ashoura
3rd March -
Declaration of the Authoritys Power
28th March -
British Evacuation Day
11th April -
Mouloud (Prophets Birthday)
11th June -
Evacuation Day
23rd July -
Revolution Day
1st September -
National Day
7th October -
Italian Evacuation Day
22nd to 24th
October - Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
31st December -
Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
20th January
2007 - Islamic New Year
29th January -
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.
From www.chooselibya.com
|
