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Libya
Africa
Rich in oil reserves, Libya has vast desert landscapes. Since 2011, it has faced political instability and conflict following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.
7,000,000
Population
1,759,541
Area (km²)
Tripoli
Capital
51
Historical Events
Historical Timeline
Cities
51 Events
September 16, 2025 - Libyan Navy rescues 35 migrants near Zuwarah.
September 14, 2025 - A Sudanese refugee boat catches fire off the coast, killing at least 50 of 75 aboard.
September 09, 2025 - A migrant boat sinks off Kambut, killing 19 and leaving 42 missing.
August 26, 2025 - Coast guard accused of firing on a humanitarian ship during a migrant rescue.
August 22, 2025 - A rocket strikes near UN headquarters during a Security Council briefing on Libya.
August 19, 2025 - Islamists suffer major defeat in local elections, with results pending official confirmation.
August 09, 2025 - ICC unseals a war crimes warrant for a Libyan militia officer.
July 26, 2025 - A Europe-bound migrant boat capsizes, killing at least 15.
July 20, 2025 - Libya deports 700 Sudanese migrants in an anti-trafficking crackdown.
July 18, 2025 - A Libyan war crimes suspect is arrested in Germany under ICC warrant.
July 14, 2025 - Over 100 migrants are freed from a trafficking gang in Libya.
July 09, 2025 - Eastern authorities deport EU ministers and a commissioner amid diplomatic strains.
June 17, 2025 - Two migrant ships wreck off the coast, leaving 60 feared missing; football clashes in Tripoli injure a referee and fans.
June 04, 2025 - US President Trump bars Libyan nationals from entering the United States, citing security risks.
May 30, 2025 - A Sudanese migrant vehicle crashes in Kufra, killing 11 passengers and a driver.
May 23, 2025 - Seven Sudanese refugees die in a broken-down vehicle in Kufra desert.
May 12, 2025 - SSA militia commander Abdel Ghani al-Kikli is assassinated, triggering clashes in Tripoli that kill at least seven; Libya grants ICC jurisdiction over crimes from 2011–2027; protests against PM Dbeibeh kill a police officer; dozens of burned corpses are found in SSA-linked morgues.
May 10, 2025 - Three migrants, including two children, die attempting a sea crossing from Zawiya to Italy.
May 01, 2025 - Six migrant bodies are recovered near Misrata.
April 07, 2025 - The Central Bank devalues the dinar by 13.3%, aiming to reduce public debt but fueling inflation concerns.
March 22, 2025 - A bus-truck collision on the Jalu-Kufra highway kills six and injures another.
March 20, 2025 - Derna mayor Samir Shegwara is arrested for possessing classified documents related to the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.
February 08, 2025 - A migrant boat sinks off Marsa Dela, killing 16 and leaving 10 missing.
February 07, 2025 - Bodies of 49 migrants are discovered in two mass graves in Kufra, exposing abuses against sub-Saharan Africans.
January 19, 2025 - Warlord Ossama Anjiem, wanted by the ICC for civil war crimes, is arrested in Italy but released and deported back to Libya.
January 12, 2025 - A bus crash on the Al-Loud highway kills 23 and injures five, highlighting road safety issues.
December 15, 2024 - Clashes between militias shut down the main Zawiya refinery after fires damage infrastructure.
November 28, 2024 - A migrant rubber boat deflates off the coast, leaving 28 missing after gunmen intervene during rescue efforts.
November 16, 2024 - Local elections occur in 58 municipalities—the first simultaneous vote in east and west since 2014—amid low turnout and disputes.
November 06, 2024 - Brigadier General Mustafa al-Whayshi's abduction sparks protests and halts oil production in Zintan.
October 29, 2024 - An Egyptian migrant boat capsizes off Libya, killing 12.
October 04, 2024 - Oil production resumes at two major fields; the ICC unseals war crimes warrants for six Libyan suspects from the civil war era.
September 30, 2024 - Parliament appoints Belqasem as the new central bank governor, aiming to resolve leadership disputes.
September 23, 2024 - A migrant boat capsizes off the coast, killing one and leaving 22 missing.
September 02, 2024 - A UN-sanctioned human trafficker is killed in Tripoli, disrupting migrant smuggling networks.
August 19, 2024 - Libya's central bank suspends operations after its director's kidnapping; the governor is fired, oil fields close due to rifts, and the chief flees amid militia threats; US officials meet LNA commander Haftar in Benghazi.
August 10, 2024 - Militia infighting in Tripoli kills at least nine, exacerbating security instability in the capital.
July 28, 2024 - A Derna court convicts 12 officials of negligence in the 2023 dam disaster, sentencing them to 9–27 years, marking rare accountability for the floods that killed thousands.
July 22, 2024 - Clashes break out in Balanja between Sudanese militia units stationed in Libya; Chad repatriates 157 detained citizens, with more flights planned amid regional tensions.
May 19, 2024 - Militia clashes in a western town kill at least one civilian, reflecting persistent armed group rivalries.
April 17, 2024 - UN Libya envoy Abdoulaye Bathily resigns, citing stalled political progress and deepening divisions between rival governments.
December 16, 2023 - At least 61 migrants drown when their ship sinks off Zuwarah, underscoring Libya's role as a perilous migrant transit hub.
September 10, 2023 - Storm Daniel devastates eastern Libya, causing catastrophic flooding in Derna that kills over 11,000, displaces thousands, and exposes infrastructure failures from the 2023 dam collapses.
August 27, 2023 - Protests condemn a secret meeting between Foreign Minister Najla El Mangoush and her Israeli counterpart; demonstrators burn Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh's residence in Tripoli; El Mangoush resigns and is dismissed.
August 20, 2023 - Libya's central bank reunifies after nearly a decade of division between rival eastern and western administrations, a milestone in economic stabilization.
August 16, 2023 - Intense fighting erupts in Tripoli between the 444 Brigade and Special Deterrence Force, killing 55 and injuring 146; clashes end after a commander's release.
July 13, 2023 - Production halts at major oilfields (El Feel, El Sharara, and Plant 108) in protest over Bumatari's abduction, costing Libya 340,000 barrels per day; two fields resume after his release, but Plant 108 remains closed.
July 11, 2023 - Former finance minister Faraj Bumatari is kidnapped by the RADA militia upon arrival at Mitiga International Airport, sparking a political crisis.
March 16, 2023 - Eastern Libyan forces recover missing barrels of uranium, raising concerns over unsecured nuclear materials from the Gaddafi era.
March 13, 2023 - Thirty migrants go missing in another shipwreck off Libya, with charities attributing blame to Italian policies on returns.
February 15, 2023 - At least 73 migrants are presumed dead in a shipwreck off the Libyan coast, highlighting ongoing dangers in Mediterranean crossings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Libya
100 Questions
Libya is in North Africa, bordered by Egypt, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Algeria, Tunisia, and the Mediterranean Sea.
The capital is Tripoli, on the Mediterranean coast.
Around 7 million people as of 2025 estimates.
Arabic is the official language; Berber, Tebu, and Tuareg languages are also spoken, along with some Italian and English.
Mostly desert, hot and dry, with a Mediterranean climate along the coast.
The Libyan dinar (LYD).
Red, black, and green horizontal stripes with a white crescent and star.
Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata, Sabha, and Sirte.
On December 24, 1951, from Italy (through the UN).
King Idris I.
Military ruler of Libya from 1969 to 2011, known for his Green Book ideology.
Libya remains divided between rival governments in Tripoli and Benghazi (as of 2025).
Officially a unitary state, but in practice a fragmented transitional government.
Arabs (majority), Berbers, Tuareg, and Tebu.
Islam (almost all Sunni).
Around $100 billion in 2025 estimates.
About $14,000.
Around 90%.
About 72 years.
Around 2.6 children per woman.
Around 47%.
Crude oil, natural gas, and petrochemicals.
Food, machinery, vehicles, and consumer goods.
Oil, natural gas, gypsum, and iron ore.
It provides over 90% of government revenue.
Capital city, port, and cultural center.
Second-largest city, hub of eastern Libya, and site of the 2011 uprising.
Commercial and industrial hub on the coast.
Major city in the south, gateway to the Sahara.
Bikku Bitti (2,267 m), in the Tibesti Mountains.
Covers over 90% of the country.
Couscous, pasta, bread, lamb, and dates.
A traditional Libyan dish made from barley flour dough with stew.
Libyan soup, often eaten during Ramadan.
Tea, coffee, laban (yogurt drink), and fruit juices.
Football, basketball, and athletics.
The Mediterranean Knights.
Yes, finishing runner-up in 1982.
Not yet.
Ali Al-Beshari, Ahmed Benali, and Mohamed Zubya.
Yes, mostly in athletics and boxing.
Arabic pop, folk, Tuareg music, and ma’luf (Andalusian classical).
A traditional style with roots in Andalusia.
Oud, drums, flutes, and tambourines.
Folk dances performed at weddings and cultural events.
Men wear jalabiya and women wear colorful dresses with scarves.
They are active in education and healthcare, though limited by tradition and conflict.
Around 85%.
Around 95%.
High, especially among youth (over 30%).
Less than 5%.
Olives, dates, wheat, and barley.
Sheep, goats, and camels.
Under strain due to years of conflict.
Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and communicable diseases in rural areas.
It was one of the key uprisings in 2011, leading to Gaddafi’s overthrow.
He was captured and killed in October 2011 by rebel forces.
Relatively low for Africa, but rising due to instability.
Higher than before 2011 due to health system collapse.
“Libya, Libya, Libya.”
“No official motto,” though “Freedom, Justice, Unity” is common.
The Arabian horse.
The hawk of Quraish (symbolic).
The pomegranate flower.
Desert foxes, gazelles, hyenas, and migratory birds.
The Libyan Desert and parts of the Sahara.
A massive project transporting groundwater to cities and farms.
Over 95%.
Around $14,000 annually.
Declining steadily.
Around 80%, with most people living on the coast.
Nomadic and farming communities in desert oases.
Mainly oil and gas.
Very high in solar power.
Instability and reliance on oil.
Civil war and divided governments.
Mediating peace talks and supporting humanitarian aid.
Facilitates political dialogue.
Led airstrikes in 2011 against Gaddafi’s forces.
Libya’s former colonizer and major trade partner.
Supports the Tripoli-based government.
Backs eastern factions and deploys Wagner Group mercenaries.
Supports UN efforts and counterterrorism.
Backs eastern military factions.
Militants attacked a U.S. diplomatic compound, killing 4 Americans.
Volatile, tied to oil prices and conflict.
Low, except along the coast.
Carpet weaving, pottery, and silver jewelry.
Sharia is a source of legislation.
Independence Day (Dec 24), Islamic holidays, and local festivals.
A major trade event showcasing Libya’s economy.
Around 10% difference.
Around 7 years.
Lower than in rural areas.
Rebuilding hospitals and services after war damage.
Disruption from war and underfunding.
Moderate, with urban concentration.
Diversification into agriculture and solar energy.
Uncertain, tied to peace negotiations and oil market stability.
It has vast oil reserves, a strategic Mediterranean location, and a history central to Arab and African politics.