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___ Libya

A virtual guide to Libya. Get an overview of Libya's art, culture, people, environment, geography, history, economy and its government.
Beside a country profile with facts and figures, this page offers maps, statistics, weather information, and links to sources that provide you with information about this Northern African nation, e.g.: official web sites of Libya, addresses of Libyan and foreign embassies, domestic airlines, local news, city- and country guides with extensive travel and tourism information on accommodation, tourist attractions, events and more.

riders in Sahara
Sahara desert © GPCT Libya
  

Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Country Profile


Libya Flag
Flag of Libya

Background:
Since he took power in a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI has espoused his own political system - a combination of socialism and Islam - which he calls the Third International Theory. Viewing himself as a revolutionary leader, he used oil funds during the 1970s and 1980s to promote his ideology outside Libya, even supporting subversives and terrorists abroad to hasten the end of Marxism and capitalism. Libyan military adventures failed, e.g., the prolonged foray of Libyan troops into the Aozou Strip in northern Chad was finally repulsed in 1987. Libyan support for terrorism decreased after UN sanctions were imposed in 1992. Those sanctions were suspended in April 1999.
(Source: CIA - The World Factbook)

Libya is a member state of the League of Arab States

border countries: Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia
 
where in Africa is Libya
Official Name:
Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al Ishtirakiyah al Uzma
short form:
int'l long form: Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
int'l short form: Libya

ISO Country Code: ly

Time:
Local Time = UTC +2h
Actual Time: Sat-Nov-7  23:48

Capital City: Tripoli (pop. est. 1.68 million)

Other Cities: Benghazi (pop. est. 640 000)

Government:
Authoritarian state.
Independence: 24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship).
Revolution: 1 September 1969.
Constitution: 11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977--established popular congresses and people's committees.

Geography:
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia.
Area: 1 759 540 sq. km. (679,362 sq. mi., more than three times the size of France)
Terrain: Mediterranean coastline, highlands and deserts (90% of Libya) in interior.

Climate: Mediterranean along the coast; dry and extreme hot in desert interior.

People:
Nationality: Libyan(s).
Population: 5.6 million (includes 0.5 million non-nationals of sub-Saharan Africans living in Libya).
Ethnic groups: Berber and Arab 97%; Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians.
Religion: Sunni Muslim 97%.
Languages: Arabic is the primary language. English, French, and Italian are understood in major cities.
Literacy: 82.6%.

Natural resources: Petroleum, natural gas, gypsum.

Agriculture products: Wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans; cattle.

Industries: Petroleum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement.

Exports partners: Italy 37.9%, Germany 15.2%, Spain 8.7%, Turkey 6.3%, France 6.2%, USA 5.2% (2005)

Imports partners: Italy 21.5%, Germany 10.4%, Tunisia 5.6%, Turkey 4.9%, UK 4.9%, France 4.8%, South Korea 4.7%, China 4.6% (2005)

Currency: Libyan Dinar (LYD)

Source: GPCT Libya and others.
 

Note: External links will open in a new browser window.

Official Sites of Libya


Al Gathafi
Official Site of Muammar Gadafi.


General People's Committee
Libya's Cabinet (in Arabic).


The People's Committee of Foreign Affairs
Official website of the committee (in Arabic).

Diplomatic Missions
Libyan Liaison Office
Libyan Liaison Office Washington D.C., USA.
Libyan People's Bureau
Libyan Embassy in Canada.

Maps

 Map of Libya
Political Map of Libya.
 Administrative Map of Libya
Map showing the administrative divisions (districts) of Libya.

Google Earth Google Earth Libya
Zoomable satellite view of Libya.
Google Earth Google Earth Tripoli
Zoomable satellite view of Libya's capital city.
Google Earth Google Earth Sahara
Zoomable satellite view of irrigation in Al Khufrah Oasis in the Libyan Sahara.


Map of North Africa and the Middle East
Reference map of North Africa and the Middle East
to Map of Africa
Political Map of Africa.

Oasis 
90% of the country is desert land. © GPCT Libya

News

News Agency
Jamahiria News Agency (Jana)
Libya's Official News Provider

Libya news in Arabic
Al Fajr al Jadeed
One of the main dailies in Libya.
Al Jamahiria
Daily newspaper.
Al Shames
Libyan daily (in Arabic and partly in French)
Al Zahf Al Akhder
Daily newspaper.

General Press Corporation - Libyan Press
Libyan Press (Englsh and Arabic)

Libya: News and Views
Current News from Libya

Al-Biyt Arabic
Weekly home magazine.

International
Yahoo full news coverage: Libya

Radio/TV
LJBC
Libyan Jamahiriyah Broadcasting Corporation.
 

 

Arts & Culture

Libya: Libyan Arts, Music and Literature
Stories, Books, Poems, Photography, Paintings, Music. (English and Arabic).
Nasser Mizdawi
Progressive Libyan Musician.
The Libyan Cartoon Gallery
A selection from The Work of the Gifted Libyan Artist Mohamed Zwawi.
Libyana
Dedicated to Libyan Culture.
The desert is not silent
A virtual art gallery devoted to art lover's, Libyan arts and artists.
Imazighen in Libya
The Berber people of North Africa, Amazigh culture, language and history.
Libda Cafe
Site about health and lifestyle, travel & tourism, food and recipes and a gallery with images from Libya.

National Library of Libya
(in Arabic)
 

 

Business & Economy

Central Bank of Libya
The monetary authority in Libya.

libyaninvestment.com
Directory Of Libyan Companies.

Libyan American Chamber of Commerce
Established to facilitate trade and commercial opportunities between Libya and the United States.

The .ly Domain Registry
The official international registry for the top level domain of Libya.
Libyanet
General Post & Telecommunication Company.

Transportation
Afriqiyah Airways
Tripoli based airline.
Libyan Arab Airlines
Libyan Airways.
 
 

Destination Libya - Travel and Tour Guides

Discover Libya with its antique vestiges and cultural heritage like Oea ( Tripoli ), Sebratha, Leptis Magna, Shahat (Gorina), Tolmitha (Ptolemias), Sussa (Apolonia), Tukra and Benghazi (Berink), its landscapes like the green mountain series, the Mediterranean beaches and sea, and the Sahara desert.
Find accommodation, hotels, attractions, festivals, events, tourist boards, tours and much more by following the links below.


General People's committee of Tourism
The official tourism portal of Libya.


Discover Libya
Tourism information about Libya by Libya's Broadcasting Corporation.

Find Out More About Libya
Libya news and information from the Libyan point of view.

Libya Tourism
Information about Libya with a picture gallery.


Tour Operators
Libtra Tours
Tripoli based tour operator.
Wesaam Touring Service
Libyan joint stock company specialized in the field of Touring Services & Investments.
 
 Books about Travel in Libya

US books 

Books about Libya
   Books about Libya
   Livres concernant la Libye (in French)
UK books  Libya Travel Guides
fr books  Livres concernant la Libye
German books  Bücher über Libyen

Oasis
Oasis
Leptis Magna
Leptis Magna © GPCT

Education

Al-Fateh University
Site of the Faculty of Engineering, Tripoli (in Arabic).
Garyounis University
Founded in Benghazi in 1955 under the name of the Libyan University.
The Green Book Studies Center
Multi Language Homepage related to Libya and Mu`ammar al-Qadhafi's revolutionary Green Book.

Science
National Center for Research and Scientific Studies
Libyan Scientific Organization established in 1995, Tripoli.
 
 

Environment & Nature

The Great Man Made River Project
Official website of the GMMR authority, Libya's water supply using the world's largest underground network of pipes, well-fed of fossil water that has remained in an aquifer under the Sahara desert.
 
 

History

Chronology of Libyan History
by Miftah Shamali.
Historic Background
Brief history of Libya.
ArabNet Libya History
From early colonization to modern Libya.

Leptis Magna
History of the ancient Roman city, a prosperous trading center at the Mediterranean Sea, near the modern-day city of Al Khums.
Leptis Magna relief
Relief at Leptis Magna © GPCT

Search

araboo: Libya
Search engine for the Arab world.
Al-Daleel
Index of Business Directory and Libyan sites.
The Country and People of Libya
A page of comprehensive and categorised listing of sites in and about Libya.
Libyan Yellow Pages
Part Of Libyaonline.com Network.

Additional Information about Libya

ArabNet: Libya
BBC News Country Profile: Libya
LexicOrient: Libya
Miftah Shamali - Libya
Open Directory Project: Libya
SESRTCIC: Libya
UT - MENIC: Countries: Libya
The Center for Middle Eastern Studies (University of Texas) about Libya
Wikipedia: Libya
The World Factbook -- Libya
 
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The Libya page was last modified on: Friday, 24-Jul-2009 18:55:46 CEST


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