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Libya

AfricaNorthern Africa

1.76 Million km²

Quick Facts

Capital

Tripoli

Area

1,759,540 km²

Language

Arabic (+ Berber/Tamazight)

Currency

Libyan Dinar (LYD)

Calling Code

+218

Drives On

Right

Internet

.ly

Timezone

EET (UTC+2)

Script

Arabic

Government

Provisional Government (disputed)

Independence

1951

Map tiles by CARTO. Data by OpenStreetMap.

Libya is 90% desert. The Sahara dominates the interior with some of the most spectacular sand seas on Earth - the Ubari Sand Sea with its turquoise lakes nestled among orange dunes, the Akakus Mountains with prehistoric rock art dating back 12,000 years, and the Idehan Murzuq where dunes rise to over 300 meters. But the narrow Mediterranean coastal strip tells a completely different story. Leptis Magna, built by the Romans near present-day Tripoli, is one of the best-preserved Roman cities anywhere in the world - arguably more intact than anything in Italy itself.

Libya's modern history has been tumultuous. Muammar Gaddafi ruled for 42 years after a 1969 coup, creating one of the most idiosyncratic regimes in history. His overthrow in 2011 plunged the country into a civil war that continues to shape its politics. Despite this, Libya sits on Africa's largest proven oil reserves, and its cultural heritage is extraordinary. The Berber towns of the Nafusa Mountains preserve traditions predating the Arab conquest, the old medinas of Tripoli and Ghadames showcase centuries of Islamic architecture, and the Fezzan region in the southwest has been a crossroads for trans-Saharan trade for millennia.

Largest Cities in Libya

Tripoli

Capital and largest city on the Mediterranean coast, with an ancient medina, Italian colonial architecture, and proximity to Leptis Magna

1,170,000

Benghazi

Second largest city in the east, a historic port city and cultural center that was the birthplace of the 2011 revolution

630,000

Misrata

Third largest city and major commercial hub, known for its resilience during the 2011 siege and strong business community

400,000

Sabha

Gateway to the Fezzan desert region in the south, a strategic oasis city at the crossroads of trans-Saharan trade routes

130,000

Ghadames

UNESCO World Heritage oasis town known as the Pearl of the Desert, with a remarkable underground old town designed for extreme heat

10,000

Famous People from Libya

Septimius Severus

Politics

Born in Leptis Magna, became Roman Emperor in 193 AD - the first emperor born in Africa, who expanded and beautified his hometown

Omar al-Mukhtar

Politics

Lion of the Desert who led Libyan resistance against Italian colonization for 20 years, executed in 1931, a national hero

Ahmed Ibrahim al-Faqih

Literature

One of Libya's most important novelists, his trilogy Gardens of the Night explored Libyan society and identity

Ibrahim al-Koni

Literature

Tuareg novelist considered one of the Arab world's greatest living writers, whose desert-set works have been translated into 40 languages

Ali Yussef Essheal

Sport

Pioneer of Libyan football who helped establish the sport in the country and mentored generations of young players

Traditional Cuisine of Libya

Bazin

Libya's national dish - a dome of hard dough made from barley flour served with a tomato-based sauce of lamb, eggs, and turmeric

Shorba

Spiced lamb and tomato soup with orzo pasta and chickpeas, a staple in Libyan homes especially during Ramadan

Couscous bil-Bosla

Steamed couscous topped with lamb stew, onions, and chickpeas, the traditional Friday meal shared with family

Usban

Libyan stuffed lamb sausage filled with rice, herbs, and offal, slow-cooked in tomato sauce until tender

Asida

Simple wheat flour pudding drizzled with date syrup or honey and butter, served at celebrations and as a breakfast dish

Nature & Landmarks in Libya

Leptis Magna

Landmark

One of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a complete amphitheater, basilica, and triumphal arch

Ubari Sand Sea

Desert

Stunning Saharan landscape of towering orange dunes surrounding turquoise salt lakes fringed with palm trees

Akakus Mountains

Mountain

UNESCO-listed sandstone massif in the southwest with 12,000-year-old rock art depicting a greener Sahara teeming with life

Cyrene

Landmark

Ancient Greek colony and UNESCO World Heritage Site near Benghazi, with temples, an agora, and cliff-side necropolis

Ghadames Old Town

Landmark

UNESCO-listed mud-brick oasis town with covered alleyways and rooftop walkways designed for women to move freely above the streets

Sports in Libya

Football

Libya won the AFCON in 1982 as hosts, the country's greatest sporting achievement, and football remains the most popular sport

Horse Racing

Equestrian traditions run deep in Libyan culture, with Arabian horse breeding and racing events held across the country

Martial Arts

Libyan athletes have competed in judo and taekwondo at Olympic and African Championship levels

Did You Know?

Libya is 90% desert, making it one of the most arid countries on Earth, yet it sits on Africa's largest proven oil reserves

Leptis Magna, near Tripoli, is so well preserved that it is often considered the finest Roman ruins outside Italy

The country's .ly internet domain has become globally popular for URL shorteners like bit.ly and ow.ly

Ghadames, the Pearl of the Desert, has an ingenious old town where covered streets keep temperatures bearable and rooftop paths were reserved for women

Libya has the Sahara's most spectacular rock art in the Akakus Mountains, showing giraffes, elephants, and hippos from when the desert was green

The Great Man-Made River, built under Gaddafi, is the world's largest irrigation project - a network of underground pipes bringing fossil water from beneath the Sahara

Septimius Severus, born in Libya, became Roman Emperor in 193 AD, making him the first African-born ruler of Rome