Thanks to information from Sorin Cosoveanu, I was able to fill in the two missing populations and four missing capitals, and correct two district names, in the main table below.
Erratum: Population data given in the book are 1984 estimates. There was no 1991 census.
ISO 3166-2 Newsletter number I-5, dated 2003-09-05, shows 34 municipalities (Arabic: sha`biyah) of Libya, matching the list given for ~2001 under Change history, below. The source for this list is "Information from French Embassy to Tripoli, 2002-09".
Short name | LIBYA |
ISO code | LY |
FIPS code | LY |
Language | Arabic (ar) |
Time zone | +2 |
Capital | Tripoli |
In 1900, the vilayet of Tripoli, a part of the Ottoman Empire, covered roughly the same territory as modern Libya. It was conquered by Italy, and became an Italian colony by the Treaty of Ouchy on 1912-10-18. In 1939, the four provinces of Libya became an integral part of Italy under the name Libia Italiana. After World War II, Great Britain held Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, and France held Fezzan, under temporary military administration. On 1951-12-24, Libya was reunited and became an independent country.
from an ethnic name
Libya is divided into 22 sha`biyat (sing. sha`biyah: districts, more literally "populars", also translated as municipalities or popularates).
District | HASC | Population | Capital |
---|---|---|---|
Al Butnan | LY.BN | 159,536 | Tobruk |
Al Jabal al Akhdar | LY.JK | 203,156 | Al Bayda' |
Al Jabal al Gharbi | LY.JG | 304,159 | Gharyan |
Al Jifarah | LY.JR | 453,198 | Aziziyah |
Al Jufrah | LY.JF | 52,342 | Hun |
Al Kufrah | LY.KU | 50,104 | Al Kufrah |
Al Marj | LY.MA | 185,848 | Al Marj |
Al Marqab | LY.MR | 432,202 | Al Khums |
Al Wahat | LY.AW | 177,047 | Ajdabiya |
An Nuqat al Khams | LY.NK | 287,662 | Zuwarah |
Az Zawiyah | LY.ZW | 290,993 | Az Zawiyah |
Benghazi | LY.BG | 670,797 | Benghazi |
Darnah | LY.DA | 163,351 | Darnah |
Ghat | LY.GH | 23,518 | Ghat |
Misratah | LY.MS | 550,938 | Misratah |
Murzuq | LY.MU | 78,621 | Murzuq |
Nalut | LY.NT | 93,224 | Nalut |
Sabha | LY.SA | 212,694 | Sabha |
Surt | LY.ST | 193,720 | Surt |
Tripoli | LY.TR | 1,065,405 | Tripoli |
Wadi al Hayat | LY.WH | 76,858 | Awbari |
Wadi ash Shati' | LY.WS | 78,532 | Adiri |
22 districts | 5,673,031 | ||
|
Province | Population | Area (km.²) |
---|---|---|
Cyrenaica | 291,236 | 855,370 |
Fezzan | 59,315 | 551,170 |
Tripolitania | 738,338 | 353,000 |
3 provinces | 1,088,889 | 1,759,540 |
|
Governorate | Population | Capital | Prv | Equivalent |
---|---|---|---|---|
Al Jabal al Akhdar | 131,940 | Al Bayda' | C | Al Fatih, Al Jabal al Akhdar |
Al Khums | 162,126 | Al Khums | T | Al Khums, Sawfajjin, Tarhunah |
Awbari | 106,647 | Awbari | F | Awbari, Murzuq |
Az Zawiyah | 247,628 | Az Zawiyah | T | An Nuqat al Khams, Az Zawiyah |
Benghazi | 337,423 | Banghazi | C | Ajdabiya, Benghazi, Al Kufrah |
Darnah | 122,984 | Darnah | C | Darnah, Tobruk |
Al Jabal al Gharbi | 155,958 | Gharyan | F,T | Ghadamis, Gharyan, Yafran |
Misratah | 177,939 | Misratah | T | Misratah, Surt, Zlitan |
Sabhah | 113,006 | Sabha | F | Al Jufrah, Sabha, Ash Shati' |
Tripoli | 735,083 | Tripoli | T | Al `Aziziyah, Tripoli |
10 governorates | 2,290,734 | |||
|
Municipality | FIPS | Capital |
Ajdabiya | LY01 | Ajdabiya |
Al Abyar | LY02 | Al Abyar |
Al `Aziziyah | LY03 | Al `Aziziyah |
Al Bayda' | LY04 | Al Bayda' |
Al Jufrah | LY05 | Waddan |
Al Jumayl | LY06 | Al Jumayl |
Al Khums | LY07 | Al Khums |
Al Kufrah | LY08 | Al Kufrah |
Al Marj | LY09 | Al Marj |
Al Qarabulli | LY10 | Al Qarabulli |
Al Qubbah | LY11 | Al Qubbah |
Al `Ujaylat | LY12 | Al `Ujaylat |
Ash Shati' | LY13 | Birak |
Awbari | LY14 | Awbari |
Az Zahra' | LY15 | Az Zahra' |
Az Zawiyah | LY16 | Az Zawiyah |
Bani Walid | LY18 | Bani Walid |
Benghazi | LY17 | Banghazi |
Bin Jawwad | LY19 | Bin Jawwad |
Darnah | LY20 | Darnah |
Ghadamis | LY21 | Ghadamis |
Gharyan | LY22 | Gharyan |
Ghat | LY23 | Ghat |
Jadu | LY24 | Jadu |
Jalu | LY25 | Jalu |
Janzur | LY26 | Janzur |
Masallatah | LY27 | Masallatah |
Misratah | LY28 | Misratah |
Mizdah | LY29 | Mizdah |
Murzuq | LY30 | Murzuq |
Nalut | LY31 | Nalut |
Qaminis | LY32 | Qaminis |
Qasr Bin Ghashir | LY33 | Bin Ghashir |
Sabha | LY34 | Sabha |
Sabratah | LY35 | Sabratah |
Shahhat | LY36 | Shahhat |
Surman | LY37 | Surman |
Surt | LY38 | Surt |
Tajura' | LY39 | Tajura' |
Tarhunah | LY41 | Tarhunah |
Tobruk | LY42 | Tubruq |
Tripoli | LY40 | Tripoli |
Tukrah | LY43 | Tukrah |
Yafran | LY44 | Yafran |
Zlitan | LY45 | Zlitan |
Zuwarah | LY46 | Zuwarah |
Municipality | ISO | FIPS | Population | Capital |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ajdabiya | AJ | LY47 | 100,547 | Ajdabiya |
Al `Aziziyah | AZ | LY03 | 85,068 | Al `Aziziyah |
Al Fatih | FA | LY48 | 102,763 | Al Marj |
Al Jabal al Akhdar | JA | LY49 | 120,662 | Al Bayda' |
Al Jufrah | JU | LY05 | N/A | Waddan |
Al Khums | KH | LY50 | 149,642 | Al Khums |
Al Kufrah | KU | LY08 | 25,139 | Al Jawf |
An Nuqat al Khams | NK | LY51 | 181,584 | Zuwarah |
Ash Shati' | SH | LY13 | 46,749 | Birak |
Awbari | AW | LY52 | 48,701 | Awbari |
Az Zawiyah | ZA | LY53 | 220,075 | Az Zawiyah |
Benghazi | BA | LY54 | 485,386 | Banghazi |
Darnah | DA | LY55 | 105,031 | Darnah |
Ghadamis | GD | LY56 | 52,247 | Ghadamis |
Gharyan | GR | LY57 | 117,073 | Gharyan |
Murzuq | MU | LY30 | 42,294 | Murzuq |
Misratah | MI | LY58 | 178,295 | Misratah |
Sabha | SB | LY34 | 76,171 | Sabha |
Sawfajjin | SF | LY59 | 45,195 | Bani Walid |
Surt | SU | LY60 | 110,996 | Surt |
Tarhunah | TH | LY41 | 84,640 | Tarhunah |
Tobruk | TU | LY42 | 94,006 | Tubruq |
Tripoli | TB | LY61 | 990,697 | Tripoli |
Yafran | YA | LY62 | 73,420 | Yafran |
Zlitan | ZL | LY45 | 101,107 | Zlitan |
25 municipalities | 3,637,488 | |||
|
Municipality | ISO | Population |
---|---|---|
Al Butnan | BU | 151,240 |
Al Jabal al Akhdar | JA | 381,165 |
Al Jabal al Gharbi | JG | 316,970 |
Al Jufrah | JU | 39,335 |
Al Wahah | WA | 62,056 |
Al Wusta | WU | 240,574 |
Az Zawiyah | ZA | 517,395 |
Benghazi | BA | 665,615 |
Fazzan | FA | 314,029 |
Misratah | MI | 488,573 |
Naggaza | NA | 244,553 |
Sawfajjin | SF | 76,401 |
Tarabulus | TB | 1,313,996 |
13 municipalities | 4,811,902 | |
|
Municipality | Population | Area(km.²) | Capital |
---|---|---|---|
Al Jabal al-Akhdar | 308,300 | 37,000 | Al Bayda’ |
Al Jabal al-Gharbi | 204,300 | 87,000 | Gharyan |
Al Kufrah | 23,800 | 484,000 | Al Kufrah |
Az Zawiyah | 326,500 | 4,000 | Az Zawiyah |
Benghazi | 512,000 | 15,000 | Benghazi |
Khalij Surt | 382,100 | 376,000 | Surt |
Margib | 408,900 | 29,000 | Al Khums |
Marzug | 45,200 | 350,000 | Marzug |
Nikat al-Khums | 196,000 | 101,000 | Zuwarah |
Sabha | 121,700 | 82,000 | Sabha |
Tarabulus | 1,083,000 | 3,000 | Tripoli |
Tubruq | 110,900 | 84,000 | Tubruq |
Wadi al Ha’it | 49,600 | 10,500 | Awbari |
13 municipalities | 3,772,300 | 1,759,540 | |
|
Note: Source [6], dated 2000, doesn't have a complete list of subdivisions of Libya, but its partial lists may serve as a basis for further investigation.
The report's author (D. Abdalla El Abed Abou Jaafar) displays a good command of English, but Libya is consistently spelled "Lybia"; Jamahiriya is spelled "Jamahyria" on the first page and "Jamahirya" subsequently. This suggests that he uses an idiosyncratic method of transliteration from Arabic to English.
The following definitions are given:
"The Fundamental Popular Council: This is the local legislative power that comprises all adult men and women at the level of the first administrative unit (The Quarter)
"The Popular: This is the regional executive power that corresponds to municipality or department in other countries."
In the remainder of the report, the geographic breakdown is by "regions". Tables in the report don't purport to list all of the regions of Libya, but just selected ones. In Table 3, on the first page, there are twelve regions listed: Al Beida, Al Khams, Al Marj, Benghazi, Darana, Elzawiya, Ijdabiya, Mesrata, Sabha, Souf El Jin, Tobrok, and Tripoli. In Table 5, on the second page, Al Chatek, Al Jafra, Al Kobbeh, Al Markab, Al Noukat Al Khams, Al Wahat, Benghazi, Darna, Marzouk, Mesrata, Nalout, Sabha, Sahl El Jaffara, Sart, Tripoli, and Wadi El Hayat are listed as regions.
Some of these regions can be tentatively identified with one of either the old 25 municipalities or the newer 13. Since Al Bayda' was the capital of Al Jabal al Akhdar (old), Al Beida may be the same as either the old or the new Al Jabal al Akhdar. Al Khams is probably an alternate spelling of Al Khums (old). Al Marj was the capital of Al Fatih (old). Benghazi (Banghazi) is the name of both an old and a new. Darnah (Darana, Darna) was an old. Elzawiya is probably the same as Az Zawiyah (old and new). Ijdabiya is probably Ajdabiya (old). Mesrata is Misratah (old and new). Sabha was an old. Souf El Jin corresponds to Sawfajjin (old and new). Tobrok is Tobruk (old). Tripoli is Tarabulus (old and new). Al Jafra is Al Jufrah (old and new). Al Noukat Al Khams matches An Nuqat al Khams (old). Marzouk is Murzuq (old). Sahl El Jaffara is probably the Al Jifarah municipality created in ~2001. Sart is Surt (old).
Municipality | HASC | Population | Capital |
---|---|---|---|
Ajdabiya | LY.AJ | 108,139 | Ajdabiya |
Al Butnan | LY.BU | 116,106 | Tubruq |
Al Hizam al Akhdar | LY.HZ | 85,898 | Al Abyar |
Al Jabal al Akhdar | LY.JA | 152,232 | Al Bayda |
Al Jifarah | LY.JI | 221,789 | Al' Aziziyah |
Al Jufrah | LY.JU | 34,576 | Hun |
Al Kufrah | LY.KF | 35,091 | Al Jawf |
Al Marj | LY.MJ | 93,171 | Al Marj |
Al Marqab | LY.MB | 251,377 | Al Hums |
Al Qatrun | LY.QT | Al Qatrun | |
Al Qubbah | LY.QB | 58,810 | Al Qubbah |
Al Wahah | LY.WA | 22,222 | Jalu |
An Nuqat al Khams | LY.NQ | 166,067 | Zuwarah |
Ash Shati' | LY.SH | 59,997 | Birat |
Az Zawiyah | LY.ZA | 156,248 | Az Zawiyah |
Bani Walid | LY.BW | 56,890 | Bani Walid |
Benghazi | LY.BA | 500,120 | Banghazi |
Darnah | LY.DR | 68,936 | Darnah |
Ghadamis | LY.GD | 15,280 | Ghadamis |
Gharyan | LY.GR | 127,401 | Gharyan |
Ghat | LY.GT | 16,392 | Ghat |
Jaghbub | LY.JB | Jaghbub | |
Misratah | LY.MI | 220,926 | Misratah |
Mizdah | LY.MZ | 29,580 | Mizdah |
Murzuq | LY.MQ | 52,368 | Murzuq |
Nalut | LY.NL | 59,583 | Nalut |
Sabha | LY.SB | 93,688 | Sabha |
Sabratah Surman | LY.SS | 123,591 | Sabratah |
Surt | LY.SR | 102,885 | Surt |
Tajura' wa an Nawahi al Arba` | LY.TN | Tajura | |
Tarabulus | LY.TB | 987,713 | Tarabulus |
Tarhunah-Masallatah | LY.TM | 229,593 | Tarhunah |
Wadi al Hayat | LY.WD | 51,602 | Awbari |
Yafran-Jadu | LY.YJ | 91,468 | Yafran |
34 municipalities | 4,389,739 | ||
|
Provinces:
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