To say that Libya is a controversial country is a mild understatement. Regardless, it is turning away from its violent past and even opening up to travelers.
An Overview of Libya For Travelers
Libya is located on the northern coast line of Africa. It is surprisingly large country, covering over 1.7 million square miles. Much of the land, however, is arid desert and unused. 90 percent of the population lives along the coast line while the interior of the country has little or no population to speak of. The capital of the country is Tripoli, also the largest population center by far.
The people of Libya are called Libyans. Total population is believed to be 5.6 million and growing at a rate of 2.3 percent a year. Ethnic groups break down as Berber and Arab. Sunni Muslin is the dominant religion and Arabic is the primary language. The literacy rate is 82 percent. Live expectancy is 74.1 percent for men and 78.58 percent for women. In an odd twist, roughly 50 percent of the population is believed to be under the age of 20.
Historically, Libya has been a country ruled by foreign powers. From the Phoenicians to the Carthaginians to the Greeks and...