|
Fourth largest of Africa and seventeenth in the world in terms of area, Libyan Vernacular or officially known as Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, is an Islamic country. Traditionally, the country is divided into three parts: Tripolitania, Fezzen and Cyrenaica. Libyan landscape consists of 90 percent of Sahara desert area. Since 1959, after the oil was discovered in the land of Libya, the country was transformed into a wealthy monarchy. For the Roman culture is still very much evident in the country, it has been given the title of 'Roman Africa'.
Official Languages:
The official language for Libya is Arab. But Italian is also spoken widely among Libyans as Italy had once been the colonial country . Along with French, English is treated as the second language of the country. The diversity in the spoken and written languages is due to a majority of population residing in Libya.
Independence, Republic and Government:
Italy was the colonial country of Libya till the year 1951. World War II weakened the position of Italy internationally. Along with intense local resistance, United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution on 21 November 1949 stating that Italy should grant Libya it's independence till 1 January, 1952. Under UN pressure, Libya was freed by Italy on 24 December, 1951.
Assistant Secretary General of United Nations, Pelt, played a pivotal role in getting Libya it's independence. They organized elections in order to create a National Assembly in 1950. This National Assembly further chose a constituency as well as the form of government to be operated in Libya.
In present times the government of Libya operates under a Military Dictatorship. The government is divided into two sectors: one is the Revolutionary group and another is the Legislative branch. The revolutionary committee was formed in 1969 under the guidance of Colonel Gaddafi. Any kind of decisions made in the Jamahiriya region are made by the revolutionary committee.
The other branch, that is the Legislative Branch is a Local people's Congress. After every four years the leaders of these local bodies change as per the result of elections. Being a country run by monarchy, the government heads both the state run or the autonomous bodies of Media. Thus, everything that is released via Media is in a censored form.
Top Cities of Libya:
Tripoli: The capital of Libya is an ancient city and is a port on Mediterranean Sea. It is the industrial, administrative, economic as well as transportation hub of the country. Not many tourist visit the city, but this has maintained the beauty and the serenity to a great extent. The Roman architecture still is strong and is standing erect in the walls and the streets of the country. By standing on the top of these walls you can see a nice view of the whole city. The markets of Tripoli are famous for their traditional jewelry, clothes etc. The ancient monuments like Assaraya al-Hamra, Gurgi Mosque, Jamahiriya Museum are some of the places that would enchant you with their beauty.
Benghazi: An exquisite city, Benghazi has seen it's share of good times and bad times as well. The city reflects the effect of various eras it has gone through in history. It shows influence of various civilizations like that of Greeks, Romans and Bezantine. The city has good infrastructure and is loved by the tourists.
Zliten: The town is full of Roman sites such as, 'Darbuk Omira', the Castle in Al-Jumaa and others. For followers of Islam, the tomb of Sidi-Abd-As-Salam-Al-Asmar is an important religious site. Many Libyan Jews too visit the place as a pilgrimage.
Misratah: The site of golden sand and long palm trees are enough to attract tourist traffic towards Misratah. The country is famous for it's designer carpets and textiles.
Culture and Heritage:
Both the culture and heritage of Afghanistan are very rich and traditional. Islam has a great impact on the culture of Like all other Arab countries, Libya is very much embedded into it's customs and traditions an forbid that of Berber people. Due to non popularity of entertainment means, Libya has only few theaters and art galleries. However, there are certain good museums and archives in the capital city, Tripoli. But, lately private theaters have mushroomed up due to global exposure. The traditional music is most loved and even the Libyan television showcases the same tradition. Tuareg music and dance are a part of South Libya tradition. The country is full of ancient heritage and well preserved archaeological sites like Leptis Magna.
Tourism
Libya is a desert country and therefore the time period between November and March when the climate of the country is pleasant. It is advisable to avoid a visit to the country during the month of October. Other than a beautiful desert landscape Libya is energized with urban life too. From coastal areas to rocky beaches and lake, it has all. The specialty of the country is that it has retained it's traditions and customs even after so many centuries and with so many invasions. If you want to witness the Arabic civilization in it's ethnic form, then this is the best place to visit.
Explore all the contours of this beautiful country as you browse through the pages of countriesandcapitals
|
