Libya

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Ethnic groups and languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance and trade
- Services
- Labour
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Cultural milieu
- The arts
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- Ottoman rule
- Italian colonization
- Independence
  - The discovery of oil
  - The Qaddafi regime
  - Revolt in 2011
    - Strong government response to protests
    - Emergence of the Transitional National Council in Benghazi
    - Stalemate, resurgence of the Qaddafi regime, and international intervention
    - Intensification of international efforts: NATO air strikes, diplomacy, and ICC warrants
    - Qaddafi toppled and killed
  - Postrevolutionary chaos
    - Establishment of the General National Congress
    - Competing governments in Tripoli and Tobruk
    - Attempt at unity: Government of National Accord
    - Fight for the National Oil Corporation and Central Bank
    - Tobruk government extends its reach south and west
    - Turkish intervention, retreat of Tobruk government, and renewed attempt at unity

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images

Flag of Libya with horizontal stripes of red, black, and green, featuring a white crescent and star centered on the black stripe.

Political map of Libya showing national boundaries, major cities such as Tripoli, Benghazi, and Misratah, and neighboring countries including Tunisia, Algeria, Niger, Chad, Sudan, and Egypt. The map also includes a small locator inset highlighting Libya's position in northern Africa along the Mediterranean Sea.

Leptis Magna, Libya: Roman amphitheatre

Map of northern Africa and southern Europe highlighting Libya in tan, with neighboring countries labeled, including Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Chad, Niger, and Sudan. The Mediterranean Sea is shown to the north, and the capital city Tripoli is marked within Libya.

Map of Libya highlighting its physical features, including the Mediterranean coastline, the Nafusah Plateau and Al-Jifarah Plain in the northwest, the Al-Akhdar Mountains in the northeast, the Libyan Desert, and major hills and plateaus such as the Al-Haruj al-Aswad Hills and the Sahara region. Neighboring countries-Tunisia, Algeria, Niger, Chad, Sudan, and Egypt-are shown, and an inset locator map marks Libya's position in northern Africa.

Map of Libya showing the routes and phases of the Great Man-Made River project, which transports water from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System in the Sahara to northern coastal cities. Different colored lines indicate the five phases of the pipeline system, with reservoirs marked along the routes and major cities such as Tripoli, Benghazi, and Sirte labeled. The map also shows international borders and the Mediterranean Sea to the north.

Sabhā, Libya: Fort Elena

Libya: Ethnic composition

Libya: Religious affiliation

Libya: Urban-rural

At a Glance

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Related Questions

Libya

country, Africa

Also known as: Al-Jumhūriyyah al-Lībiyyah, The Libyan Republic(Show More)

Written by

Dennis D. CordellAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 13, 2026 •History

Libya, country located in North Africa. Most of the country lies in the Sahara desert, and much of its population is concentrated along the coast and its immediate hinterland, where Tripoli (Ṭarābulus), the de facto capital, and Benghazi (Banghāzī), another major city, are located. Libya comprises three historical regions—Tripolitania in the northwest, Cyrenaica in the east, and Fezzan in the southwest. The Ottoman authorities recognized them as separate provinces. Under Italian rule, they were unified...

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