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The present country of Libya was established in which year? |
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1951. Prior to World War II Libya was an Italian colony, and following the war was administered for five years by Britain under a United Nations mandate. Libya became an independent kingdom on 24th December 1951.
More than ninety five percent of Libya is desert. This desert is called the Sahara, which not surprisingly is an Arabic word, but what does it mean? |
Desert. Saying "Sahara Desert" is really tautology as it actually means "desert desert". The Sahara is the world's largest desert, and is about the size of the U.S.A. It forms a major part of the landscape of eleven countries. The Sahara is not all sand however. There are large areas of gravel, clay and rock, and several mountain ranges. The highest point in the Sahara is the volcano Emi Koussi in Chad, which is 3,415 metres (11,204 feet) high.
| Libya's head of state is Colonel Muammar Qadhafi, but what is his actual political title? |
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Revolutionary Leader. The only title officially held by Qadhafi is Revolutionary Leader. Some sources claim he holds no title, but this is untrue. In spite of this, he is de facto head of state, and commander of the armed forces. His rank of colonel is Libya's highest achievable military rank. Qadhafi has set out his personal political philosophy in "The Third Universal Theory", popularly known as "The Green Book".
| Libya was the scene of fierce fighting during World War II. Which countries were involved in the first battles? |
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Britain and Italy. By June 1940, Britain, France and Italy had major forces in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia, but the Franco-German armistice of that month removed the French army from the equation. Under Marshall Rodolfo Graziani the Italians tried to invade Egypt via Libya, which involved overcoming the British bases at Sidi Barrani and Mersa Matruh. British forces under General O'Connor and General Wavell defeated the Italians, leading to the appointment of the German General Erwin Rommell to take command of the Afrika Corps. Rommel arrived in Libya on 12th February 1941.
| Libya has undertaken one of the world's biggest ever water projects. What is the name of this project? |
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Great Manmade River Project. The Great Manmade River Project is designed to carry vast quantities of sub-Saharan water to the coastal regions for irrigation, industry and drinking. On completion it is expected to carry five to six million cubic metres of water every day. The project began in 1984, and is estimated to finally cost over twenty-five billion dollars. A total length of 3,380 kilometres of four metre diameter pipes will finally be installed, and the entire length will be wrapped in reinforcing wire. If laid out in a line, this reinforcing wire would circle the earth two hundred and thirty times.
| In 2003 Libya was elected to chair a major international organisation. What organisation was this? |
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United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The chairmanship of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights rotates between the major continental areas, and in 2003 it was the turn of Africa. Libya was unanimously sponsored by the African Union, in particular by South Africa, against strong opposition from the U.S.A. and other countries. The final vote was thirty three for, three against, and seventeen abstentions.
| How many countries have borders with Libya? |
six. Libya has borders with Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Niger, Sudan, and Tunisia. In recent years some of these borders have been the subject of dispute, and even conflict. The longest running dispute was with Chad, over an area of approximately ten thousand square kilometres known as "The Aouzou Strip". Eventually this conflict was settled by both countries agreeing in 1984 to a judgment by the International Court of Justice.
| An important Biblical character came from a Libyan city. Who is this character? |
Simon Of Cyrene. Cyrene occupies a prominent position high on an escarpment overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the coastal plain. It is close to the modern city of Derna. Simon of Cyrene was ordered by the Romans to carry the cross of Jesus to his crucifixion (Matthew 27. verse 32). Tarsus is located in Turkey, and Saul of Tarsus became the Apostle Paul. Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus for interment, and is mentioned in all four gospels. Arimathea was a Judean city near Jerusalem. Zacchaeus came from Jericho, and is mentioned in the gospel of Luke, chapter 19, verse 10.
| Although the country is generally known as Libya, the correct name is somewhat longer. What is the full name of the country? |
Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. The name and the constitution were changed in 1977, prior to which Libya was called the "Libyan Arab Republic'. Jamahiriya has no precise translation into English, but means "Government by the masses". The new constitution set up a system whereby local "people's committees" took on the role of national government, though Colonel Muammar Qadhafi effectively remained as Head of State. |
