LIBYAYes! This green side is the national flag. Not the best place for flag

designers.

Key Statistics

Population: 6.6 Million

Median Age: 24.5 Years

Religion: 97% Sunni

GDP: $89.03 Billion ($13,800 per capita)

Leader: <-- this guy! Mohammar Quadaffi

Years in Power: 42 years

Time Left in Power: 42 minutes?

Modern Economy

• OIL! (95% of export earnings, 25% of GDP, 80% of government earnings)

• 98th in world for Soverign debt• Qadaffi is worth close to $70 billion all stolen from the

country• Small amounts of agriculture• Refines own oil• Exports petrochemicals

History (prehistoric)

• 1000’s of years ago Sahara used to be lush green land• Land settled by Berbers after the nomadic tribes settled

– Domesticated cattle– Cultivated crops

• Society dates backs 12,000 years• No written language therefore little is known about them• Phoenician’s established trading relations with the

Berber tribes by the 5th century BCE• The Phoenician state of Carthage occupied part of

current day Libya

Roman Libya 74 BC - 642 AD

• Tripolitania becomes a state after the fall of Carthage and asks for protection from the Romans

• Annexed in 74 BC and added to province of Crete• Economically successful in its golden age in 2nd

century AD• Full of merchants and artisans and exported olive oil

and cereals• Coastal regions became incredibly Romanized

Tripolitania = “three polis” area

• Oea = current day Tripoli• Sabratha• Leptis Magna

Rome’s Split

• During the split Libya goes to Byzantine empire.• High taxes imposed to pay for wars• Minimized legitimacy of the empire in Libya• In 642 AD the armies of Islam capture the province

with 40,000 soliders• Tribal resistance surfaces but is put down in next 20

years

Arab Islamic Rule 642-1551

• Exports salt, wool, and leather• Normans of Italy invade setting off a long war• Turks and Bedouins reclaim Libya in 1174• Libya becomes a center of art, architecture, and

literature

Ottoman Rule 1551-1911

• Invaded and conquered by the Ottomans• Run by janissaries• 18th century - lapsed into military anarchy due to lack

of central government• Coup takes power from Ottoman’s but deal is quickly

reached to nominally rejoin with Ahmed as new governor

• Ahmed improves economy by employing pirates on central shipping lanes

• Fights the Barbary Wars with the US in 19th century

Italian Colonialism 1911 - 1951

• Known as Italian North Africa• 150,000 Italians settled in the county• 1934 Libya becomes official name• Uprising arises between two world wars• Under fascism Italy takes a hard line against rebels• After WWII the Brits and French control Libya

Independent State

• The UN General Assembly sets up a constitutional monarchy in 1952

• Islam declared religion of state• Constitution protects individual rights and public

obligations• Discovery of oil in 1959 helps Libya no longer be one

of the world’s poorest states

Qaddafi

• Coup in 1969 by 27 year old Qaddafi (took 2 hours)– Suspended constitution and implemented Sharia– Purged country of “politically sick”– Created people’s militia to protect revolution

• Extensive intelligence network - 10 - 20% of Libyans in its employ

• Executed dissidents• Assassinated international refugees

Qaddafi

• Attacks Egypt because of Sadat’s peace with Israel• Egypt destroys all Libyan armor leaving 400 dead• Once more becomes impoverished from Qaddafi’s

economic policy• Long history of state sponsored terrorism

Protest Timeline