Libya
History
The area of what is today Libya has been ruled by many different groups. During early history, Libya was ruled by the Berbers, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and Carthage. It was later ruled by the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, Italy, Great Britain, and is now an independent country.
When the Ottoman empire fell during World War I, Italy took over the area of Libya. During World War II, Italy was defeated in Libya, and British troops began occupation of the region. Italy finally gave up the idea of trying to regain control of the territory, and Libya was named an independent country in 1951. The desert country was extremely poor until 1958, when oil was discovered. Libya's economy skyrocketed, in a "rags-to-riches" story.
The young country was ruled by King Idris I, who remained in power until 1969 when an ambitious military leader, Mu'ammar Al-Qaddafi, led a coup d'état. Confusion ensued, and in 1970, the United States military bases in Libya were closed.
Several times, discontent for Qaddafi's rule was shown. Qaddafi put down three coup attempts, in 1970, 1975, and 1984. In London in 1984, gunfire broke out between anti-Qaddafi demonstrators and the Libyan embassy, killing one British law enforcer.
Qaddafi became increasingly nosey concerning other countries affairs, and took advantage of Chad's civil war in
the late 1970's. He sent Libyan troops into northern Chad, in the areas rich in uranium. In 1979, a Libyan offensive was put down by Chadian forces, and in 1981, Libyan soldiers retreated back to Libya. Later that year, however, they were sent back into Chad, and remained there until 1987, after suffering humiliating defeats by the Chadian military.
Qaddafi is a religious fanatic, and is obsessed with uniting the entire Arab world. He attempted to unite Libya with several other countries, including Syria, Egypt, and Tunisia. He later formed a loose alliance with Morocco.
Because he also supports terrorism, Qaddafi was accused of terrorist attacks on the Rome and Vienna airports in 1985, and the bombing of a Berlin discotheque in 1986, which killed one U.S. military member.
Qaddafi set the United States against him when two Libyan aircraft attempted to shoot down two U.S. aircraft in 1981. The two Libyan aircraft were shot down instead. Later, the U.S. imposed economic sanctions on Libya, and ordered that all Americans leave the country. The United States began to exercise operations in the Mediterranean Sea, near Libya. When Libyan anti-aircraft missiles were fired on U.S. aircraft, the U.S. responded by sinking two Libyan ships and staging the Libya Raid.
The Libya Raid was a joint effort by the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy which occurred in 1986. It involved the use of several types of aircraft bombing strategic locations in Libya. F-111's and EF-111's from RAF Lakenheath in England, along with F-18's and A-6's from naval aircraft carriers bombed several places in Libya, including Qaddafi's headquarters and home, a missile installation, and a military airfield.
In 1990, the U.S. discovered that the Libyans may have been manufacturing warfare chemicals. A few days after its discovery, a fire broke out in the chemical plant and destroyed the facility, killing two. President George Bush denied the United State's involvement in the fire.
Most of Libya's population lives on or around the northern coast. Tripoli, both the largest city in Libya and the capital of Libya, has grown considerably in recent years. Libya is mostly (99%) covered by the Sahara desert, the largest desert in the world. There are a few small mountains in the northwest, northeast, and the south. The highest point is Bette Peak, which only rises 7,500 feet above sea level. Although Libya has no constant rivers, wadis (dry river beds) sometimes fill with water, which causes flash floods. Beneath the Sahara desert, however, there lies a vast supply of water which Libya has been tapping. In recent years, the Libyans have launched a major project to pipe the underground water to major cities in the north.
During the summer months, most of Libya's climate is that of a hot dry desert. Several places may reach up to 136 degrees Fahrenheit in the middle of the day. The Mediterranean Sea on the north helps to cool the weather near the coast, and the people who live in this region experience moderate temperatures all year. On the average, the majority of Libya receives about 10 inches of rainfall yearly. The coastal areas receive up to 15 inches of rainfall yearly.
Because of its arid climate, Libya has little vegetation to speak of. Recently, a major project has become popular with Libyans: the planting of trees. The northern part of Libya now has many trees in the cities, including elms and oaks, which provide beauty as well as relief from the sometimes sweltering midday heat.
Libya's animal life is a group of rather rugged species, all of which can survive in the harsh conditions of a desert. Rodents and hares are the major herbivores of the desert, while foxes, eagles, hawks, hyenas, and fennecs are the major predators. There are also gazelles, wildcats, and skunks. Reptiles include both the poisonous adder and the krait. Insects are plentiful in the desert, and yearly locust swarms are common.
Most Libyans are of Arab and/or Berber ancestry. Because the country is primarily Islam, the people follow strict Islam customs. In 1977, the Libyan constitution ordered that all laws must first agree with Islamic laws. Men normally wear a loose cotton shirt and trousers, covered by a cloak, and a tight-fitting hat. Women are required to wear a full-length robe at all times in public places.
Although extended families are present in the desert regions, this way of living is not practical in the larger cities. Most rural Libyans are nomads, who travel in search of pasture with their livestock, which include sheep, goats, and camels.
Early in its history, Libya's women received little or no education, and were usually confined to the home. Today, the women have gained full rights in Libyan government, and make up 10% of the work force. Also, when Libya was first formed, it's literacy rate was a small 20%. Today that figure has grown to nearly 70%.
The Libyans are trying very hard to modernize their country, and have been doing a commendable job. The government has spent large amounts of money to agriculture, the raising of livestock, administration, and education.
Libya
Time Line
600's B.C.- Tripoli is founded by Phoenicians
? B.C.- Libya is captured from Phoenicians by Greeks
146 B.C.- Libya is captured from Greeks by Romans
450- Vandals rule Libya
500's- Byzantine Empire rules Libya
600's- Arabs begin to dominate area of present day Libya
1551- Ottoman Empire begins rule over Libya
1711- Area of present day Libya becomes autonomous
1835- Ottoman Empire regains control over Libya
1911- Ottoman Empire loses control over Libya
1911- Italo-Libyan War begins
1912- Italo-Libyan War ends
1934- Libya becomes colony of Italy
1942- Mu'ammar Al-Qaddafi born
1943- Axis powers in Libya during World War II are defeated
1943- British occupies Libya
1947- Italy gives up efforts to regain control over Libya
1951- Libya becomes independent, ruled by King Idris I
1959- The University of Garyounis is opened in Benghazi, Libya
1958- Oil discovered in Libya
1959- Natural gas discovered in Libya
1963- Qaddafi graduates from Libyan Military Academy
1965- Qaddafi visits Great Britain
1969- Coup d'état led against Idris by Mu'ammar Al-Qaddafi
1970- United States military bases in Libya are closed
1970- Qaddafi puts down coup attempt
1972- Qaddafi attempts to merge Libya with Egypt
1973- Alfateh University is opened in Tripoli
1974- Qaddafi attempts to merge Libya with Tunisia
1975- Qaddafi puts down coup attempt
1977- Libya's official name changed
1977- Libya's constitution written
1977- Libya occupies northern Chad
1979- Libya launches offensive into the Aouzou Strip, but is stopped by Chadian forces
1979- Qaddafi resigns as "official" leader
1979- Libya intervenes in Uganda to help keep Idi Aman in power
1980- Qaddafi attempts to merge Libya with Syria
1981- Two Libyan aircraft shot down by U.S. aircraft
1981- Libya withdrew troops from Chad, only to send them back into Chad
1984- Qaddafi creates "union of states" between Libya and Morocco
1984- British police officer in London killed in crossfire between Libyan embassy and anti-Qaddafi demonstrators
1984- Qaddafi puts down coup attempt
1985- Terrorist attacks on Rome and Vienna airports, later blamed on Libya
1986- U.S. imposes economic sanctions against Libya, all Americans ordered to leave Libya
1986- Ground to Air antiaircraft missiles fired at U.S. aircraft by Libya, U.S. responds by sinking 2 Libyan ships
1986- "Libya Raid" by United States forces
1987- Libya suffers major military defeats in Chad
1987- Libya withdraws troops from Chad, leaving $1 billion in military equipment behind
1987- Libya ranked 16th country in world petroleum producers
1988- Qaddafi attempts to improve relations with Chad
1989- Peace treaty signed by Libya and Chad
1989- Two Libyan Mig-23's shot down by United States
1990- Fire breaks out in and destroys a chemical weapons plant 50 miles southwest of Tripoli, 2 workers killed
mu'ammar al-qaddafi
Mu'ammar al-Qaddafi (also spelled Kaddafi, Khadafy, Qadhafi, Qadhdhafi, or Gaddafi) was born to a nomadic family in the desert in June of 1942. He attended a religious primary school, and was later expelled from a secondary school for Pan-Arab political activities. Two years after graduating from the Libyan Military Academy in 1963, he travelled to Britain to attend a training course. In 1969, Qaddafi (a captain) led a coup d'état that resulted in the overthrow of King Idris I, a religious and tribal leader. Several friends that Qaddafi had made in his secondary school assisted him in the coup. After the coup, Qaddafi was promoted to Colonel.
At first, Qaddafi's ideas were popular with his population. Qaddafi was heavily influenced by Egypt's Nassar, and this became evident as his rule continued. One of his major goals was to unify the Arab world, which to this date hasn't worked out.
He intervened with Chad's civil war, which alarmed many neighboring countries. Later, the Chad military seized many of Libya's military bases in northern Chad.
Qaddafi's supporting of terrorism has led him into a few conflicts with the United States. In 1981, the U.S. shot down two Libyan warplanes. Then, in 1986, the U.S. used F-111's, EF-111's, A-6's, F-18's, and other planes to bomb several strategic targets in Libya. In 1989, two more Libyan aircraft were shot down over the Mediterranean.
Qaddafi still remains as the "unofficial" ruler of Libya.
Map #1: General Location
Map #2: Major Cities
Map #3: Major Landforms
Chart #1: Libya
Country: Libya
Official name: Popular Socialist Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Area: 1,759,540 sq km (679,362 sq mi)
Capital: Tripoli
Largest City: Tripoli
Population: approx. 5,000,000
Population Density: 2.2 persons per sq km (5.7 per sq mi)
Pop. Distribution: 64.5% urban, 35.5% rural
Official Language: Arabic
Major Religion: Islam
Roads: 19,300 km (12,000 mi) total
Vehicles: 428,000 cars, 334,000 comm. vehicles
Major ports: 4
Major airfields: 4
Neighbors: Tunisia, Algeria, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Egypt
Internt'l Organizations: UN, Arab League, OAU, OPEC
Chart #2: Economic
Gross Domestic Product: $26 billion
Labor Distribution: construction--24%
services--17%
agriculture--17%
manufacturing--11%
transportation/communication--9%
Major Crops: wheat, barley, potatoes, watermelons,
tomatoes, dates, onions, olives, oranges, peanuts, grapes
Major Products: refined petroleum, processed food, tobacco products, textiles, clothing, cement, carpets
Major Industries: mining
Foreign Trade: Imports--$7 billion
Exports--$10.0 billion
Principle Trade Partners: Italy, Germany, Spain, France
Currency: 1 Libyan dinar
Per Capita income: $5,500
Chart #3: Government
Type: unofficial/socialist state
Government leader: Mu'ammar al-Qaddafi (head of state)
Legislature: General People's Congress
Political Subdivisions: 10 administrative provinces
Chart #4: People
Literacy: 74% of adults
Universities: 3
Hospital Beds: 15,375
Physicians: 4,690
Life Expectancy: women--69.4
men--64.1
Infant mortality: 84 per 1000 live births
Bibliography
m Encyclopedia Brittanica 1979, Vol. 10, "Libya" (p.875-882), Chicago, Illinois, Encyclopedia Brittanica Inc.
m Lands and Peoples: Crisis in the Middle East, 1992, Grolier Inc.
m The Software Toolworks Illustrated Encyclopedia, CD-ROM, "Libya", 1991, Grolier Electronic Publishing Inc.
m The Software Toolworks Illustrated Encyclopedia, CD-ROM, "Qaddafi", 1991, Grolier Electronic Publishing Inc.
m The Software Toolworks Illustrated Encyclopedia, CD-ROM, "Tripoli", 1991, Grolier Electronic Publishing Inc.
m World Atlas CD-ROM, "Libya", 1991 The Software Toolworks, Inc.
m World Book 1993, Vol. 12, "Libya", World Book, Inc. Chicago