Libya

Official Name: Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Form of Government: Socialist state
Population (2004 ): 5,631,585 (growth rate: 2.4%)
Area: 678,400 square miles (1,757,000 square kilometers
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Tripoli , 2,357,800 (metro. area), 1,269,700 (city proper).
Other large city Benghazi , 734,900
Monetary unit Libyan dinar
Major Language Arabic (official).
Major Religion Islam (official).
Major Cities (1988 estimate): Tripoli (591,100),Banghazi (446,250), Misratah (121,700), Az-Zawiyah (89,338).
Manufactured Products Distillate fuel, cement, gasoline, jet fuel, crude steel, meat, lime, gypsum, salt, crude petroleum, natural gas.
Agricultural Products Crops--watermelons, wheat, barley, tomatoes, potatoes, oranges, onions, dates, olives, almonds, lemons and limes. Livestock--sheep, goats, camels, cattle, chickens.
Exports: $14.32 billion (f.o.b., 2003 est.): crude oil, refined petroleum products.
Imports: $6.282 billion (f.o.b., 2003 est.): machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods.
Major trading partners:

Italy , Germany , Spain , Turkey , Switzerland , South Korea , UK , Tunisia , Japan , France .

Warm sun, warm hearts. A great country with a great history, a country of breathtaking beauty. High mountain chains are just one of the beauties of its fabulous landscape with green fields and sun-drenched Mediterranean beaches. The desert, watered by magnificent oasis, extends far into Africa .
Fabulous villages and cities scattered amongst meadows, with oasis everywhere. Historical monuments forests, towering mountains... and a warm Libyan Arab welcome.

The Tuareg say „Travelling means learning to live“ according to this meaning discover with us the beauty and the history of our homeland Libya and experience the naturalness and hospitality of the Orient.

Libya offers two thousand kilometers of splendid beaches, and some beautiful small cities each with its typical architecture and special characteristics, like AUWARAH, TUBRUQ, MISRATAH , AZ ZAWIYAH , AL -KHUMS, and ZLITAN.

Explore Libya 's desert in WADI ASH SHATI, the plain of AWAYNAT, BRAK, MURZUQ, and the oasis of AL KUFRAH, ZALLAH and BAZIMAH. Then cool off in AL BAYDA' or near AL MARJ, or on the plain of DARNAH.

Tripoli , or Tarabalus Al-Gharb ( Tripoli of the West in Arabic), is the major city and de facto capital of Libya . The climate of Tripoli is Mediterranean with hot dry summers, cool winters and some modest rainfall. Weather can be variable, influenced by the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea which moderates daily temperature ranges.

The old walled city of Tripoli , the Medina , is one of the classical sites of the Mediterranean . The basic street plan was laid down in the Roman period when the walls were constructed on the landward sides against attacks from the interior of Tripolitania . The high walls survived many invasions, each conqueror restoring the damage done. In the 8th century the Muslim ruler built a wall on the sea-facing side of the city. Three great gates gave access to the town, Bab Zanata on the west, Bab Hawara on the south east and Bab Al-Bahr in the north wall.

The jewel of the desert is GHADAMES, a mélange of natural beauty, important monuments and a distinctive architectural style for which it is famous. Ghadames is 640 km southwest of Tripoli , located close the point where the international frontiers of Libya , Algeria and Tunisia join, modern Ghadames has an estimated population of around 10.000. The residential area is divided into the old and new towns. The old town is situated within the oasis whereas the new town has been built on the dry slopes above the oasis. The old town has been uninhabited since 1986. The old town has not been simply abandoned and still plays an important role in the life of the inhabitants. In hottest days of the summer, the inhabitants of the new city return to their original quarters in search of shade and cool.

SOUSA will certainly enjoy the fine weather and the Mediterranean beach, as well as the Greek, Roman and Byzantine ruins. The Greek theatre, the Roman baths and the Byzantine Palace (which served as a government building in the 6th century A.D.) are few examples.

   

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