The name "Libya" is derived from the Egyptian term "Lebu", which refers to Berber peoples living west of the Nile. In Greek this became "Libya", although in ancient Greece the term had a broader meaning, encompassing all of North Africa west of Egypt, and sometimes referring to the entire continent of Africa.
Archaeological evidence indicates that from as early as the 8th millennium BCE, Libya's coastal plain was inhabited by a Neolithic people who were skilled in the domestication of cattle and the cultivation of crops.Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, (1987), "Early History of Libya", U.S. Library of Congress, Accessed July 11 2006 This culture flourished for thousands of years in the region, until they were displaced or absorbed by the Berbers.
The area known in modern times as Libya was later occupied by a series of foreign invaders, with the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals and Byzantines ruling all or part of the area. Although the Greeks and Romans left ruins at Cyrene, Leptis Magna and Sabratha, little other evidence remains of these ancient cultures.
Ruins of the theatre in the Roman city of Sabratha, west of Tripoli
The Phoenicians were the first to establish trading posts in Libya, when the merchants of Tyre (in present-day Lebanon) developed commercial relations with the Berber tribes and made treaties with them to ensure their cooperation in the exploitation of raw materials.Herodotus, (c.430 BC), "'The Histories', Book IV.42"43"Fordham University, New York, Accessed July 18 2006Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, (1987), "Tripolitania and the Phoenicians", U.S. Library of Congress, Accessed July 11 2006 By the 5th century BCE, Carthage, the greatest of the Phoenician colonies, had extended its hegemony across much of North Africa, where a distinctive civilisation, known as Punic, came into being. Punic settlements on the Libyan coast included Oea (Tripoli), Labdah (Leptis Magna) and Sabratha. All these were in an area that was later called Tripolis, or "Three Cities". Libya's current-day capital Tripoli takes its name from this.
The Greeks conquered Eastern Libya when, according to tradition, emigrants from the crowded island of Thera were commanded by the oracle at Delphi to seek a new home in North Africa. In 631 BCE, they founded the city of Cyrene.Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, (1987), "Cyrenaica and the Greeks", U.S. Library of Congress, Accessed July 11 2006 Within 200 years, four more important Greek cities were established in the area: Barce (Al Marj); Euhesperides (later Berenice, present-day Benghazi); Teuchira (later Arsinoe, present-day Tukrah); and Apollonia (Susah), the port of Cyrene. Together with Cyrene, they were known as the Pentapolis (Five Cities).
The Romans unified both regions of Libya, and for more than 400 years Tripolitania and Cyrenaica became prosperous Roman provinces.Heuser, Stephen, (July 242005), "When Romans lived in Libya", The Boston Globe Accessed July 18 2006 Roman ruins, such as those of Leptis Magna, attest to the vitality of the region, where populous cities and even small towns enjoyed the amenities of urban life. Merchants and artisans from many parts of the Roman world established themselves in North Africa, but the character of the cities of Tripolitania remained decidedly Punic and, in Cyrenaica, Greek.
Arabs conquered Libya in the 7th centuryCE. In the following centuries, many of the indigenous peoples adopted Islam, and also the Arabic language and culture. The Ottoman Turks conquered the country in the mid-16th century, and Libya remained part of their empire, although at times virtually autonomous, until Italy invaded in 1911 and turned Libya into a colony.Country Profiles, (May 162006), "Timeline: Libya, a chronology of key events"BBC News, Accessed July 18 2006
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, which consisted of the provinces of Cyrenaica, Tripolitania and Fezzan. King Idris I, Emir of Cyrenaica, led Libyan resistance to Italian occupation between the two World Wars. From 1943 to 1951, Tripolitania and Cyrenaica were under British administration, 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.Hagos, Tecola W., (November 202004), "Treaty Of Peace With Italy (1947), Evaluation And Conclusion", Ethiopia Tecola Hagos, Accessed July 18 2006
Omar Mukhtar (1858"1931) was the leader of the Libyan uprising against Italian occupation.
On November 211949, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution stating that Libya should become independent before January 11952. Idris represented Libya in the subsequent UN negotiations. When Libya declared its independence on December 241951, it was the first country to achieve independence through the UN, and one of the first European possessions in Africa to gain independence."December 24, 1951: Libya declares its independence under King Idris", Global Connections - The Middle East, Accessed July 15 2006 Libya was proclaimed a constitutional and hereditary monarchy under King Idris.
The discovery of significant oil reserves in 1959 and the subsequent income from petroleum sales enabled one of the world's poorest nations to establish an extremely wealthy state. Although oil drastically improved the Libyan government's finances, popular resentment began to build over the increased concentration of the nation's wealth in the hands of King Idris and the national elite. This discontent continued to mount with the rise of Nasserism and Arab nationalism throughout North Africa and the Middle East.
On September 11969, a small group of military officers led by then 28-year-old army officer Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi staged a coup d'état against King Idris. At the time, Idris was in Turkey 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. Sayyid quickly found that he had substantially less power as the new King than he had earlier had as a mere Prince. Before the end of September 1, Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida had been formally deposed by the revolutionary army officers and put under house arrest. Meanwhile, revolutionary officers abolished the monarchy, and proclaimed the new Libyan Arab Republic. Gaddafi was, and is to this day, referred to as the "Brother Leader and Guide of the Revolution" in government statements and the official press.US Department of State's Background Notes, (Nov 2005) "Libya - History", U.S. Dept. of State, Accessed July 14 2006
A wall carpet depicting Col. Gaddafi, in a hotel in Misratah
There are two branches of government in Libya. The "revolutionary sector" comprises Revolutionary Leader Gaddafi, the Revolutionary Committees and the remaining members of the 12-person Revolutionary Command Council, which was established in 1969.Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, (1987), "Government and Politics of Libya", U.S. Library of Congress, Accessed July 14 2006 The historical revolutionary leadership is not elected and cannot be voted out of office; they are in power by virtue of their involvement in the revolution. The revolutionary sector dictates the decision-making power of the second sector, the "Jamahiriya Sector".
Constituting the legislative branch of government, this sector comprises Local People's Congresses in each of the 1,500 urban wards, 32 Sha'biyat People's Congresses for the regions, and the National General People's Congress. These legislative bodies are represented by corresponding executive bodies (Local People's Committees, Sha'biyat People's Committees and the National General People's Committee/Cabinet).
Every four years, the membership of the Local People's Congresses elects their own leaders and the secretaries for the People's Committees, sometimes after many debates and a critical vote. The leadership of the Local People's Congress represents the local congress at the People's Congress of the next level. The members of the National General People's Congress elect the members of the National General People's Committee (the Cabinet) at their annual meeting.
The government controls both state-run and semi-autonomous media. In cases involving a violation of "these taboos", the private press, like The Tripoli Post, has been censoredSpecial Report 2006, (May 22006), "North Korea Tops CPJ list of '10 Most Censored Countries'", Committee to Protect Journalists, Accessed July 19 2006, although articles that are critical of policies have been requested and intentionally published by the revolutionary leadership itself as a means of initiating reforms.
Political parties were banned by the 1972 Prohibition of Party Politics Act Number 71.Case Study: Libya, (2001), "Political Culture", Educational Module on Chemical & Biological Weapons Nonproliferation, Accessed July 14 2006 According to the Association Act of 1971, the establishment of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is allowed. However, because they are required to conform to the goals of the revolution, their numbers are small in comparison with those in neighbouring countries. Trade unions do not exist,Hodder, Kathryn, (2000), "Violations of Trade Union Rights", Social Watch Africa, Accessed July 14 2006 but numerous professional associations are integrated into the state structure as a third pillar, along with the People's Congresses and Committees. These associations do not have the right to strike. Professional associations send delegates to the General People's Congress, where they have a representative mandate.
U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice with her Libyan counterpart Foreign Minister Abd al-Rahman Shalgam. In 2003 Libya's foreign policy reorientated towards shedding its diplomatic pariah status and rejoining the international community.
Libya's foreign policies have undergone much fluctuation and change since the state was proclaimed on Christmas Eve, 1951. As a Kingdom, Libya maintained a definitively pro-Western stance, yet was recognised as belonging to the conservative traditionalist bloc in the League of Arab States (Arab League), of which it became a member in 1953.Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, (1987), "Independant Libya", U.S. Library of Congress, Accessed July 14 2006 The government was in close alliance with America and Britain; both countries maintained military base rights in Libya. Libya also forged close ties with France, Italy, Greece and Turkey, and established full diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union in 1955.
Although the government supported Arab causes, including the Moroccan and Algerian independence movements, it took little active part in the Arab-Israeli dispute or the tumultuous inter-Arab politics of the 1950s and early 1960s. The Kingdom was noted for its close association with the West, while it steered an essentially conservative course at home.Abadi, Jacob (2000), "Pragmatism and Rhetoric in Libya's Policy Toward Israel", The Journal of Conflict Studies: Volume XX Number 1 Fall 2000, University of New Brunswick, Accessed July 19 2006
After the 1969 coup, Gaddafi closed American and British bases and partially nationalised foreign oil and commercial interests in Libya. He also played a key role in promoting oil embargoes as a political weapon for challenging the West, hoping that an oil price rise and embargo in 1973 would persuade the West, especially the United States, to end support for Israel. Gaddafi rejected both Soviet communism and Western capitalism and claimed he was charting a middle course for his government.The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, (2001 - 2005), "Qaddafi, Muammar al-", Bartleby Books, Accessed July 19 2006
In October 1978, Gaddafi was severely criticised for his support of Idi Amin in the Uganda-Tanzania War. Libyan troops sent by Gaddafi aided Idi Amin in trying to annex the northern Tanzanian province of Kagera. Amin lost the battle and later fled to exile in Libya, where he remained for almost a year.Biography, "Idi Amin", Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board, Accessed July 192006
The Jabal Al Akdhar near Benghazi is Libya's wettest region. Annual rainfall averages at between 400 and 600 millimetres.Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, (1987), "Climate & Hydrology of Libya", U.S. Library of Congress, Accessed July 15 2006
Libya extends over 1,759,540 square kilometres (679,182 sq. mi), making it the 17th largest nation in the world by size. It is bound to the north by the Mediterranean Sea, the west by Tunisia and Algeria, the southwest by Niger, the south by Chad and Sudan and to the east by Egypt. At 1770 kilometres (1100 miles), Libya's coastline is the longest of any African country bordering the Mediterranean.(2005), "Demographics of Libya", Education Libya, Accessed June 292006(July 202006), [https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/fields/2060.html "Field Listings - Coastlines"], CIA World Factbook, Accessed July 23 2006 The climate is mostly dry and desert-like in nature. However, the northern regions enjoy a milder Mediterranean climate.
Natural hazards come in the form of hot, dry, dust-laden sirocco (known in Libya as the gibli). This is a southern wind blowing from one to four days in spring and autumn. There are also dust storms and sandstorms. Oases can also be found scattered throughout Libya, the most important of which are Ghadames and Kufra as well as others.
Libyan Desert
Desert landscape in Southern Libya; 90% of the country is desert
The Libyan Desert, which covers much of eastern Libya, is one of the most arid places on earth. In places, decades may pass without rain, and even in the highlands rainfall happens erratically, once every 5-10 years. At Uweinat, the last recorded rainfall was in September 1998.Zboray, András, "Flora and Fauna of the Libyan Desert", Fliegel Jezerniczky Expeditions, Accessed July 14 2006 There is a large depression, the Qattara Depression, just to the south of the northernmost scarp, with Siwa oasis at its western extremity. The depression continues in a shallower form west, to the oases of Jaghbub and Jalo.
Likewise, the temperature in the Libyan desert can be extreme; in 1922, the town of Al 'Aziziyah, which is located west of Tripoli, recorded an air temperature of 57.8°C (136.0°F), generally accepted as the highest recorded naturally occurring air temperature reached on Earth.Hottest Place, "El Azizia Libya, 'How Hot is Hot?'", Extreme Science, Accessed July 14 2006
There are a few scattered uninhabited small oases, usually linked to the major depressions, where water can be found by digging to a few feet in depth. In the west there is a widely dispersed group of oases in unconnected shallow depressions, the Kufra group, consisting of Tazerbo, Rebiana and Kufra. Aside from the scarps, the general flatness is only interrupted by a series of plateaus and massifs near the centre of the Libyan Desert, around the convergence of the Egyptian-Sudanese-Libyan Borders.
Slightly further to the south are the massifs of Arkenu, Uweinat and Kissu. These granite mountains are very ancient, having formed much before the sandstones surrounding them. Arkenu and Western Uweinat are ring complexes very similar to those in the Air Mountains. Eastern Uweinat (the highest point in the Libyan Desert) is a raised sandstone plateau adjacent to the granite part further west. The plain to the north of Uweinat is dotted with eroded volcanic features.
Libya's capital Tripoli has benefited greatly from the country's oil wealth.
The Libyan economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which constitute practically all export earnings and about one-quarter of gross domestic product (GDP). These oil revenues and a small population give Libya one of the highest GDPs per person in Africa and have allowed the Libyan state to provide an extensive and impressive level of social security, particularly in the fields of housing and education.United Nations Economic & Social Council, (Feb 161996), "Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Report", Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Accessed July 14 2006 Compared to its market-oriented neighbours, Libya enjoys an extremely low level of both absolute and relativepoverty. Libyan officials in the past three years have made progress on economic reforms as part of a broader campaign to reintegrate the country into the international fold.The World Factbook, (2006), [https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ly.html "Economy - Libya"], CIA World Factbook, Accessed July 14 2006 This effort picked up steam after UN sanctions were lifted in September 2003, and as Libya announced in December 2003 that it would abandon programs to build weapons of mass destruction.W.M.D., (2003), "Libya Special Weapons News", Global Security Report, Accessed July 142006
Libya has begun some market oriented reforms.
Tripoli's Old City - (El-Madina El-Kadima) - situated in the city centre, is one of the classical sites of the Mediterranean.
Initial steps have included applying for membership of the World Trade Organisation, reducing subsidies, and announcing plans for privatisation.Reuters, (July 282004), "Libya to start WTO membership talks", Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa, Accessed July 16 2006 The non-oil manufacturing and construction sectors, which account for about 20% of GDP, have expanded from processing mostly agricultural products to include the production of petrochemicals, iron, steel and aluminium. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit agricultural output, and Libya imports about 75% of its food.
Under the previous Prime Minister, Shukri Ghanem, and current prime minister Baghdadi Mahmudi, Libya is undergoing a business boom. Many government-run industries are being privatised. Most US sanctions have been lifted; and as of May 2006, the remaining vestiges are scheduled for removal pending US Congressional approval. Many international oil companies have returned to the country, including controversial oil giants Shell and ExxonMobil.Volume: 23, No. 27, (2006), "Shell returns to Libya with gas exploration pact", Oil & Gas Worldwide News, Accessed July 14 2006 Tourism is on the rise, bringing increased demand for hotel accommodation and for capacity at airports such as Tripoli International. A multi-million dollar renovation of Libyan airports has recently been approved by the government to help meet such demands.Jawad, Rana, (May 312006), "Libyan aviation ready for take-off"BBC News, Accessed July 22 2006
Libya has a small population within its large territory, with a population density of about 3 people per square kilometre (8.5/mi²) in the two northern regions of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, and less than one person per square kilometre (1.6/mi²) elsewhere. Libya is thus one of the least dense nations by area in the world.Earth Trends, Environmental Information, (2004), "Population: Population density", World Resources Institute, Accessed July 19 2006 90% of the people live in less than 10% of the area, mostly along the coast. More than half the population is urban, concentrated to a greater extent, in the two largest cities, Tripoli and Benghazi.Al-Amari, Mailud, (Nov 2004), "Population Dynamics and Fertility Trends in Libya", American Public Health Association, Accessed July 17 2006 Native Libyans are primarily a mixture of Arabs and Berbers.
There are small Tuareg and Tebu tribal groups concentrated in the south, living nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyles. Among foreign residents, the largest groups are citizens of other African nations, including North Africans (primarily Egyptians and Tunisians), West Africans and Sub-Saharan Africans.Libya Demographics and Geography, (2005), "Libya - Population"The Columbia Gazetteer of the World, Accessed July 17 2006 Libyan Berbers and Arabs constitute 97% of the population; the other 3% are Black Africans, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians and Tunisians.The World Factbook, (2006), [https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ly.html "People - Libya"], CIA World Factbook, Accessed July 192006
The main language spoken in Libya is Arabic, which is also the official language. Tamazight, which does not have official status, is spoken by Libyan Berbers.Anderson, Lisa, (2006), "'Libya', III. People, B. Religion & Language", MSN Encarta, Accessed July 17 2006 In addition, Tuaregs speak Tamahaq, the only known Northern Tamasheq language. Italian and English are sometimes spoken in the big cities, although Italian speakers are mainly among the older generation.
Education
The Benghazi campus of the former University of Libya (Al-Jami'a al-Libiya), Libya's first university
Libya's population of approximately 5.8 million includes 1.7 million students, over 270,000 of whom study at the tertiary level.Clark, Nick, (July 2004), "Education in Libya", World Education News and Reviews, Volume 17, Issue 4, Accessed July 22 2006 Education in Libya is free for all citizens,Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, (1987), "Education of Libya", U.S. Library of Congress, Accessed July 22 2006 and compulsory up until secondary level. The literacy rate is the highest in North Africa; 82.6% of the population can read and write.(July, 2006) [https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/fields/2103.html "Field Listing - Literacy"], CIA World Factobook, Accessed July 22 2006 After Libya's independence in 1951, its first university, the University of Libya, was established in Benghazi.El-Hawat, Ali, (2000), "Country Higher Education Profiles - Libya", ''International Network for Higher Education in Africa", Accessed July 22 2006 In academic year 1975/76 the number of university students was estimated to be 13,418. As of 2004, this number has increased to more than 200,000, with an extra 70,000 enrolled in the higher technical and vocational sector. The rapid increase in the number of students in the higher education sector has been mirrored by an increase in the number of institutions of higher education. Since 1975 the number of universities has grown from two to nine and after their introduction in 1980, the number of higher technical and vocational institutes currently stands at 84. Libya's higher education is financed by the public budget. In 1998 the budget allocated for education represented 38.2% of the national budget.
Religion
Mosque in Ghadames, close to the Tunisian and Algerian border. 97% of Libyans are followers of Islam.
By far the predominant religion in Libya is Islam with 97% of the population associating with the faith.Religious adherents by location, "'42,000 religious geography and religion statistics', Libya"Adherents.com, Accessed July 15, 2006 Nearly all Libyan Muslims adhere to Sunni Islam, which provides both a spiritual guide for individuals and a keystone for government policy.
Before the 1930s, the Sanusi Movement was the primary Islamic movement in Libya. This was a religious revival adapted to desert life. Its zawaayaa (lodges) were found in Tripolitania and Fezzan, but Sanusi influence was strongest in Cyrenaica. Rescuing the region from unrest and anarchy, the Sanusi movement gave the Cyrenaican tribal people a religious attachment and feelings of unity and purpose.Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, (1989), "The Sanusis", U.S. Library of Congress, Accessed July 22, 2006 This Islamic movement, which was eventually destroyed by both Italian invasion and later the Gaddafi government, was very conservative and somewhat different from the Islam that exists in Libya today. Gaddafi asserts that he is a devout Muslim, and his government is taking a role in supporting Islamic institutions and in worldwide proselytizing on behalf of Islam.Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, (1989), "Islam in Revolutionary Libya", US Library of Congress, Accessed July 19 2006 Libyan Islam, however, has always been considered traditional, but in no way harsh compared to Islam in other countries. A Libyan form of Sufism is also common in parts of the country.Libya - Religion, (July 82006), "Sufi Movement to be involved in Libya"Arabic News, Accessed July 19 2006
Other than the overwhelming majority of Sunni Muslims, there are also very small Christian communities, composed almost exclusively of foreigners. There is a small Anglican community, made up mostly of African immigrant workers in Tripoli; it is part of the Egyptian Diocese.(2004), [https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/anti-semitism/rellibya04.html "International Religious Freedom Report: Libya"] Jewish Virtual Library, Accessed July 19 2006 There are also an estimated 40,000 Roman Catholics in Libya who are served by two Bishops, one in Tripoli (serving the Italian community) and one in Benghazi (serving the Maltese community).
Libya was until recent times the home of one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world, dating back to at least 300 BC.The World Jewish Congress, "History of the Jewish Community in Libya", University of California at Berkeley, Accessed July 16 2006 A series of pogroms beginning in November of 1945 lasted for almost three years, drastically reducing Libya's Jewish population.Harris, David A. (2001), "In the Trenches: Selected Speeches and Writings of an American Jewish Activist", 1979-1999, pp. 149-150 In 1948, about 38,000 Jews remained in the country. Upon Libya's independence in 1951, most of the Jewish community emigrated. After the Suez Crisis in 1956, all but about 100 Jews were forced to flee. The last Jew in Libya, Esmeralda Meghnagi, died in February2002.http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/anti-semitism/libyajews.html
Coastline of Benghazi, Libya's second largest city. With one of the longest coastlines among Mediterranean nations, Libya's mostly unspoilt beaches are a social gathering place.
Libya is culturally similar to its neighbouring Arab states. While the primary language of the country is a local colloquial form of Arabic,Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), (2005), "Arabic Libyan", Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition, Accessed July 172006 the Libyan people consider themselves very much a part of a wider Arab community. There seem to be two distinct dialects and a small number of village and tribal dialects. Libyan Arabs have a heritage in the traditions of the nomadic Bedouin and associate themselves with a particular Bedouin tribe.
Family life is important for Libyan families, the majority of which live in apartment blocks and other independent housing units, with precise modes of housing depending on their income and wealth. Although the Libyan Arabs traditionally lived nomadic lifestyles in tents, they have now settled in various towns and cities.Al-Hawaat, Dr. Ali, (1994), "The Family and the work of women, A study in the Libyan Society"National Center for Research and Scientific Studiesof Libya, Accessed July 192006 Because of this, their old ways of life are gradually fading out. An unknown small number of Libyans still live in the desert as their families have done for centuries. Most of the population has occupations in industry and services, and a small percentage is in agriculture.
As with some other countries in the Arab world, Libya boasts few theatres or art galleries. Public entertainment is almost nonexistent, even in the big cities.News and Trends: Africa, (September 171999), "Libya looking at economic diversification"Alexander's Gas & Oil Connections, Accessed July 19 2006. Recently there has been a revival of the arts in Libya, especially painting: private galleries are springing up to provide a showcase for new talent.About Libya, "Libya Today", Discover Libya Travel, Accessed July 14 2006. Conversely, for many years there have been no public theatres, and only a few cinemas showing foreign films. The tradition of folk culture is still alive and well, with troupes performing music and dance at frequent festivals, both in Libya and abroad. The main output of Libyan television is devoted to showing various styles of traditional Libyan music. Tuareg music and dance are popular in Ghadames and the south. Libyan television programmes are mostly in Arabic with a 30-minute news broadcast each evening in English and French. The government maintains strict control over all media outlets. A new analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists has found Libya's media the most tightly controlled in the Arab world. To combat this, the government plans to introduce private media, an initiative intended to bring the country's media in from the cold.(Jan 302006), "Libya to allow independent media", Middle East Times, Accessed July 21 2006
Many Libyans frequent the country's beaches. They also visit Libya's beautifully-preserved archaeological sites"especially Leptis Magna, which is widely considered to be one of the best preserved Roman archaeological sites in the world.Donkin, Mike, (July 232005), "Libya's tourist treasures", BBC News, Accessed July 19 2006
The nation's capital, Tripoli, boasts many good museums and archives; these include the Government Library, the Ethnographic Museum, the Archaeological Museum, the National Archives, the Epigraphy Museum and the Islamic Museum. The Jamahiriya Museum, built in consultation with UNESCO, may be the country's most famous. It houses one of the finest collections of classical art in the Mediterranean.Bouchenaki, Mounir, (1989), "The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Museum: a first in the Arab world", UNESCO, Museum Architecture: beyond the <> and ... beyond, Accessed July 192006
* Libya, Anthony Ham, Lonely Planet Publications, 2002, ISBN 0864426992 * Libya Handbook, Jamez Azema, Footprint Handbooks, 2001, ISBN 1900949776 * Harris, David A. (2001). In the Trenches: Selected Speeches and Writings of an American Jewish Activist, 1979-1999. KTAV Publishing House, Inc. ISBN 0881256935 * Wright, John L. Nations of the Modern World: Libya, Ernest Benn Ltd, 1969 *
