Back to Home PageIt is here where bright History remains a gem on the forehead of history, a sweet smile It is here where bright History remains a gem on the forehead of history, a sweet smile lingering on the face of time, an immortal ballad sung by generations.
Geographical Location
Libya is situated on the southern shores of the Mediterranean, with a coastline of 2000 km stretching from Egypt in the east to Tunisia in the west. With an area of 2 million square km, Libya is the fourth largest African country, with her southern borders penetrating far into the continent to share common borders with Algeria and Tunisia to the west, Niger and Chad to the south, The Sudan and Egypt to the east.
Terrain
Libya comprises fertile agricultural plains, mountains and vast deserts. There are no rivers but a magnificent Lake Gaberoun in the heart of the desert. Irrigation by artificial or natural water who's supply is dependent on seasonal rain and vast underground water reservoir ( The Nubian Sandstone formation). Seasonal rains fall during the autumn, winter and early spring, with an average annual rainfall of 400 mm.
The country's mountains can be divided into two forms: the green and more fertile such as Jebel Al Akhdar, and others which are no more than solid volcanic rocks. Moving inland to the interior of the continent, the country is penetrated by desert regions which form part of the Great Desert(The Great Sahara), where picturesque palm tree oases are scattered like calm islands in a sea of sand.
Flora and Fauna
The plants which grow along the coastline are those common to the Mediterranean basin - Olive trees, citrus fruits, palm trees and other fruit trees. Grain is planted on large scale, yielding good crops when adequately irrigated by natural or artificial methods. Livestock is primarily restricted to cattle, and domestic animals.
Weather
This varies from region to region. Generally, the weather on the coastal plains is moderate - warm in winter and hot in summer, similar to that elsewhere around the Mediterranean. Inland and further south, the desert regions experience an equatorial climate with the extremes of cold winters and very hot summers. summer temperature around 80- 90F ; winter temperatures vary between 38-70F with some rain to be expected. Summer in the Sahara is very hot indeed but very dry, clean and no humidity, and is between 100 - 130 F; winter is sunny and pleasant in the desert during the day, but temperatures can drop below freezing at night.
Population
According to the 1973 census the population then was 2.275 millions, but present population is approximately 4 million inhabitants. More than 75% of the population live along the coastal terrain concentrated particularly in Tripoli, Benghazi, Al-Zawiya, Derna, Misurata and other towns. However, due to industrial, political, and agricultural projects, the density of population in Sirte and Sebha, will be considerably increased.
Professions
Most of the population are engaged in agricultural work, although other sectors such as Oil and Industry, following the mechanisation of agriculture, and the wide spread of Colleges and Universities have been attracting an increasing number of the population. Other professions include commerce, and traditional industries and handicrafts which still operate on a large scale throughout the country.
Natural Resources
The most important resources of Libya are its Oil, natural Gas, Petrochemicals, Iron ore, Phosphates, Salt, Agricultural products, and Livestock.
A brief History
The history of this region of the world has been linked to Human civilisation throughout the ages. There flourished on Libyan land civilisations penetrating far into ancient history, of which the Germanthian era is notable.
Germa, the centre of the Germanthian community, was a thriving town, which remains even today. Carved engravings on the rocks of mountain caves and caverns stand as a testament to this ancient Libyan civilisation. The rock carvings (or paintings as they are sometimes known) symbolise animals, carriages and other aspects of that ancient society. The Germanthians fought against the Romans and other powers.
During the course of the history, Libya has been invaded many times - by The Phoenicians, The Vandals, The Greeks, and Romans. The most important, however, was the Islamic conquest in the year of Hijra 22 (642 AD). Ever since that time, the history of Libya has been associated with the Islamic Empire.
From the sixteenth century to the turn of the twentieth century, the country was part of the Ottoman Islamic empire. In 1911, Libya suffered colonial invasion and conquest by the Italians, although the Libyans fought courageously to defend their land despite the inequality of the opposing forces. This fierce war raged for twenty years until the Libyan people were finally triumphant.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, Libya was again subjected to further colonial occupation, Britain, the United States, and France assumed the role of Italy as the colonial force until 1951.
Tours in brief
With a respect of Islamic traditions Libya is a country that combines an ancient heritage and civilisation with natural unexplored beauty. It also provides to the visitor an added readings and enjoyment to which many original historical towns sited in every region of the country provide an eloquent expression of man's artistic creations through different historical periods. It also offers a combination of remains from Islamic, Phoenician, Roman, Greek civilisations.
The country also offers much in terms of natural beauty. The beaches are unspoilt, their sands washed by the azure waters of the Mediterranean. Inland, along the coastal region, green mountains offer refuge around artesian wells brimming with cold waters, while in the desert, Oases provide hospitality for passing travellers.
Modern tourist facilities have been created to meet the needs of the visitors. Most important, Libyans have long established a reputation for their morality and respect for religion together with their friendly welcome for all visitors.
Tours are therefore divided to two sections
Archaeological sites visiting the ancient cities
A mixture of both tours and tailor made tours
To discover more historical cities and sites click here