Animal Info - Libya

Threatened Species, Environmental and Social Data (Mammals, Biodiversity/Ecosystems, Population, Area/Land Use, Protected Lands, Economy, Education), References and Links

Threatened Species

Threatened Species: The following list includes all mammals which occur in Libya and are rated as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU) in the 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals.

Critically Endangered:
- Addax (Addax nasomaculatus).
- Grobben's Gerbil (Gerbillus grobbeni). (Endemic to Libya.)
- Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus).
- Sand Gerbil (Gerbillus syrticus). (Endemic to Libya.)
Endangered:
- Dama Gazelle (Gazella dama).
- Four-toed Jerboa (Allactaga tetradactyla).
- Slender-horned Gazelle (Gazella leptoceros).
Vulnerable:
- Barbary Sheep (Ammotragus lervia).
- Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).
- Dorcas Gazelle (Gazella dorcas).
- Mehely's Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus mehelyi).

Environmental and Social Data

Mammals

Total number of species: 76 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of endemic species: 5 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of threatened species: 1996 and 2000: 11 (14 % of total species) (IUCN 1996, IUCN 2000)

Biodiversity/Ecosystems

Libya contains portions of the Mediterranean Shrublands & Woodlands Global 200 Ecoregion (Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999)

Population

Population in 1995: 5,248,000 (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population density in 1995: 3.0 people/sq km (7.7 people/sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population in 1998: 5,690,727 (World Almanac 1999)
Average population growth rate, 1980 - 1990: 4.1 % (World Bank 1992)

Area/Land Use

Area: 1,759,540 sq km (679,362 sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Percentages of primary world ecosystem types:

Other Coastal Aquatic: 1 %
Desert and Semi-desert: 86 %
Grass and Shrub: 9 %
Crop and Settlements: 2 %
Interrupted Woods: 2 %

(Groombridge 1992)

Percent of land area classified as the following degree of human disturbance: Low: 90 %, Medium: 9 %, High: 1 % (WRI 1994)

Protected Lands

Area: 1,550 sq km (598 sq mi) (Groombridge 1992)
Percent of land protected: 0.02 % totally protected, 0.07 % partially protected, 0.09 % totally or partially protected (Groombridge 1992)

Economy

Per capita GDP ($ U.S.) (1996): $6,570 (World Almanac 1999)

Education

Percent adult literacy: Female: 50 % (1990), 13 % (1970); Male:, 75 % (1990), 60 % (1970) (WRI 1994)

References and Links

References: Groombridge 1992, Groombridge & Jenkins 1994, IUCN 1994, IUCN 1996, IUCN 2000, Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995, Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999, World Almanac 1999, World Bank 1992, WRI 1994

General Links (After you get to one of these sites, click on the link for Libya): CIA World Factbook, Foreign Embassies of Washington, D.C., Library of Congress - Country Studies, University of Texas - Country Maps, Washington Post - Countries, World Resources Institute - Country Profiles

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Last modified: August 2, 2006;