Libya is one amongst the countries in Africa with many Arabic speaking Libyans considering themselves as part of a wider Arab community. This was strengthened by the spread of Pan Arabism in the mid 20th century, and their reach to power in Libya where they instituted Arabic as the only official language of the state.
Under their dictatorship the teaching and even use of indigenous Berber language was strictly forbidden. In addition to banning foreign languages previously taught in academic institutions, leaving entire generations of Libyans with limitations in their comprehension of the English language. Both the spoken Arabic dialects and Berber, still retain words from Italian that were acquired
Libya’s population includes 1.7 million students, over 270,000 of whom study at the tertiary level .Basic education in Libya is free for all citizens and is compulsory up to the secondary school level .
Below are some amazing facts about Libya that will get you Astonished.
1.Libya had only one Vibrant King in it Lifetime
Libya for the first and last had a monarchical kingdom with a King known Idris . He was both a political and religious leader who was born into the order of Senussi. King Idris served as the Emir of Cyrenaica before becoming the King of Libya in 1951 at the end of colonial rule.His kingdom was among the greatest but was unpopular because of his political philosophy that advocates traditional values . In the year 1969, King Idris was deposed in a coup d’état led by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi who later succeeded him the President of Libya.
2. Libya is the home to the Largest Proven Oil Reserves In Africa
The discovery of oil in Libya in the 1950s was a great capsize for the country.In previous years, Libya was ranked among the poorest in the world. As of 2010, the country’s annual oil production was 1.65 million barrels per day. Today, oil and petroleum products forms the largest portion of the country’s exports and government revenue.
it is now among the 15 most thriving economies in Africa alongside South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, and Cameroon among others. However , the unstable political environment of the country in the recent past led to fluctuations in its oil price globally.
3. Libya is Popularly Known As A Muslim Nation
Christianity is a minority religion in Libya. However, the country possesses strong Christian roots. Examples of two important biblical characters linked to Libya are Simon the Cyrene and St. Mark. Simon who was forced to help Jesus Christ carry his cross was from Cyrene City. Cyrene was a Libyan town that existed hundreds years ago.
Despite Simon’s endurance , St. Mark who wrote the gospel of Mark founded the Church of Alexandria in Egypt in 49 AD. This church birthed many of the Eastern Orthodox churches, Coptic Church, and Greek Orthodox Church which exist in Libya till now
4. Libya Was historically Divided Into 3 Regions Namely Fezzan, Tripolitania, And Cyrenaica
Fezzan was the southwestern part of Libya, Cyrenaica occupied the eastern half of the country, and Tripolitania covered the northwestern parts of Libya. The country is now divided into three administrative regions that have been sub-divided into 22 districts .
5. Libyan can also boast of their decade Saharan Desert
The Libyan Desert comprises of Eastern and northern parts of the Saharan Desert . it is the part of the Sahara Desert found in the state of Libya. The Libyan Desert is known for being the harshest, driest, and most remote region of the Sahara,with day temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius. The desert is said to be a place where rain hasn’t fall for decades now.
6. Libya Imports 75 To 80% Of Its Food
Libya imports most of the food consumed by the people due to its inability to locally produce the products . The country is located within the extensive Sahara desert which means it receives very low rain fall or any good weather for agricultural activities . It also possesses poor soil and climate which are both limitations to food production. A major attempt made by former Libyan President Gaddafi to reverse the situation was the financing of the Great Manmade River Project that was built for irrigation of the farming lands. This project turned out to be the world’s largest irrigation project. It comprises of 1750 miles of an underground network of water pipe. I’m spite of the effort made by Gadaffi, Libya still depends on imported food for the survival of its people.
7. Libya’ss Highest Mountain Is Bette Peak
Bette Peak is also known as Bikku Bitti ,the highest Mountain in Libya being 7,434 feet tall. The mountain is found in southern Libya at the Chad-Libyan border. The first documented climb of the Bette Peak was by Ginge Fullen and his Chadian guides in December 2005. The access to the mountain location is difficult and rare.
8. Muammar Gaddafi Was Libya’s Longest-Serving Leader
Muammar Gaddafi came into power in 1969 and ruled Libya for 42 years before his demise. As a result, he became one of the longest serving African and world national heads of state. Gaddafi was famously known for being a dictatorial leader.He however , served his country well by improving its health services to the level of being among the best in Africa.
He also increased Libya’s rate of literacy from only 25% before his reign to 87%. His reign ended in 2011 when he was toppled from the Government . The militia tracked him down in his hometown where he had sought refuge and assassinated him.
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