Libya Map | HD Political Map of Libya

Libya is a country in North Africa. Libya shares its borders with Egypt to the east, the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Chad to the south, Niger to the southwest, Sudan to the southeast, Tunisia to the northwest and Algeria to the west. It is made of three historical regions namely, Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, and Fezzan. Tripoli is the capital and largest city of Libya.

History:

The Berbers have inhabited Libya since the Late Bronze Age and are descendants of the Iberian and Cape cultures. The Phoenicians established trading posts and city-states in western Libya while establishing several Greek cities to the east. Libya stands as the early centre of Christianity. Libya was occupied by the vandals after the fall of the Western Roman Empire until the late 7th century invasions which brought Islam to the region. The Spanish Empire and the Knights of St. John occupied Tripoli until 1551 when the Ottoman Empire came to power.

Libya was involved in the 18th and 19th centuries Barbary Wars. Ottoman rule lasted until the Italo-Turkish War, which resulted in the establishment of two colonies and the Italian occupation of Libya, Italian Tripolitania and Italian Cyrenaica (1911-1934), and later in 1934-1943 during the unification of Libya in the Italian colony. In 1951, Libya became independent as a kingdom.

Culture:

Many Arabic-speaking Libyans see themselves as part of the wider Arab community. This was reinforced by the spread of Pan-Arabism in the mid-20th century and their rise in Libya, where they established Arabic as the sole official language in the country.

The Libyans inherited traditions from the once nomadic Arabic-speaking Bedouins and sedentary Berber tribes. Most Libyans associate themselves with a specific surname derived from a clan or conquest-based heritage.

Language:

Arabic is the official language of Libya. A local variant of Libyan Arabic alongside Modern Standard Arabic is spoken in Libya. Several Berber languages are also spoken that includes Ghadamis, Tamasheq, Suknah, Awjilah, and Nafusi. The Libyan Amazigh High Council has declared Amazigh the official language of towns and neighbourhoods inhabited by Berbers in Libya.

Geography:

Libya lies between longitudes 9 degrees and 26 degrees east and latitudes 19 degrees and 34 degrees North. The Libyan coastline is the longest of the African countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The part of the Mediterranean Sea of Libya is called the Libyan Sea. The climate is generally extremely dry, like a desert in nature. The northern regions often enjoy a mild Mediterranean climate.

Libya comprises six ecoregions that include Mediterranean dry woodlands and steppe, North Saharan steppe and woodlands, Mediterranean woodlands and forests, Saharan halophytic, West Sharan montane xeric woodlands, and Tibesti-Jebel Uweinat montane xeric woodlands.

FAQs

Q.1. What is the major cuisine of Libya?

Ans. Libyan cuisine is a mixture of different Bedouin, Italian, and traditional Arab culinary influences.

Q.2. When did Libya get its independence as a kingdom?

Ans. In 1951, Libya became independent as a kingdom.