Libya — Overview
Slowly but surely emerging from years of international isolation, Libya's beauty and diversity are still relatively unknown and, as a result, the country remains largely unspoiled. The whitewashed capital Tripoli is, for North Africa, a quiet city, with a good selection of restaurants and hotels. The large city of Benghazi is the country's commercial heart. On the crossroads of ancient civilizations, Libya's Mediterranean coast boasts the spectacular remains of the grand Roman cities of Leptis Magna and Sabratha, and the fine Greek cities of Cyrene and Apollonia.
Sahara desert
Most of the country is desert and what a desert. The Sahara is more accessible in Libya, and infinitely beautiful. From the peace of the magnificent dunes of the Idehan Murzuq to the traditions of the old oasis cities like Ghadames and Ghat, from the picturesque palm-fringed Ubari Lakes to the dramatic Akakus mountains with many prehistoric rock carvings, Libya has it all.
Libyan people
A visit to Libya is only possible on an escorted tour, but a local guide will add to your understanding of his country. Libyans are warm and hospitality is a duty. Most Libyans are a mix of Arab or Berber descent. Berbers, including Tuaregs, live in the more remote areas and form about 10% of the population, while the rest lives in the cities on the coast.
Geography
About 95% of Libya, Africa's fourth largest country, consists of desert (the Sahara). In the west the Sahara desert extends into Tunisia and Algeria, in the east into Egypt, and across the southern frontiers into Niger, Chad and Sudan. Only 20% of the desert features sand dunes - most of it consists of hamada (rock plateau) and, in the south, dramatic basalt mountains, the highest point of which is Bikubiti (2285m), near the Chad border. There are a few oases scattered throughout the country, mainly in the south.
There are almost 1,770 km (1,100 miles) of Mediterranean coast, with a low plain extending from the Tunisian border to the Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountain) area in the east. Inland the terrain becomes more hilly. Agriculture has developed mainly on the coast between Zuwarah and Misratah in the west and from Marsa Susa to Benghazi in the east. In the uplands of the old province of Cyrenaica and on Jebel Akhdar the vegetation is more lush.
Desertification is a huge problem, but the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, was built to bring water from large aquifers under the Sahara to the coastal cities.
