Libya
where it all began
الجماهيرية العربية الليبية الشعبية الإشتراكية العظمى
Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Libya Tourist Map Showing Desert Lakes & Sand Dunes
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Country: Libya.
Demonym: Libyan.
Location: North Africa.
Area: fourth largest country in Africa: 1.759.540 sq. km.
Official Country Name: Great Socialist People’s Libyan
Arab Jamahiriya.
Despite being the home of several prehistoric civilisations and mythical
mysteries Libya still ranks among the least explored countries
in the world.
Most people still have the old idea that Libya is downright dangerous
to travel to and is a sponsor
of International terrorism. In reality, however, Libya never
was a dangerous country for foreign visitors to travel to, and, likewise Greenland, is one of the
safest countries in the world and as such Libyan tourism is rightly becoming one the fastest growing industries in Libya. The Libyan system indicates that it does
not tolerate extremism of any kind nor it allows fundamentalists to dictate
what the Libyan people should say or do.

The name Rebu in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.
The Origin of The Name Libya:
The name Libya is often written in various
forms including Lybia, Libia, Libye and Lebya. There are several theories attempting to explain the
origin of the name, but it is almost certain that it comes from the
ancient Berber tribe known to the ancient Egyptians as
Rebu
or
Ribu; from which the
Greeks derived
"Libya", and which the Arabs of today's
Egypt
know as Lubia, whence
Lubians, in line with their relatives and neighbours
the Nubians. The name Libia,
as found in the archaeological site of
Qasr
Libya
or Qaser Libia, in Cyrenaica, is widely thought to
have been derived from the ancient Libyan village of Olbia. According
to (the African) Leo Africanus (1600, p. 13), it was called Libya
by the Greek:
"Because
it was in old time conquered by Libs the king of Mauritania. In the
holie scriptures it is called Chamesis, by the Arabians and Ethiopians
Alkebulam, and by the Indians Besecath.”
In the Bible
the Libyans appeared as the Lubim, where the -m denotes the plural form; but after the
Hebrews decided to add the letter H to several names, like Abram becoming
Abraham, and Sara > Sarah, the Lubim appeared in the Old Testament as Lehabim, the son of Mizraim; which
Oric Bates, in his unique book The Eastern Libyans, was the first
to identify with the modern variant Ta-Mazigh-t (Tamazight),
an appellation widely applied to the whole Berbers of North Africa. The
proposed etymology of
'Libya'
being moisture has no support other
than the Libyan wind
which brought rain to Greek mainland,
and, as it is obvious that the Greek Libu is
merely a corruption of Egyptian Ribu following the universal rule of
L = R, one does not need to propose a Greek etymology for a name
that is not Greek. The proper etymology must be sought in the mother
language of the given word - the ancient Libyan language.
Egyptian and Berber are both members of
the Hamitic branch of the Hamito-Samitic linguistic family, and many
of the ancient Egyptian and Berber mythical gods and goddesses are still represented
on the rock art of the great Sahara, in what is known as the largest
collection of
prehistoric
art
in the world: well over a hundred thousand sites.

Ancient Libyans as pictured by the ancient Egyptians

The Mythology of The Name Libya:
Libya was also the name of the Goddess known to the Greeks as the Goddess Libya, and also of the whole continent before the Romans named it Africa
after the Berber Goddess Afri. In mythology, the Goddess Libya had three
sons by the Libyan Sea-God Poseidon: Belus, Agenor and Lelex. King Belus ruled at Chemmis or Chamesis of Leo Africanus, Agenor migrated to Cana'an (the Middle East), and Lelex became king of Megara. The wife of Belus Anchinoe, daughter of the Nile-god Nilus, bore him three sons: Aegyptus, Danaus and Cepheus, and one daughter: Lamia,
the Libyan Snake-goddess. The myth relates an interesting "deception tale" in
which Danaus was sent to rule Libya where he had fifty daughters, and
Aegyptus, who had fifty sons, ruled over Egypt.
The Political Name of Libya:

The actual name Libya, as a modern country, came into effect
for the first time around 1934 when the provinces of Tripolitania
and Cyrenaica were united as Libya during the Italian occupation; initially
Fezzan was not included, but after independence the three provinces
were united as one country, when on the 24th of December 1951
Libya was declared as the
United
Kingdom of Libya.
Shortly after the great revolution of the First
of September,
1969, led by Colonel Mua’mmar al-Qaddafi, Libya became known
as the Great Socialist People’s Libyan
Arab Jamahiriya, where the last word (which is also spelt as Jamahiriyyah, Jamahiria,
or Aljamahiria), became synonymous with Libya.
The term
Jamahiriya was coined by Colonel Mua'mmar
al-Qaddafi and defined as: the
state of the masses,
governed by the populace via local councils elected by the people
of Libya. Gaddafi's revolutionary ideas are outlined in his Green Book. Unlike
most flags, the national flag of Libya is made of one colour: green :
the colour of life
& prosperity.

Map of Libya &
North Africa Prior to WW2, Showing The Country
Tripoli (in green).
This map shows how Libya looked like during the colonial periods.
As mentioned above, there was no such thing as Libya then; there
was only an Italian-occupied country (regency) called TRIPOLI. In 1917-1918 the Republic of Tripoli was created to become
the first ever republic in the
Arab world. The republic, also called
Tripolitania Republic, which
involved Berber elements in the leadership,
did not gain enough support in the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, even
though was fully recognised by Italy, and consequently disappeared
from history by 1923.
A look at the map of Egypt (bordered red) shows traces of the
ancient Libya, as in
"Libyan Desert", and "Libyan Plat." (The Libyan
Plateau).
The British-controlled Sudan
extends quite a distance in today's Libya and Chad.

Map of Ancient Libya, showing the locations of the native Libyan tribes of Egypt.
Whereas the above ancient map of Libya, which is over 2000
years older than the colonial map, shows there was no Egypt, just
a huge expanse of land known to classical geographers and historians
as Libya, to the extent that the name Libya also came to designate
the whole of the continent of Africa. For more information about the
native inhabitants of ancient Libya, including the Berber tribes
of the Delta and the western banks of the Nile, please visit The
Temehu Tribes
of Ancient Libya
.
When the Romans arrived through the western parts of Libya (Tripolitania
and Tunisia), they adopted the name Aprica or Africa from the Berber
name of the local tribes who inhabited the region, and thereafter Libya
became known as Africa.
This means that the names
"Libya" and "Africa"
are both Berber in origin.

Ancient Libyans
Statistical Information & Facts About The Country of Libya:
- Official name: Great Socialist People’s Libyan
Arab Jamahiriya.
- International name: Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, or Libya.
- Capital: Tripoli.
- Area: 1.759.540 sq. km.
- Coastline: 1,770 km.
- Official holiday: Friday.
- Population: 6,036,914.
- Literacy: 82.6%.
- Independence: 24/12/1951.
- Revolution: 01/09/1969.
- GDP per capita: $16,000.
- GDP based on PPP: $91 Billion.
- Internet domain name (TLD): .ly
- Workweek: Sunday to Thursday.
- Mobile: GMS 900
&
1800 networks.
- Telephone: country code: +218; Tripoli: 021.
- Driving: on the right-hand-side of the road.
- Local Time: Greenwich Mean Time + 2 hours (UTC+2).
- Religion: Sunni Muslim, Abadite
Muslim.
- Alcohol: all alcoholic drinks are prohibited.
- Natural resources: petroleum,
natural gas, gypsum.
- Weights: kilograms, measurements: meter.
- Life expectancy: 77 years (women), 72 years (men).
- Monetary unit (currency): Libyan Dinar (LYD).
- Climate: Mediterranean along
the coast; dry desert
in the interior.
- Average annual rainfall: 400 mm.
- Average January Temperature: 12 degrees centigrade (about 53 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Average July Temperature: 40 degrees centigrade (about 104 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Ethnic groups: Arab and Berber
(97%); Africans, Asians, Europeans (3%).
- Post:
ordinary and express mail; international
DHL available in large cities.
- Electricity:
220, 230, 240 volts - 50 Hz (plugs: two
round pins, and tree square pins).
- Industries: petroleum, textiles,
handicrafts, cement and food processing.
- Working hours Summer: 7:30 am to 2:30 pm; Winter: 8:00 am to 3:00
pm.
- Natural Hazards: sand storms; hot, dry, dust-laden wind (gibli) in
Spring and Autumn.
- Emergency telephone line: 193 - equivalent to 999 (UK), or 911
(USA).
- Major Exports: (US$37 billion,
mostly from crude oil and refined petroleum products): Italy (38%),
Germany (15%), Spain (9%), France (6%), Turkey (6%), U.S. (5%).
- Major Imports: (US$14.47
billion, mostly of machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured
goods): Italy (21.2%), Germany (10%), Tunisia (6%), UK (5%), Turkey
(5%), France (5%), South Korea (5%), China (4%).
- Terrorism: Libya is the only country in North Africa where terrorists do
not exist. Fundamentalists
have no voice whatsoever in Libya.
Not a single terror-incident
has been recorded in Libya.
- Location: North Africa, bordering
the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, southern
border with Niger, Chad and Sudan.

Administrative Divisions of Libya:
The administrative divisions or
municipalities are known as sha'biyat or shabiyat (شعبيات الجماهيرية العظمى),
which can be translated
as '*populates'. At the highest level, Libya is divided into three regions or provinces: Tripolitania, with its capital Tripoli; Cyrenaica, with Benghazi as its capital; and Fezzan, with Sabha being the modern capital. These then became the three (mouh'afadat or muhafazat [governorates]), compromising twenty five districts (baladiyat), which were later replaced by thirty two sha'biyat (plus three administrative regions), before they were finally reduced to twenty two districts (sha'biyahat).

Administrative Divisions of Libya.
The current administrative municipalities include:
An-Nuqat Al-Khams (1), Az-Zawyah (2), Tarabulus (Tripoli) (3), Al-Murgub (4), Mesratha (5), Surt (6), Al-Wahat (7), Benghazi (8), Al-Marj (9), Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar (10), Darnah(11), Al-Butnan (12), Al-Kufra (13), Murzuq (14), Aj-Jufrah (15), Sabha (16), Wadi Al-Hayat (17), Ghat (18),Wadi As-Shati (19), Nalut (20), Al-Jabal Al-Gharbi (21), Aj-Jfarah (22).
The Libyan Shabiyat in Arabic

Demographic Data:
The population density varies from region to region. For example, along the coast and in the regions of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica the density is about 50 persons per a square kilometre, while in Fezzan it drops to less than one person - the reason, of course, being nothing other than the huge expanse of barren sand we know as desert. The ethnic groups of Libya are mainly Arabs, Berbers (including Tuareg), Hausa and Tebu. There are also immigrant communities, mostly from North African countries, like Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco; the Middle East; Sub-Saharan Africa; and a very small number from European and Asian countries.
The Flag & Coat of Arms of Libya:

The Coat of Arms of Libya: The Hawk. (Colour hues may vary.)

The Flag of Libya: pure green.
History of Libya:
Libya's strategic location has made it one of the most coveted and fought-over countries in the world: the ancient Pharaohs, the Phoenician traders, the Greek colonists and the Roman tyrants have all conquered parts of Libya. Then, as history repeats itself, the barbaric European powers of the dark Middle Ages pillaged, destroyed and killed whatever stood in their way to Tripoli. And finally the super powers of the modern age, namely the Italians, the French, the Germans and the British, have all further contributed to the destruction of Libya, where nothing had remained of old Benghazi; where more than 100000 Libyans have disappeared from Cyrenaica alone; and where Cyrenaica was bombed more than 1000 times during World War II alone. Italy is one of the very few countries that has compensated the Libyans for the crimes they committed during the wars; while other countries are yet to voice their much-due apology.
The positive side of Libya's history, however, is that as
Greek historians and scholars were among the first to preserve in history, Libya
was the home of civilization Osiris
&
Isis made
known "to the savage world". According to Herodotus,
the Greek Father
of History,
the ancient Libyans were the first to know civilisation and no one knew
of Poseidon and Athena before them. Among the things invented by the
ancient Libyans are the wheel, the chariot, the banking system (the Berber fortified granaries are a good surviving example of this), and the flute. The advancements made by the ancient Libyans in the fields of art, science, mythology and now mummification still are too complex to tackle and catalogue, as made difficult by the hundreds of thousands of prehistoric art paintings and engravings still lay scattered across Acacus waiting to be seen and then processed. Herodotus also reported that the Libyan Berber
Nasamons were the first to venture into the Sahara and as
such were the first northern people known to history to explore the
Sahara desert - and yet conspicuously they never appear in any of the travel books covering the explorers of the Sahara. North Africa was originally inhabited
by an indigenous group of ancient Berber tribes whose linguistic
unity proves that an ethnic sub-stratum of "autochthones" single
race existed in North Africa from the Mediterranean to the Sudan
and from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. These people spoke a Hamitic language which together with ancient Egyptian,
Chadic, Ethiopian, Semitic and Omotic make up the Afro-Asiatic family of languages - now thought to be the nucleus of many other major world language families.
1 - Ancient Libya:
Libya's ancient history goes back millions of years, but it is enough here to start from the most important Neanderthal site in Libya, namely the
Cave of Haua Fteah' in eastern
Libya - the largest cave in the Mediterranean basin, providing continuous archaeological record from 100,000
years ago to the present. According to C.B.M
McBurney (Libya in History, p. 7), 90000 years ago Eastern Libya was occupied by an exceptionally
inventive and the most advanced group of Paleolithic hunters so far known to have
existed at the time. Then around 40000 years ago Libya was occupied
by the large-brained Cro-Magnon - the
direct ancestors of the Berbers and the Iberians. Cultural evidence from southern Libya, particularly from Fezzan, the home of the classical Garamantes
Kingdom,
goes back to more
than 30000 years. Around 12000 years ago heavy rainfalls slowly turned the Sahara to lush-green land once more, and consequently a number of civilisations flourished in the area, leaving behind rich representations of what life once was.
The breathtaking treasures of the Sahara's prehistoric
drawings and engravings are perhaps the best measure for the
level of civilisation attained by these advanced peoples. (See our prehistoric galleries for more on these civilisations.)
2 - Libyan Amazons:
Libya is the home of a rich mythology concerning the Libyan Amazon women warriors. It was said that these women lived a life of battle and worshipped the mother goddess, somewhere in western Libya (around Lake Tritonis) and in Cyrenaica, where they had ties with the Amazons of Anatolia and Greece. The son of the Libyan Poseidon himself, namely Theseus, was said to have married the queen
of the Libyan Amazons. (See History for more on the Libyan Amazons.)
3 - Ancient Egyptian Libya (3300 BC - 750 BC):
During the time of the Pharaohs Libya's borders extended all the way to the river Nile, as told by various geographers and historians including Strabo and Herodotus. These areas were inhabited by various Libyan tribes including the Temehu,
the Tehenu, the Ribu, and the Meshwesh.
When Greek and Roman historians arrived in
Libya and Egypt, the name Ribu became Libu, whence
present day “Libya”, and the name Meshwesh became Masuch (Herodotus), Maksiz (Ptolemy) and Mazic (Latin
inscriptions), whence present day Tamazight,
and thus Imazighen: the indigenous inhabitants of North Africa as
a whole. The Palermo
stone,
the oldest document in the world, further illustrates the antiquity
of the Libyans in Lower Egypt by listing a succession of Libyan pre-Dynastic
kings and queens from Lower Egypt, long before the menace of
Menes. Ever since, the Berbers
were attempting to regain control over Lower Egypt and the Libyan
Desert Oases. It seems that they had managed to find their way back into the Egyptian army of the
pharaohs, and some even rose to high positions in the palace;
eventually leading the Libyans to regain complete control over
Egypt about (ca. 945 BC) by establishing the Libyan Dynasties
on the hands of the King Shishenq or Shishonk.
The Libyan
dynasties continued to rule until the 25th
dynasty; shortly after which the Pharaohs have disappeared from history altogether. (See Temehu for more on the ancient Egyptian period.)
4 - The Phoenician Period (1000 BC - 200 BC):
In the
legend of Dido the Berber king Iarbas granted Dido as
much land as could be covered by an ox-hide. The agreement was that the Phoenicians can stay and conduct business in the Mediterranean on peaceful terms - and this they happily did. The Phoenicians quickly adopted Berber gods and goddesses, like the Libyan Goddess Tannit and the God Amon, and established several colonies in
Libya, including Leptis Magna, Oea (Tripoli),
Sabratha, and Carthage (Qert Hadasht ' The New Village'). By 517 BC, the powerful Carthage was the
leading city in North Africa, controlling the entire North
African coast from Tripolitania to the Atlantic Ocean, and eventually the Berber-phoenician empire brought terror to
the Romans' hearts. Seeing danger on their footsteps, the Romans, after Hannibal's daring 12-years siege of Rome, diverted the war to Carthage, where the Carthaginian government recalled Hannibal from Rome to defend the capital; only to be let down and loose control of the whole campaign. With Hannibal and Carthage out of the way, Rome was ready to spread terror around the Mediterranean world.
5 - The Greek Period:
The Greek colonists arrived in Eastern Libya in the 7th century BC, apparently on the advice given to them by their gods, and soon afterwards they colonised five cities in Cyrenaica, which later became known as the Pentapolis ('the Five Cities of Cyrene, Apollonia, Ptolemais,
Taucheira and Berenice'). The Berber areas, further inland, remained
free from Greek rule, many of which have led a number of revolts against the Greeks. The Greeks also attempted to start another colony near Leptis Magna, but local Libyan and Carthaginian resistance proved to be fatal and as a result they retreated to Cyrenaica - perhaps feeling closer to Apollo's home; whence Apollonia. About two hundred years
later, the Greek influence began to dwindle and the last Greek
ruler, Ptolemy Apion, finally surrendered Cyrenaica to Rome.
6 - The Roman Period:
The bloody Roman invasions of Libya proved to be disastrous in many ways. Carthage was destroyed completely and then grazed to the ground. The marble columns and slabs that once held Carthage high in the sky were taken and sent to Rome for recycling. Shortly after the Carthaginian-Roman battle at Zama, the Berber kingdoms began to suffer the impact of
the Roman invasions and by 46 BC Julius Caesar deposed the
final Numidian king, Juba I; and thereafter Tripolitania
was incorporated into the province of Africa
Proconsularis to begin the export of goods to Rome. By the end of
the first century AD Rome had completed the pacification of Sirtica
and Cyrenaica was
handed over to them by the Greeks. Under the influence of the
Libyan-Berber Roman emperor
Septimius
Severus
Libya enjoyed a massive
development as witnessed by the spectacular achievements built
in Leptis Magna, Tripoli and Sabratha. Then in the 5th century (around 431 AD) Libya was taken over by the Germanic vandals, who remained in charge until the arrival of the Muslims in the 7th century AD.
7 - The Muslim Period:
The arrival of Islam in North Africa began around 642 AD when Umr Ibn Al-A's,
under the command of the Caliph Umr I, arrived in Cyrenaica from Egypt and successfully established his base at Barqa (Cyrenaica). From the Green Mountain he then moved farther west and reached Tripolitania where he removed the
last Byzantine garrisons and took control of Tripoli; effectively marking a new period of Libyan history which continues to this day. Then the Caliph sent Uqba Bin Nafi, who moved
towards Fezzan in 663 and took Germa, the capital of the Garamantean Kingdom, and then moved on the Roman province
of Africa (Western Libya including today's Tunisia) in 670 AD, where he established another military
base at Al Qayrawan. From this base he began to plan his attack on Byzantine
Carthage (or what had remained of Carthage), which he
finally took in 693 AD. Shortly after their arrival in Morocco the Muslim army, under the command of the Berber general Tarek Ben Zeyyad, crossed the sea and moved on Spain, where they completed the Islamisation of North Africa.
8 - The Modern Period:
The modern period was characterised by the violent Mediterranean wars during the 14th and 15th centuries between various powers including the Turkish Ottomans and the Spanish. The same scenarios were enacted again during the early 20th century, using modern machinery which brought greater destruction to the area, between the Italians, the British and the Germans; most of whom have their own cemeteries in today's Tobruk. After the brutal two wars the British succeeded in granting independence to Libya by appointing King Idris as King of the Libyan Kingdom in the 24th of December 1951. And finally, shortly after Gaddafi's revolution of the First
of September
1969, Libya became known
as the Great Socialist People’s Libyan
Arab Jamahiriya. (See History for more on these periods.)
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Geography:
Geographically speaking, Libya is the African gate through
which early human civilisations found their way to Egypt, the Middle
East, Asia and Europe. Libya's strategic location was equally responsible
for the successive waves of invasions throughout history,
from the arrival of the Phoenicians down to Hitler's attack on Tobruk. Libya is located in North Africa and is bordered by the Mediterranean
sea from the north, Egypt from the East, Tunisia and Algeria
from the west, and Niger, Chad and Sudan from the south. Libya is the
fourth largest country in Africa (1.759.540 sq. km), and its coastline
is the longest in any Mediterranean country: about 1900 kilometres of sand
beaches, like those of
Zwara and
Janzur, clear water, and pure hot sunshine. Although Libya is not a
top tourist destination, yet, it has a great deal to offer to the world
of tourism and exploration. Well preserved prehistoric archaeological
sites, the best preserved Roman architecture outside Italy, Greek remains,
the largest desert in the world: the Great Sahara, the largest collection
of prehistoric paintings and engravings in the world, remains of unseen
prehistoric civilizations, spectacular Berber
granaries and culture, diving sites and underwater archaeological treasures,
the least spoiled beaches in the whole of the Mediterranean world, beautiful
oases, kaleidoscopic salt lakes and sand seas, and awesome chains of
mountains and valleys. Hence tourism is Libya's fastest growing sector, and several of the
newly established Libyan tour operators have
successfully attracted foreign tourists, mainly from Germany, Holland,
Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Japan. Overall, Libya
possesses a unique treasure not only the world is eager to explore,
but also the Libyan people are desperate to see and enjoy.
In an article published in Aljamahiria Newspaper, some Libyans
publicly voiced their concerns over the lack of any Libyan tour operators
promoting tourism for the local people, and called for Libyan companies
and the Libyan Secretariat of Tourism to publish and distribute brochures
across the whole of Libya so that the Libyans themselves become aware
of their ancient and unique culture that UNESCO regards as world
heritage.
Land Borders & Seaports
of Libya:
Only Ras Jdayr (the Tunisian border) and Emsaad (the Egyptian border) are used internationally. Foreign visitors and tourists can enter and exit Libya via these land border points. But the other border points mentioned below are for local use only, and tourists are not allowed to pass through them.
Land Border:
- Ras Ejdayr (Tunisian-Libyan border), also spelt as: Ras Ejdir,
Ras Jdayr.
- Emsaad (Egyptian-Libyan border), also spelt as Amsa'ad.
- Debdab (Algerian-Libyan border), Ghadames.
- Wazen (Tunisian-Libyan border), Nalut.
- Ghat or Tenalkum (Algerian-Libyan border), Ghat.
- Ethoom or Alqatroun (Niger & Chad-Libyan border).
- Alkufra (Sudan-Libyan border).
Seaports:
- Zuwarah
- Tripoli
- Misratha
- Khoms
- Ras Lanuf
- Briga Commercial
- Darna
- Benghazi
- Tobruk
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Libya Tourist Map Showing The Main Sites of Interest In The Sahara.
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The Climate:

If you are a sun lover then the
weather in Libya is normally
good for most of the year; although
we do have a winter as well.
The highest temperature in the
world was recorded in Libya on
the 13th of September 1922, in
el-Azizia, close to Tripoli:
a staggering 136.4 degree Fahrenheit.
During the period between May
and October the coastal temperature
can rise to 38 C (100F), while
in the southern parts of the
country it can reach
50C. In our view, we recommend that the
best time to visit Libya is between
late October and late April, when the temperature is generally mellow.
However, be prepared as winter temperatures,
especially at night, can drop to
below 0C. Snow does fall sometimes in Libya, but only in the mountains,
just like in Algeria or Morocco’
s Jebel Toubkal
–
North Africa’
s highest peak (4167 km). If you
visit Libya in the spring, then you
may encounter the massive Gibli winds
–
a dry, hot, sand-blasting wind and
blizzards, most often rendering visibility
very poor, and dizzying at times.
Another bizarre feature of the Sahara
is the sand seas, or
formation of shifting sand dunes,
some of which are several hundred
meters high. It is common to find
archaeological artifacts, like flints,
stone tools, pottery shreds and bones,
scattered across the surface of the
Sahara, many of which were looted
by tourists and other visitors. By
the beaches of Libya, especially
those west and east of Zuwara city,
one can expect a friendly cool breeze,
breaking from the sea.
When To Visit Libya:
- Coastal Libya: you can visit the coastal areas across the whole year.
- Western Libya: the best time is between September and May.
- Eastern Libya: ideal time to visit is between September and June.
- Sahara desert region: October - March: temperature drops below zero at night.
- Best time to visit Libya: October to November: not hot nor cold; just warm & clear sky.
- Sun lovers: for beach holiday and serious tanning: May to August.
- Definitely no for desert tours: May - August.

Economy:

The Libyan economy, one of the richest in Africa, is largely fuelled by oil. Libya has one of the highest GDPs per person in Africa, despite the rise of unemployment, which currently stands at 21%. The manufacturing power of Libya accounts for nearly 21% of GDP, primarily from agricultural products, iron, and petrochemicals. Libya has a powerful social security system, and provides free housing, health services and education to all Libyans. Recent economic reforms have brought major changes to the Libyan economic system, including inviting international investors and foreign bankers to invest in Libya's free trade zones; privatising government owned companies; and opening the country to tourism. It was estimated that Libya will eventually be able to handle 10 million tourists a year.
Energy
&
Oil:
The exploration of oil began in 1955,
and by 1959 Libya's first oil fields
were discovered at Amal and Zelten. The oil industry in Libya is
run by the state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC), with several
smaller subsidiaries and some foreign firms. Libya's high quality
crude oil
is low in sulphur and produced at
a very low cost, which makes it very valuable to foreign investors.
According to official energy statistics from the US government (
EIA
), Libya holds the largest proven
oil reserves in Africa,
about 41.5 billion barrels as of
January 2007; and still remains highly unexplored, as current agreements
with oil companies only cover 25 percent of Libya.
About 90 percent of Libya's oil is
sold to Western Europe. Owing to the imposed international sanctions
Libya has more oil than its aging equipment can process. It has now,
after the recent lifting of the sanctions, resumed the purchase of
parts and equipment to upgrade its refining and producing capacities.
Although most of Libya's current
power plants are oil-generated, several stations have been converted
to natural gas. Libya's gas reserves were estimated at about 70 trillion
cubic feet (tcf), and it is thought
that there are substantial reserves both onshore and offshore.
Projects to utilize natural gas include
the 800-megawatt power plant in Zwara (Zuwarah), a 600-megawatt Western
Mountain Power Project, a 1,400-megawatt power plant to be located
on the coast between Benghazi and Tripoli, and the 1,200-megawatt Gulf
Stream combined power and desalination complex in Sirt. Libya currently
possesses an electric power production capacity of about 5 gigawatts,
with plans to more than double the capacity by 2010.
There are rumours that Libya's state-owned
General Electricity Company (GEC)
may allow private companies to invest in the Libya's power generation
and distribution sectors. The GEC's largest current project is to
expand the country's network of power substations, concentrated mainly
in Benghazi, Sabha and Tripoli. Crude oil prices: the world's oil reserves
will run out very soon, and some countries like Dubai, according to
experts, has only 8 more years of oil production. Hence the leaders
of the western powers have been urging other countries for sometime
now to invest in renewable energy and nuclear power as a long term
solution for the energy crisis. This means that once the earth's resources
are used up, focus will be shifted towards the sky and the rest of
the solar system for energy, like wind, light and planetary mining.
The sun is the best example there is about nuclear energy: extremely
efficient, free, and clean. Britain, the most advanced country in
utilising wind power, has pledged to free Britain from its dependence
on oil and continues to invest in renewable and nuclear energy. In
a recent American-Libyan scientific cooperation (2008), the two countries
have agreed to study the earth, the sun and the other members of the
family as one system. The most significant new discoveries, since the discovery of el-Bouri
field in 1976, have been in the Fezzan,
southern Libya, in the Murzuq basin, like el-Sharara field, which
produces around 200,000 bbl/d. In October 1997 large reserves, estimated at around 700 million
barrels, were discovered at the NC-174
Block, 465 miles south of Tripoli, also in Murzuq, but production
did not start until February 2004, at around 10,000 bbl/d. In August 2003, production started at the Al Jurf offshore oilfield
in Block 137, with an estimated output
of around 40,000 bbl/d.
Oil Refineries:
- Ras Lanuf Export Refinery: located on the Gulf of Sirte, with
a crude oil refining capacity of 220,000 bbl/d
- Az Zawiya refinery: located in northwestern Libya, with crude
processing capacity of 120,000 bbl/d
- Tobruk Refinery: with crude capacity of 20,000 bbl/d
- Brega Refinery: located in northeastern Libya, with crude capacity
of 10,000 bbl/d
- Sarir Refinery: a topping facility, with 10,000 bbl/d of capacity
Agriculture:
Although only
about 2 percent of Libya's land
is arable and agricultural production
is limited, agriculture in Libya
is a growing business. Before the discovery of oil in 1950s agriculture
supplied about 26% of GDP, some of which was exported; by 1978 this
figure was reduced to a mere 2%. Analysts blame the advent of oil
industries which enticed many peasants to migrate to the wealthy
cities. However, the value of food imports was more than 37% greater
than it had been in 1950s. Currently, agriculture employs
about 14 % of Libya's workforce. Several projects and initiatives
were established after the September revolution. The largest project
to come out of the 1981-85 agricultural development was the Great
Man-Made River (GMMR) - a massive water pipeline planned to transport
water to urban and some arid desert areas. Agricultural credit and
substantial amounts of funds were made available to the Libyan people
by the National Agricultural Bank, thereby encouraging nearly 20%
of the labour force to remain in the agricultural sector. Despite
this massive development, agriculture accounted for about 3.5% of
GDP.
Food:
Today, approximately 80% of Libya's food is imported. Libya's Food Buying Agency NASCO buys
about 400 thousand metric tons (400 TMT) of durum, 350 TMT of bread
wheat, and 400-800 TMT of flour and semolina per year. Most of Libya's
bread-wheat comes from the EU, while Canada and Syria are major suppliers
of durum. The main crops produced in Libya include wheat, barley, palm
dates, olives, figs, grapes, apples, oranges, watermelons, tomatoes,
cucumber, almonds, apricots, peaches, truffles, vegetables, peanuts and soybeans. Food in Libya includes a wide variety
of local and foreign dishes,
like European, Indian and Chinese. At the top of the list of traditional
dishes are couscous and bazin. Most restaurants and cafes provide
a menu very similar to the menus found elsewhere in North Africa
and Europe, like steak, scallop, burgers, roast chicken, rice, pasta,
soups, sandwiches, etc. Food during desert and camping tours will
be prepared by our specialist chefs who will accompany us on their
own kitchen-vehicle. They will be more than happy to prepare special
meals for vegetarians and vegans. Couscous is originally
a local North African dish,
made of wheat or barley semolina,
rolled into tiny balls (the size of half rice grain)
and then steamed on top of a sauce
made of tomato puree, mild spices, garlic, olive oil, chick peas,
vegetable and meat (or fish), depending on type.
The Bazin is also made of
wheat or barley, boiled in water
until forms a hard doughy
lump, which then is knead several times to achieve a certain consistency
and then placed in the middle of a large bowl, with the sauce around
it, and eaten with fingers: driving the fingers in the dough, breaking
a small bit, mixing it with the sauce several times until it becomes
soft, and then thrown into the mouth to be further chewed and swallowed.
It is really the hard way to eat. Tea and coffee are served without
milk, and Green
tea is normally served after a meal to aid
digestion. All other types of
drinks are also available,
with the exception of alcoholic drinks which are illegal.

The Internet in Libya

Internet cafes are widely
available and provide free access to the Internet that is not free
of charge - you would expect to pay a pound or two for one hour access. Yahoo and hotmail emails are the most popular webmails among
the Libyans. The speed, however, is still mostly dial-up (at 0.40 LYD per hour for home use only). Some new companies
started to provide high speed DSL Internet connection (which is only
256 kbps download). The Phoenicia Group
(in partnership with other companies) have recently agreed to provide
VSAT connectivity solutions to selected Libyan institutions. VSAT
(Very Small Aperture Terminal) is a satellite Internet system without
cable-based infrastructure (wireless), which is ideal for companies
operating in the desert like oil and gas companies, as well as for
the government, military and corporate clients. The Group also provides
a 3G-based satellite Internet service launched by Inmarsat (about
428 Kbps), using a mobile lap-top sized terminal which can be set
up almost anywhere worldwide. This services is known as BGAN (Broadband
Global Area Network). The most recent service to enter the market is the wireless internet from Libyana Net, where a personal package provides 1 GB a month at up to 3.6 Mb/Sec for a one-off payment of 335 Libyan Dinars and then 15 LYD per a month, with 5 LYD for each additional 1MB (
http://www.libyana.ly/).
Official Libyan Websites:
Libyan
General People's Congress (http://www.gpc.gov.ly)
Libyan
General People's Committee for Health
(http://www.health.gov.ly)
Libyan
General People's Committee for Justice
(http://www.aladel.gov.ly)
Libyan
General People's Committee for Culture
(http://www.alelam.net/New/)
Libyan
General People's Committee for Higher Education
(http://www.higheredu.gov.ly)
Libyan
General People's Committee for Media and Culture
(http://www.alelam.net)
Libyan
General People's Committee for Economics and Commerce
(http://www.ect.gov.ly)
Libyan
General People's Committee for Foreign Liaison and International
Cooperation
(http://www.foreign.gov.ly)
Libyan Board of Tourism And Traditional Industries (http://www.libyan-tourism.org/)
References & Further Resources:
- Herodotus: the fourth, fifth, and sixth books. Ed. and annot. Macan. London. 1895.
- Libya, Anthony Ham, Lonely Planet Publications, 2007.
- C.B.M. McBurney, Libya in History.
- Saif Al-Islam Muammar Al-Gaddafi unveiled a $3bn plan to protect Libya's archaeological sites (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6989977.stm)
- MSNBC: Libyan Tourism Minister Ammar Eltaye says Libya intends to attract 10 million tourists a year (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5210117).
- New York Times: A Green Resort Is Planned to Preserve Ruins and Coastal Waters (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/16/science/16liby.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1).
- BBC - Timeline: Libya, a chronology of key events in the history of Libya (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/1398437.stm).
- Encyclopædia Britannica: Libya (http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-46562/Libya).
- Encyclopædia Britannica: History of Libya (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/339615/history-of-Libya)
- C.B.M. McBurney, The Stone Age of Northern Africa.
- C.B.M. McBurney, Prehistory And Pleistocene Geology In Cyrenaican Libya.
- Wiedemann, A Stelac of Libyan origin. In PSBA, xi. (1889), P. 227.
- Mohammed Mostafa Bazama, "Libya fi al-Tarikh" - [Taatir al-Libiyyin fi al-H'adaratain al-Mesriyyah wa al-Yunaniyyah wa taatiruhom beha] = "The Influense of the Libyans on the Egyptian and Greek civilizations and by them": , Egypt.
- Bates Oric. The Eastern Libyans. Macmillan and Co., Limited. 1914. In (SOAS). London.( Riprint : 1970 ).
- Reynolds, J. M., Oiwen Brogan and D. Smith, "Inscriptions in the Libyan alphabet from Ghirza in Tripolitania", Antiquitv, 32, 112-1 1 5.1958.
- El-Bekri, Abu 'Ubeyd 'Abd Allah Ibn 'Abd el-'Aziz Abi Mus'ab. Description de l'Afrique septentrionale. Ed. de Slane, Algiers. 1857.
- Renouf, P. le P. Who were the Libyans ? In PSBA, vol. xiii. (1891) P. 599 sqq.
- Ayra, G. Tripoli e il suo clima . Turin . 1896.
- Admiralty, British, Char No. 664-449 : Mediterranean Sea.
- Aymo, J. Les cris de Ghadames , Bull. de liaison saharienne, X, 1959, 21-26
- Aelianus, Claudius. De animalium natura. Ed. Hercher. Leipizg . 1886.
- Alexander Myndensis. Frag. ap. Athenaeum, Deipnos. v. 20.
- Alexander Polyhistor. Frag. ap. Steph. Byz.
- Anonymous. History of the war between the United States and Tripoli, etc. Salem. 1806.
- Apuleius Lucius, "The Transformations Of Lucius": The Golden Ass. 120-180 A.D.
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