INDEPTH: LIBYA
History
CBC News Online | May 15, 2006
The Roman colonies of Tripoli and Cyrenaica in ancient Libya were breadbaskets of the Roman Empire, until Arab Muslims conquered the colonies in the seventh century. The Ottoman Turks gained control of North Africa in the 16th century. In 1711, a Janissary (professional soldiers who were also slaves) named Ahmad Karamanli seized control and persuaded the Ottomans to recognize him as governor.
The Karamanli family would control the area until 1835.
During the 18th century, the government gained much of its revenue from pirates, who enjoyed immunity in the post of Tripoli in exchange for a portion of their plunder and protection money. The United States fought a war against the pirates from 1801 to 1805 and in 1835, Britain, France and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies defeated the pirates, which prompted the Ottoman Empire to resume direct control.
Libyan flag
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Italy conquered part of Libya during a war with Turkey in 1911 and 1912. The treaty that ended the war granted the region "autonomy" with Italy in de facto political control, while fighting insurgents who opposed colonization. In the 1930s, with Italy ruled by Benito Mussolini, the country built up the region, modernizing the cities, and importing Italian colonists.
Libya became a major battleground during the Second World War, with battles first between the British and Rommel's Afrika Corps and their Italian allies, and later involving the Americans after the Allied landings in North Africa in 1942. By 1943, the Allies were in complete control and Libya was under British and French military rule. In 1949, the United Nations took over and in 1951, Libya was granted independence with King Idris I as head of state.
The country was one of the poorest in the world until oil was discovered in 1958. As a country, Libya became wealthier, but most of that wealth ended up in the hands of an elite class.
In 1969, Col. Moammar Gadhafi, then 27, led a successful coup against the king. Gadhafi abolished the 1951 constitution and ruled along with a 12-member Revolutionary Command Council.
Gadhafi built up his own version of Arab socialism, combined with Islamic law and Arab nationalism that rejected the influences of both sides in the Cold War.
Moammar Gadhafi
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In the 1970s, Gadhafi broke with his neighbour Egypt after its ceasefire agreement with Israel.
In the 1980s, Gadhafi and Libya were responsible for a number of incidents. In 1980, agents assassinated Libyan dissidents in Europe. In 1981, Libyan fighter planes attacked U. S. forces in the Gulf of Sidra but were shot down by the Americans. In 1986, after the U.S. blamed Libya for a bombing in a Berlin disco that killed two American servicemen, President Ronald Reagan ordered air strikes against Tripoli.
In 1988, a bomb blew up a Pan American 747 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people. Later investigations tied that bombing and the bombing of a French DC-10 over Niger that killed 170 to Libya.
In 1989, intelligence agencies discovered that a company in West Germany was selling components for a chemical plant in Rabta, Libya, that could be used to produce weapons. In 1992, both the United States and United Nations imposed sanctions against Libya.
In April 1999, Libya handed over two suspects in the Lockerbie bombing for trial in the Netherlands by Scottish judges.
In March 2003, Gadhafi secretly approached the British to open talks about Libya's program to develop weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear and chemical weapons.
In August 2003, Libya agreed to take responsibility for the actions of its agents in the Lockerbie bombing and paid $2.7 billion US to the families of the 270 victims.
On Dec. 19, 2003, Britain and the United States announced an agreement with Libya that would end the weapons program, allow international inspections, and permit Libya to reopen to the rest of the world.
On Jan. 9, 2004, Libya signed a deal to pay $170 million US to the families of 170 people killed in the bombing of the French airliner over Niger.
In August 2004, Libya said it would pay about $46 million in compensation to relatives of people killed and injured in 1986 when its Secret Service bombed the Berlin nightclub.
U.S. President George W. Bush officially lifted the American trade embargo against Libya on Sept. 20, 2004. A month later, the European Union agreed to ease an arms embargo, going one step further than the U.S., which maintained a weapons ban. In March 2004, British Prime Minister Tony Blair became the first British leader since Winston Churchill in 1943 to visit Libya. Blair was also the first British prime minister to meet with Gadhafi in 35 years.
In December 2004, Prime Minister Paul Martin visited Tripoli and met with Gadhafi. It was the first visit to Libya by a Canadian prime minister.
In May 2006, the U.S. State Department announced it would re-establish full ties with Libya for the first time since 1980. The U.S. liaison office in Tripoli would be upgraded to an embassy and the remaining limits on arms exports and oil investments would be lifted.
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Country name: Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahirya
Total area: 1,759,540 sq. km
Population (July 2004): 5,631,585
Currency: 1.2 dinar = $1 US
Capital: Tripoli
Head of state: Col. Moammar Abu Minyar al-Gadhafi
Government type: Republic with a General People's Congress, members elected by people's committees
Languages: Arabic, Italian and English widespread in major cities
Ethnic groups: Berber and Arab (97%)
Religion: Sunni Muslim (97%)
GDP (2004 est.): $35 billion U.S.
Key exports: The Libyan economy is largely dependent on oil exports, but the exports have been limited until recently due to international sanctions.
Other industries: Libya has been expanding its non-oil industries in recent years, until these industries, including petrochemical production, iron, steel and aluminum now account for 20 per cent of GDP. Climate and poor soil limit agriculture and Libya imports 75 per cent of its food.
Life expectancy (2004): Men 74.1 years, Women 78.58 years
Infant mortality: 25.7 deaths for 1,000 live births
Literacy (2003): Female 72%, male 92.4%
Per capita purchasing power: (2004 est) $6,400 U.S.
Oil production (2004 est): 1.429 million barrels/day
Unemployment rate (2001): 30 per cent
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| RELATED: |
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| CBC STORIES: |
U.S. restoring ties with Libya (May 15, 2006)
Libyan court scraps death sentences for foreign medics (Dec. 25, 2005)
Martin's Libya trip welcomed by Canadian business (Dec. 19, 2004)
EU rewards Libya by easing weapons embargo (Oct. 11, 2004)
Bush officially lifts Libya sanctions (Sept. 20, 2004)
Libya to pay $46 million for 1986 Berlin disco bombing (Aug. 10, 2004)
U.S. resumes diplomatic relations with Gadhafi's Libya (June 28, 2004)
Libya sentences 6 foreign workers to death (May 6, 2004)
Libya, France reach deal over UTA bombing (Jan. 9, 2004)
Libya will 'renounce terrorism,' stop weapons of mass destruction program (Dec. 19, 2003)
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