π Countries of the world π Arab countries
Libya
π In short
Libya is a big Arab country in North Africa with a long coast on the Mediterranean Sea. Most of its land is vast desert, part of the Sahara. Its capital is Tripoli, which has a beautiful old town.
π€© Did you know?
- Libya's capital is Tripoli.
- Libya became independent and united in 1951.
- The currency is the Libyan dinar.
- In the Akakus Mountains there are rock paintings thousands of years old.
ποΈ Fact file
π Find out more
π Desert and oases
Desert covers most of Libya, with tall dunes and rocky mountains. In the middle are green oases with palm trees and water, like the oasis of Ghadames.
π Ghadames, pearl of the desert
The houses of old Ghadames are made of mud and packed together, and its lanes are roofed to stay cool in the heat. It was an important caravan stop.
π‘ Roman ruins
Libya's coast has wonderful ancient Roman cities like Leptis Magna, Sabratha and Cyrene, with huge theaters, columns and stone streets.
π― The man-made river
Under Libya's desert there is ancient stored water, so Libyans built huge pipes to carry it to the coastal cities and called it the βGreat Man-Made Riverβ.
πΈ More pictures
𧩠Test yourself
1 What is the capital of Libya?
2 What covers most of Libya?
3 Which picture shows βLibyaβ?
π Discover more
π· Picture sources: Wikimedia Commons
- Sanadalahlafi Β· CC BY-SA 4.0
- Roberdan Β· CC BY-SA 2.0
