Libya
Published on Feb 03, 2016
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Libya
History of Libya
Until Libya achieved independence in 1951, its history was essentially that of tribes, regions, and cities, and of the empires of which it was a part. Derived from the name by which a single Berber tribe was known to the ancient Egyptians, the name Libya was subsequently applied by the Greeks to most of North Africa and the term Libyan to all of its Berber inhabitants. Although ancient in origin, these names were not used to designate the
specific territory of modern Libya and its people until the twentieth century, nor indeed was the whole area formed into a coherent political unit until then. Hence, despite the long and distinct histories of its regions, modern Libya must be viewed as a new country still developing national
consciousness and institutions
Photo by D-Stanley
GEOGRAPHY
Libya is located in North Africa on the coast of the
Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered on the east by Egypt; on the south by Sudan, Chad, and Niger; and on the west by Algeria and Tunisia. Libya’s total area is 1,759,540 square kilometers of landmass,which is slightly larger than Alaska or approximately three times the size of France. Libya is bounded by Algeria (982 kilometers), Chad (1,055 kilometers),
Egypt (1,115 kilometers), Niger (354 kilometers), Sudan (383 kilometers), and Tunisia (459
kilometers). Libya’s coastline totals 1,770 kilometers on the Mediterranean Sea.
Photo by gnuckx
Topography & Climate
Libya has narrow enclaves of fertile lowlands along its Mediterranean coast and a
vast expanse of arid, rocky plains and sand seas to the south. Coastal lowlands are separated
from one another by a pre-desert zone and backed by plateaus with steep, north-facing scarps.
Libya’s only true mountains, the Tibesti, rise in the southern desert. Less than 5 percent of Libya’s territory is economically useful. Libya has several perennial saline lakes but no significant perennial watercourses. The only permanently flowing river is the two-kilometer-long Wadi Kiam.
Photo by szeke
The Mediterranean Sea and Sahara Desert are the dominant climatic influences in Libya. In the coastal lowlands, where 80 percent of the population lives, the climate is Mediterranean, with warm summers and mild winters. The climate in the desert interior is
characterized by very hot summers and extreme diurnal temperature ranges. Along the Tripolitanian coast, summer temperatures range between 40.6° C and 46° C; temperatures are even higher to the south. Summer temperatures in the north of Cyrenaica range from 26.7° C to 32° C. The ghibli, a hot, dry, dust-laden desert wind, which can last one to four days, can change temperatures by 17° C to 22° C in both summer and winter. Precipitation ranges from light to negligible. Less than 2 percent of the country receives enough rainfall for settled agriculture.
Photo by D-Stanley
Culture
The present population of Libya is composed of several distinct groups. By far the majority identify themselves as Arabs. Arab invaders brought the Arab language and culture to Libya between the seventh and eleventh centuries, but intermarriage with Berbers and other
indigenous peoples over the centuries has produced so mixed a strain that few Libyans can substantiate claims to pure or even predominantly Arab ancestry. These Arabic-speaking Muslims of mixed Arab and Berber ancestry make up 90 percent of the country's population.
Berbers, other indigenous minority peoples, and black Africans make up most of the remainder,
although small, scattered groups of Greeks, Muslim Cretans, Maltese, and Armenians make up
long-established communities in urban areas.
Photo by D-Stanley
ECONOMY
In 2004 the Libyan government continued to dominate its socialist-oriented economy. Libya’s completely government-controlled oil exports provided about 95 percent of its export earnings, 75 percent of government receipts, and 30 percent of the gross domestic
product. According to several 2005 U.S. government reports, a large portion of Libya’s income
was squandered as a result of widespread corruption and waste. Other factors that contributed to
the lost income were purchases of conventional arms and efforts to develop weapons of mass
destruction, as well as large monetary donations to lesser-developed countries, which have been
interpreted by some as Qadhafi’s attempts at influence-buying.
Photo by Jeff Attaway
