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Not to be confused with crab genus Lybia. State of Libya (Arabic) Dawlat Libya (Berber) Tamurt n Libya Anthem: Location of Libya(dark blue)

in Africa(light blue &dark grey) in the African Union(light blue)

Libya (Arabic: Lby, Amazigh language: Libya), officially the State of Libya,[5][6] is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west. The three traditional parts of the country are Tripolitania, Fezzan and Cyrenaica. With an area of almost 1.8million square kilometres (700,000sqmi), Libya is the 17th largest country in the world.[7]

The largest city and capital, Tripoli, is home to 1.7 million of Libya's 6.4 million people. In 2009 Libya had the highest HDI in Africa and the fifth highest GDP (PPP) per capita in Africa, behind Equatorial Guinea, Seychelles, Gabon, and Botswana. Libya has the 10th-largest proven oil reserves of any country in the world and the 17th-highest petroleum production.[8]

A civil war and NATO-led military intervention in 2011 resulted in the ousting and death of the country's former leader, Muammar Gaddafi, and the collapse of his 42-year "First of September 'Al Fateh' Revolution" and 34-year-old Jamahiriya state. As a result, Libya is currently undergoing political reconstruction, and is governed under an interim constitution drawn up by the National Transitional Council (NTC).[9][10]Elections to a General National Congress were held on 7 July 2012, and the NTC handed power to the newly elected assembly on 8 August.[11] The assembly has the responsibility of forming a constituent assembly to draft a permanent constitution for Libya, which will then be put to a referendum.[12]

The name Libya (i// or //; Arabic: Lb(i)y [lib(i)j]( listen); Libyan Arabic: [libj]) was introduced in 1934 for Italian Libya, after the historical name for Northwest Africa, from the ancient Greek (Lib).[13] The name was based on earlier use in 1903 by Italian geographer Federico Minutilli.[14]

Libya gained independence in 1951 as the United Libyan Kingdom (Arabic: al-Mamlakah al-Lbiyyah al-Muttaidah), changing its name to the Kingdom of Libya (Arabic: al-Mamlakah al-Lbiyyah) in 1963.[15] Following a coup d'tat led by Muammar Gaddafi in 1969, the name of the state was changed to the Libyan Arab Republic (Arabic: al-Jumhriyyah al-Arabiyyah al-Lbiyyah). The official name was "Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya" from 1977 to 1986, and "Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya"[16] (Arabic: [17] al-Jamhriyyah al-Arabiyyah al-Lbiyyah ash-Shabiyyah al-Ishtirkiyyah al-Um listen(helpinfo)) from 1986 to 2011.

The National Transitional Council, established in 2011, referred to the state as simply "Libya". The UN formally recognized the country as "Libya" in September 2011,[18] based on a request from the Permanent Mission of Libya citing the Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration of 3 August 2011. In November 2011, the ISO 3166-1 was altered to reflect the new country name "Libya" in English, "Libye (la)" in French.[19]

The current name, "State of Libya" (Arabic: Dawlat Libya), was adopted unanimously by the General National Congress in January 2013.[5]

The coastal plain of Libya was inhabited by Neolithic peoples from as early as 8000 BC. The Afro-Asiatic ancestors of the Berber people are assumed to have spread into the area by the Late Bronze Age. The earliest known name of such a tribe is that of the Garamantes, who were based in Germa. The Phoenicians were the first to establish trading posts in Libya.[20] By the 5th century BC, the greatest of the Phoenician colonies, Carthage, had extended its hegemony across much of North Africa, where a distinctive civilization, known as Punic, came into being.

More here:
Libya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Apr. 14, 2014

Libya's interim Prime Min Abdullah al-Thinni says he will resign, becoming the second leader to step down from post in two months.MORE

Libyan rebels occupying four eastern oil ports agree with government to gradually end their eight-month-old petroleum blockade; agreement allows some ports to reopen immediately while others will resume functions within four weeks.MORE

Mike Morell, former Central Intelligence Agency deputy director, testifies before House Intelligence Committee that he was not pressured to edit the widely discredited talking points on the 2012 Benghazi, Libya, attack in effort to protest Pres Obama and former Sec of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.MORE

United States Navy commandos seize renegade tanker carrying illicit Libyan oil in the Mediterranean southeast of Cyprus, thwarting a breakaway militias attempt to sell oil on the black market; operation saves Libya's fragile transitional government from a potentially catastrophic loss of control over its vast oil reserves.MORE

North Korea denies any responsibility for oil tanker that loaded crude from rebel-held port in Libya and eluded attempts to seize it; says while vessel carried North Korean flag it is linked to Egyptian company.MORE

Libyas transitional Parliament votes to remove Prime Min Ali Zeidan as his government concedes that it cannot stop a tanker from leaving with an illicit shipment of Libyan oil; ouster underscores danger of loss of control over countrys petroleum, lifeblood of its economy.MORE

Political killings continue to plague Libya in aftermath of 2011 revolution that ousted Col Muammar el-Qadaffi from power, with over 1,200 people killed nationwide in two years; political divisions within elected General National Congress have left it unstable and powerless to bring order.MORE

Oil experts wonder where Morning Glory, tanker that reportedly left port in Libya with cargo of highest quality oil in the world, went; transitional government officials say the tanker was seized, but militia group that controls the port says tanker sailed away.MORE

Militia group controlled by Ibrahim Jathran, which has blockaded Libyas main oil ports for more than six months, begins to sell oil for its own accounts even as Prime Min Ali Zeidan repeatedly threatens force; first unauthorized export of oil--lifeblood of Libya's government and economy--offers hint that its weak transitional government may be at risk of coming apart at the seams.MORE

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Libya the Benghazi Attacks - The New York Times

More information about Libya is available on the Libya Page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.

U.S.-LIBYA RELATIONS

The United States established diplomatic relations with Libya in 1951. In 1969, the army overthrew the king, and coup leader Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi became de facto head of state. Qadhafi tried to brutally suppress an uprising against his dictatorship in 2011. Under the auspices of a UN Security Council resolution, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France launched military action to protect Libyan civilians. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization continued these efforts as "Operation Unified Protector." Qadhafi was killed during the conflict.

Libya faces the challenges of building democratic institutions, protecting the universal rights of all Libyans, promoting accountable and honest government, rebuilding its economy, and establishing security throughout the country. On September 11-12, 2012, armed extremists attacked the U.S. facilities in Benghazi, killing four U.S, government personnel, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. The United States continues to have a strategic interest in a stable and prosperous Libya, and following the attacks in Benghazi, U.S. officials at the highest levels reaffirmed their support for a peaceful, democratic transition in Libya,in cooperation with the UN and other international partners.

U.S. Assistance to Libya

Recognizing Libya's own substantial resources, the United States is committed to providing targeted assistance that advances primary U.S. goals: transparent, strong and accountable security sector institutions in Libya that protect the civilian population; effectively patrol the countrys vast borders; contribute to regional stability; and wrest control of weapons and vast swaths of land from extragovernmental militias. The United States also supports the creation of a democratic Libya that is secure, peaceful, prosperous, and an active member of the international community. A fact sheet on U.S. assistance to Libya can be found here.

Bilateral Economic Relations

Oil revenues constitute Libya's principal source of foreign exchange. In 2011, the U.S. imposed sanctions on the Qadhafi regime following the outbreak of violence against civilians. Most U.S. and UN sanctions against Libyan institutions were lifted at the request of the new Libyan government. Many U.S. companies, particularly in the oil sector, have resumed their operations in Libya. The United States also has signed a trade and investment framework agreement with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, of which Libya is a member.

Libya's Membership in International Organizations

Libya and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank. Libya is an observer to the World Trade Organization.

See the article here:
Libya - U.S. Department of State

Location Flag Quick Facts Capital Tripoli Government Provisional parliamentary republic Currency Libyan dinar (LYD) Area 1,759,540 km2 Population 5,900,754, incl. 166,510 non-nationals (July 2006 est.) Language Arabic, Berber, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities Religion Sunni Muslim 97%, Christian and other 3% Electricity 127V/50Hz or 230V/50Hz Country code +218 Internet TLD .ly Time Zone UTC +2

Libya (Arabic: Lby), is a country in North Africa. In the north it has a Mediterranean Sea coast, with Egypt to the east and Tunisia to the west. It also has land borders with Algeria, Chad, Niger and Sudan. More than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert.

Archaeological evidence indicates that from as early as 8,000 BC, the coastal plain of Ancient Libya was inhabited by a Neolithic people, the Berbers, who were skilled in the domestication of cattle and the cultivation of crops. Later, the area known in modern times as Libya also was occupied by a series of other peoples, with the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Persian Empire, Romans, Vandals, Arabs, Turks and Byzantines ruling all or part of the area.

From 1912-1927, the territory of Libya was known as Italian North Africa. From 1927-1934, the territory was split into two colonies, Italian Cyrenaica and Italian Tripolitania, run by Italian governors. During the Italian colonial period, between 20% and 50% of the Libyan population died in the struggle for independence, and some 150,000 Italians settled in Libya, constituting roughly one-fifth of the total population.

In 1934, Italy adopted the name "Libya" (used by the Greeks for all of North Africa, except Egypt) as the official name of the colony (made up of the three provinces of Cyrenaica, Tripolitania and Fezzan). King Idris I, Emir of Cyrenaica, led Libyan resistance to Italian occupation between the two world wars. Following Allied victories against the Italians and Germans, Tripolitania and Cyrenaica were under British administration, from 1953-1951, while the French controlled Fezzan. In 1944, Idris returned from exile in Cairo but declined to resume permanent residence in Cyrenaica until the removal of some aspects of foreign control in 1947. Under the terms of the 1947 peace treaty with the Allies, Italy relinquished all claims to Libya.

On 1 September 1969, a small group of military officers led by then 27 year old army officer Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi staged a coup dtat against King Idris. At the time, Idris was in Europe for medical treatment. His nephew, Crown Prince Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Sanussi, became King. It was clear that the revolutionary officers who had announced the deposition of King Idris did not want to appoint him over the instruments of state as King. Gaddafi was at the time only a captain and his co-conspirators were all junior officers. With the assistance of the headquarters army personnel the group seized the Libyan military headquarters and the radio broadcasting station with only 48 rounds of revolver ammunition. Before the end of 1 September, Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida had been formally deposed by the revolutionary army officers and put under house arrest. Revolutionary officers then abolished the monarchy and proclaimed the new Libyan Arab Republic. Gaddafi was at various times referred to as the "Brother Leader and Guide of the Revolution" in government statements and the official press. In the final years leading up to the 2011 civil war the nation was formally titled the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Arabic phrasebook: al-Jamhriyyah al-Arabiyyah al-Lbiyyah ash-Shabiyyah al-Ishtirkiyyah al-Um) and it embodied the legacies of a system of governance that had been in power for more than 40 years. During the period 1977 to 2011, Libya was known as the "Libyan Arab Jamahiriya" at the United Nations rather than by the longer official name.

In early 2011 the authority of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya government was challenged by protesters, leading to a civil war.

In March 2011 NATO led forces intervened with airstrikes, military training and material support to the rebels. By late August Libyan government rule was being seriously challenged in many parts of Libya, including direct threats to the government's seat of power in Tripoli. By 28 August 2011 rebel fighters, backed by NATO air cover and limited NATO supplied ground support including special forces detachments, entered Tripoli and seized control of the city after intensive urban fighting between the opposing forces. In late July the UK government recognised the NTC rebels as the sole representatives of the Libyan state. The day after Major-General Abdel Fatah Younes, the rebels military leader, was killed by NTC fighters suspected to be supporters of Khalifa Haftar, a former army officer who also claimed to be the rebel armed forces leader and had been operating a parallel chain of command.

Attacks by rebel fighters, NATO special forces detachments, airstrikes, shelling and rocket barrages where sustained upon Libyan urban areas and infrastructure. In September 2011 the country remained highly dangerous and unstable with normal civil structures either seriously disrupted or destroyed in many parts of the country. Remnants of the Libyan army and Libyan government supporters continued to mount fierce resistance to the NTC attempts to take over the country and much of the nation remained a war zone.

On 16 September 2011, the United Nations recognised the National Transition Council as the sole legal representative of the country. In late September fighting was still widespread in Libya and on 29 September NTC leader Mahmud Jibril cancelled the planned announcement of a cabinet of ministers for a Libyan government, stating, The announcement of a new transitional government has been postponed indefinitely in order to finalise consultations. The principal leadership figure of the NTC was Mahmoud Jibril however he announced his plane to step down from a leadership role in late October and prior to the killing of announced he was quitting announcing that the situation in Libya had moved into "a political struggle with no boundaries", he stated that the political struggle was requiring finances, organisation, arms and ideologies that he felt unable to provide.

Originally posted here:
Libya travel guide - Wikitravel - Wikitravel - The Free ...

State of Libya

/ Libya /

Libya (Arabic: Lby, Berber: Libya), officially the State of Libya,[5][6] is a country in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west. It covers an area of almost 1.8million square kilometres (700,000sqmi). It is the 17th largest country in the world.[7]

Libya's borders touch the countries of Egypt, Sudan, Chad, Algeria, Niger, and Tunisia. To its north is the Mediterranean Sea. The capital of Libya is Tripoli, which is a port on the sea. Tripoli has about one million people.[8] Libya covers an area of about 1,760,000km2 (679,540sqmi).

[9]

The highest point in Libya is Bikku Bitti 2,267 m above sea level and the lowest point is Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m at below sea level.[8] Most of the country is flat, with large plains. Because it is so dry, only 1.03% of the land is suitable for farming.[8]

The area around Tripoli is called Tripolitania, and it was the most developed during the Ottoman occupation.

Cyrenaica is an area of the north east coast.[10] It is divided from Tripolitania by the Gulf of Sirte.[11] It was named by the Greeks who built the city of Cirene in 630 BC.[10] The area was where many of the battles of World War II were fought. It includes the cities of Tobruk and Benghazi.[10] Like Tripolitania, Cyrenaica was also governed by Britain after the war.

The Fezzan is an area of desert in south west Libya which the Italians made a part of Tripoli in 1912.[12] After the war this area was governed by France, who wanted to annex to their Empire.

The population of Libya in 2011 was said to be about 6,597,960.[8] This is not a large number for a country that has such a large area, so the population density of Libya is low. This is because much of Libya is in the Sahara Desert. Most people in Libya live in cities on the coast. People from Libya are called Libyans.

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Libya - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia