Libya, located in North Africa's Maghreb region, is officially the State of Libya. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north and several countries on other sides. Encompassing Tripolitania, Fezzan, and Cyrenaica, it's the fourth-largest African and Arab country. While it claims a portion of southeastern Algeria, the country's area is about 1.8 million km2. The population, largely Arab and predominantly Sunni Muslim, is concentrated in the northwest, specifically in the capital Tripoli. The official language is Arabic, with Libyan Arabic being the most spoken vernacular.
In 1903, Italian geographer Federico Minutilli brought the name "Libya" back into use.
From 1551 to 1911, the coastal region of what is today Libya, having been ruled by the Ottoman Empire.
In 1911, the Italo-Turkish War resulted in the Italian occupation of Libya.
On 13 September 1922, 'Aziziya recorded an air temperature of 58 °C (136.4 °F), considered to be a world record at the time.
From 1927, the territory was split into two colonies, Italian Cyrenaica and Italian Tripolitania, run by Italian governors.
Between 1928 and 1932 the Italian military killed half the Bedouin population.
In September 1931, Omar Mukhtar, a resistance leader against Italian colonization, was captured and executed.
Between 1928 and 1932 the Italian military killed half the Bedouin population.
King Idris married his cousin in 1932.
By 1934, Some 150,000 Italians settled in Libya, constituting roughly 20% of the total population.
In 1934, Italian Tripolitania and Italian Cyrenaica were unified into the Italian Libya colony.
In 1934, Italy combined Cyrenaica, Tripolitania and Fezzan and adopted the name "Libya" for the unified colony, with Tripoli as its capital.
From 1934 to 1940, the Italians greatly expanded Libyan railway and road networks.
In August 1942, Jews from Tripolitania were interned in a concentration camp at Sidi Azaz.
After the Axis powers were ousted in 1943, Idris returned to Libya
From 1943, Libya was under Allied occupation with British and French administration.
In 1943, the Italian Libya colony ended.
In 1943, the North African Campaign ended in defeat for Italy and its German ally.
In 1944, Idris returned from exile in Cairo.
In the three years after November 1945, more than 140 Jews were murdered in a series of pogroms.
Most Italian settlers left after Italian Libya's independence in 1947.
Under the terms of the 1947 peace treaty with the Allies, Italy relinquished all claims to Libya.
By 1948, about 38,000 Jews remained in Libya.
On November 21, 1949, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution stating that Libya should become independent before January 1, 1952.
On December 24, 1951, Libya declared its independence as the United Kingdom of Libya.
After Libya's independence in 1951, the University of Libya was established in Benghazi.
From 1943 to 1951, Libya was under Allied occupation.
In 1951, Libya became independent as a kingdom.
In 1951, Libya gained independence as the United Libyan Kingdom.
Libya's foreign policies have fluctuated since 1951.
Upon Libyan independence in 1951, most of the Jewish community emigrated.
On November 21, 1949, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution stating that Libya should become independent before January 1, 1952.
In 1953, Libya became a member of the League of Arab States (present-day Arab League) as a Kingdom.
King Idris's son, born in 1953, tragically died shortly after birth.
In 1955, Libya established full diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.
With the discovery of oil in 1958, the size of the agriculture sector declined rapidly.
In 1959, significant oil reserves were discovered in Libya.
In 1963, the United Libyan Kingdom changed its name to the Kingdom of Libya.
In 1964, the population of Libya was 1.54 million.
On 1 September 1969, a coup d'état led by Muammar Gaddafi overthrew King Idris.
After the 1969 coup, Muammar Gaddafi closed American and British bases and partly nationalized foreign oil and commercial interests in Libya.
Following a coup d'état led by Muammar Gaddafi in 1969, the name of the state was changed to the Libyan Arab Republic.
In 1969, a military coup led by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi overthrew King Idris I, establishing a republic.
In October 1970, all Italian-owned assets were expropriated and the Italian community was expelled from Libya.
In 1970, a law was introduced affirming equality of the sexes and wage parity.
More Italian settlers repatriated in 1970 after the accession of Muammar Gaddafi.
In 1971, Gaddafi sponsored the creation of a Libyan General Women's Federation.
In 1972, a law was passed criminalizing the marriage of girls under the age of sixteen.
In 1973, Gaddafi merged civil and sharia courts.
In 1973, political dissent was made illegal under Law 75.
On March 17, 2011, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1973, establishing a no-fly zone and authorizing the use of "all means necessary" to protect civilians within Libya.
On 25 October 1975, a coup attempt was launched by a group of 20 military officers, mostly from the city of Misrata.
In 1975, Libya pioneered species protection in North Africa with the creation of the El Kouf protected area.
In the 1975, the number of university students was estimated to be 13,418.
Since 1975 the number of public universities has grown from two to twelve.
In February 1977, Libya started delivering military supplies to Goukouni Oueddei and the People's Armed Forces in Chad.
In March 1977, Libya officially became the "Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya".
On 2 March 1977, Libya officially became Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
On November 1977, Libya adopted a plain green national flag, becoming the only country in the world with a plain-colored flag at that time.
From 1977, the official name was "Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya".
Since their introduction in 1980, the number of higher technical and vocational institutes has grown to 84.
In 1982, Libya hosted the African Cup of Nations and the national team almost won, losing to Ghana on penalties 7–6.
In 1984, the population of Libya was 3.6 million.
From 1986, the official name was "Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya".
In 1986, an American airstrike led by President Ronald Reagan targeted Muammar Gaddafi but failed to kill him.
In 1988, the bombing of a commercial flight at Lockerbie led to the United Nations imposing sanctions on Libya, resulting in 270 deaths.
Between 1995 and 1998, Cyrenaica experienced political instability due to tribal allegiances of local troops.
In 1996, Libya's media was found to be the most tightly controlled in the Arab world, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
As of 2006, the last recorded rainfall at Uweinat was in September 1998.
Between 1995 and 1998, Cyrenaica experienced political instability due to tribal allegiances of local troops.
In 1998 the budget allocation for education represented 38.2% of Libya's national budget.
In 2000, approximately 28% of the population lacked access to safe drinking water in Libya.
In September 2003, UN sanctions against Libya were lifted as the country began to reintegrate into the global economy.
In December 2003, Libya announced it would abandon its programs to build weapons of mass destruction.
After 2003, Libyan authorities privatized over 100 government-owned companies in various sectors, including oil refining, tourism, and real estate.
In 2003, Gaddafi announced that his regime's weapons of mass destruction were disassembled, and Libya was transitioning toward nuclear power.
As of 2004, the number of university students increased to more than 200,000, with another 70,000 enrolled in the higher technical and vocational sector.
In 2004, Libya began negotiations for accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
In 2004, government estimates put the regular and irregular migrant numbers at 1.35 to 1.8 million (25–33% of the population at the time).
In 2004, the International Religious Freedom Report noted that bishops, priests and nuns wear religious dress freely in public and report virtually no discrimination.
By 2005, following the lifting of sanctions, there were 1.5 million yearly air travelers in Libya.
By 2005, the agriculture sector declined rapidly, comprising less than 5% GDP.
As of 2006, the last recorded rainfall at Uweinat was in September 1998.
In the 2006 census, around 359,540 foreign nationals were resident in Libya out of a population of over 5.5 million (6.35% of the population).
In 2007, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi initiated the Green Mountain Sustainable Development Area project to promote tourism and preserve Greek ruins in Cyrene.
Since 2007 some new private universities such as the Libyan International Medical University have been established.
Since 2007, Libya has been divided into 22 districts (Shabiyat).
In 2008, the unemployment rate was 8%.
Libya participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
According to consular records, in 2009, as many as 2 million Egyptian migrants were recorded by the Egyptian embassy in Tripoli.
In 2009, Libya had 18.71 physicians and 66.95 nurses per 10,000 inhabitants.
In 2009, the unemployment rate rose to 21%.
In October 2010, Gaddafi apologized to African leaders on behalf of Arab nations for their involvement in the trans-Saharan slave trade.
According to an Arab League report, based on data from 2010, unemployment for women stands at 18% while for the figure for men is 21%, making Libya the only Arab country where there are more unemployed men than women.
During 2010, when oil averaged at $80 a barrel, oil production accounted for 54% of GDP.
In 2010, Libya's spending on healthcare was 3.88% of the country's GDP.
In 2010, the adult literacy rate in Libya was 89.2%.
By August 22, 2011, rebel fighters had entered Tripoli and occupied Green Square, renaming it Martyrs' Square in honour of those killed since 17 February 2011, starting the Libyan Uprising.
In February 2011, Libya experienced protests against Gaddafi's regime starting on February 15, with a full-scale revolt beginning on February 17, marking the beginning of the Arab Spring movements in the country.
In March 2011, the United States and other nations recognized the National Transitional Council as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people.
On March 17, 2011, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1973, establishing a no-fly zone and authorizing the use of "all means necessary" to protect civilians within Libya.
Based on a request from the Permanent Mission of Libya citing the Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration of 3 August 2011, the UN formally recognized the country as "Libya" in September 2011.
By August 22, 2011, rebel fighters had entered Tripoli and occupied Green Square, renaming it Martyrs' Square.
In August 2011, it was estimated that rebuilding Libya's infrastructure would take at least 10 years due to prior neglect.
In September 2011, the UN formally recognized the country as "Libya".
On October 20, 2011, the last heavy fighting of the uprising ended in Sirte, where Gaddafi was captured and killed by NATO-backed forces.
In November 2011, the ISO 3166-1 was altered to reflect the new country name "Libya".
Although before 2011 a small number of private institutions were given accreditation, the majority of Libya's higher education has always been financed by the public budget.
During the 2011 revolution, 768,362 immigrants fled Libya as calculated by the IOM, around 13% of the population at the time.
In 2011, Libya adopted its current flag, replacing the plain green flag that had been in use since 1977.
In 2011, after the overthrow of Gaddafi, the name of the state changed again.
In 2011, the Arab Spring and NATO intervention led to the Libyan Crisis, resulting in the collapse of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and the death of Muammar Gaddafi.
In 2011, the Libyan Civil War resulted in Gaddafi's overthrow and death, with authority transferred to the National Transitional Council.
In 2011, the life expectancy at birth in Libya was 74.95 years.
In 2011, there were an estimated 750,000 Egyptian workers living in Libya, a decrease from over 2 million prior to the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.
Prior to the 2011 revolution, official and unofficial figures of migrant labour ranged from 25% to 40% of the population (between 1.5 and 2.4 million people).
Since 2011, following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime, Libya has experienced a surge in intense poaching activities due to the availability of weapons and vehicles.
The International Monetary Fund estimated Libya's real GDP plunge at 60% in 2011.
Turkey recorded the evacuation of 25,000 workers during the 2011 uprising.
In May 2012, an estimated 35,000 personnel had joined the Libyan National Army.
On 7 July 2012, Libya held parliamentary elections, the first free elections in almost 40 years.
On July 7, 2012, Libyans held their first parliamentary elections since the end of the Gaddafi regime.
On August 8, 2012, the National Transitional Council officially handed power over to the wholly-elected General National Congress.
In September 2012, the world record figure of 58 °C recorded in 1922 was determined to be invalid by the World Meteorological Organization.
On September 11, 2012, Islamist militants attacked the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, killing the US ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, and three others.
By October 2012, Libya's economy had recovered from the 2011 conflict, with oil production near pre-war levels, surpassing 1.4 million barrels per day.
On October 7, 2012, Libya's Prime Minister-elect Mustafa A.G. Abushagur was ousted after failing to win parliamentary approval for a new cabinet.
As of November 2012, the Libyan army was deemed to be still in the embryonic stage of development.
As of 2012, hundreds of TV stations began broadcasting in Libya due to the collapse of censorship and the initiation of "free media".
Following the 2012 elections, Freedom House improved Libya's rating from Not Free to Partly Free.
In 2012, Libya imported 1 million tonnes of wheat.
The International Monetary Fund estimated Libya's real GDP growth at 122% in 2012.
As of January 2013, there was mounting public pressure on the National Congress to set up a drafting body to create a new constitution.
In January 2013, according to the UNHCR, there were approximately 8,000 registered refugees, 5,500 unregistered refugees, and 7,000 asylum seekers in Libya. Additionally, 47,000 Libyan nationals were internally displaced and 46,570 were internally displaced returnees.
In 2013, Libya made it to the top 20 on the world giving index.
The International Monetary Fund estimated Libya's real GDP growth at 16.7% in 2013.
On 30 March 2014, the General National Congress voted to replace itself with a new House of Representatives.
On March 11, 2014, Prime Minister Zeidan stepped down after being ousted by the GNC and was replaced by Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani.
In May 2014, the Second Civil War began in Libya following fighting between rival parliaments.
In June 2014, elections were held to the House of Representatives, a new legislative body intended to take over from the General National Congress.
On 2 December 2014, UN Special Representative Bernardino León described Libya as a non-state.
By 2014, two rival authorities claimed to govern Libya, leading to a second civil war.
From 2014 to 2020, during the Second Libyan Civil War, the Great Man-Made River's water infrastructure suffered neglect and breakdowns.
In 2014, Derna in eastern Libya came under the control of militants aligned with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
In 2014, Libya won the African Nations Championship after defeating Ghana in the finals.
In 2014, Libya's native population of Arabs-Berbers as well as Arab migrants of various nationalities collectively made up 97% of the population.
In 2014, factional violence deepened the Libyan Crisis, leading to the outbreak of the Second Civil War.
In January 2015, meetings were held with the aim to find a peaceful agreement between the rival parties in Libya during the Geneva-Ghadames talks.
In February 2015, neighboring Egypt launched airstrikes against IS in support of the Tobruk government.
In February 2015, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant released a video depicting the mass beheading of Christian Copts in Libya.
On March 18, 2015, the terrorist attack against the Bardo Museum in Tunisia was reportedly carried out by two Libyan-trained militants.
In July 2015, SRSG Leon reported to the UN Security Council on the progress of the negotiations, which at that point had just achieved a political agreement on 11 July setting out "a comprehensive framework... includ[ing] guiding principles... institutions and decision-making mechanisms to guide the transition until the adoption of a permanent constitution."
On 17 December 2015, an agreement to form a national unity government was signed, with the aim of holding new elections within two years.
In 2015, Libya ranked very low in the Press Freedom Index, 154th out of 180 countries.
In 2015, the internationally recognised Government of National Accord was established.
According to Human Rights Watch annual report 2016, journalists are still being targeted by the armed groups in Libya.
In 2016, an announcement from the company said the company aims 900,000 barrel per day in the next year.
Libya participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
In December 2017, the United Nations was informed that the country's official name was henceforth the "State of Libya".
By 2017, 60% of the Libyan population were malnourished.
In 2017, Libya signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
In May 2018, Libya's rival leaders agreed to hold parliamentary and presidential elections following a meeting in Paris.
In April 2019, Khalifa Haftar launched Operation Flood of Dignity, an offensive by the Libyan National Army aimed to seize Western territories from the Government of National Accord (GNA).
In June 2019, forces allied to Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord successfully captured Gharyan, a strategic town where military commander Khalifa Haftar and his fighters were based.
In March 2020, the UN-backed government of Fayez Al-Sarraj commenced Operation Peace Storm in response to the state of assaults carried by Field Marshal Haftar's LNA.
On August 28, 2020, the BBC revealed that a UAE drone killed 26 young cadets at a military academy in Tripoli on January 4.
On 23 October 2020, a permanent ceasefire was signed to end the war.
From 2014 to 2020, during the Second Libyan Civil War, the Great Man-Made River's water infrastructure suffered neglect and breakdowns.
In 2020, the two main warring sides in Libya signed a permanent ceasefire.
The government hopes to increase food production to 800,000 tonnes of cereals by 2020.
On 5 February 2021, the formation of an interim unity government was announced after elections by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF).
In November 2021, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh announced his candidature for president despite an initial agreement not to stand in the national elections.
In December 2021, Libya's first presidential election was scheduled but was delayed to June 2022.
On 22 December 2021, Libya's Election Commission called for the postponement of the election until 24 January 2022.
For the 2021 Press Freedom Index, Libya's score dropped to 165th out of 180 countries.
On 22 December 2021, Libya's Election Commission called for the postponement of the election until 24 January 2022.
In February 2022, Fathi Bashagha was appointed prime minister by the parliament to lead a transitional administration.
In March 2022, the House of Representatives ceased recognizing the Government of National Unity and proclaimed an alternative government, the Government of National Stability (GNS), leading to dual power in Libya.
In April 2022, tribal leaders shut down the El Sharara oil field in protest against the Dbeibah government.
In June 2022, the previously delayed first presidential election was postponed further.
In 2022, 18 provinces were declared by the Libyan Government of National Unity.
In 2022, Libya was ranked fourth on Open Doors' World Watch List, which ranks the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution.
On September 10, 2023, catastrophic floods due to dam failures devastated the port city of Derna, resulting in thousands of deaths and marking the worst natural disaster in Libya's modern history.
As of 2023 the IOM estimates that approximately 10% of Libya's population (upwards of 700,000 people) constituted foreign labour.
In 2023, the Libyan health ministry announced the launch of the National Strategy for Primary Healthcare 2023–2028 to improve services provided by group clinics and health centres.
In March 2024, Libya was actively promoting business development and investment to secure economic stability.
In November 2024, the Government of National Unity planned to instate a morality police force. This force was intended to crack down on "weird haircuts", enforce "modest" clothing standards, and mandate male guardians for women.
In 2024, Libya's Global Hunger Index (GHI) score is 19.2, which indicates a moderate level of hunger. Libya ranks 83rd out of 127 countries.
In 2024, the Ministry of Education announced the launch of the Full-Day School Project in which 12 schools in different parts of the country will have longer school days.
In 2023, the Libyan health ministry announced the launch of the National Strategy for Primary Healthcare 2023–2028 to improve services provided by group clinics and health centres.