Libya is one of the most interesting places in the world due to the unusual things it’s got. It’s located in the Maghreb region of North Africa and just beside the Meditteranean Sea. Also, Libya is known to be among the top 20 largest countries in the world. Despite that, this country is surrounded by deserts. Getting to Libya via land travel is long and treacherous at times. Still, the country has a lot to offer if you’re willing to see all the interesting things. From historical wonders and cultural magnificence, the country of Libya is a treasure trove. Even if they are not in a peaceful state recently, exploring the wonders that the country has to offer is sure to be exciting!
Libya Facts
1. The country only has near 7 million citizens.
With this country being one of the largest there is in the world, you’d think that it’s got a lot more people living in it. However, that’s not the case at all. Libya may be famous, but there are some reasons why not a lot of people decide to settle down in Libya. For one, the country is surrounded by wide deserts that span the horizon. Of course, other countries are also in the same geographical setting. It’s just that the deserts in this country tend to get too hot during certain times of the year. Can you believe that one of its desert regions got to 58 degrees celsius at one point? That’s certainly one reason enough to choose a proper location if you want to settle down in Libya.
2. Libya has one of the largest oil reserves in Africa.
You may not know this yet, but Libya was once a poor country despite its size and rich cultural history. Of course, that changed drastically when the country’s oil reserves have been discovered back in 1950, a fun fact about Libya. Six decades later, the country is considered to be one of the largest oil producers in the world. To give you an idea, they usually score an annual oil production of almost 1.7 million barrels per day! With oil being a commodity for just about any country, Libya is fortunate to be a producer and exporter.
3. Fuel and gas are usually cheaper in this country.
The fact that it’s one of the largest oil reserves means that Libya gets to have the advantage of capitalizing on fuel. You won’t even have to worry about getting a full tank of fuel every day if you’re in this country. It’s also surprising how water can be more expensive than oil in this country, an interesting fact about Libya. At one point, the citizens of this country had free oil allowance and they didn’t need to pay for electricity for a long time.
4. The city of Tripoli is a historical marvel.
Tripoli means “three cities” in Greek. That’s because three cities were combined to form the City of Tripoli. There’s a lot of history when it comes to the unification of those cities. However, the interesting part is the outcome. With three cities merged, Tripoli has become one big city with a lot of historical places to visit such as museums and ancient ruins. The view from above the city is also a great scene to experience.
5. The ruins of Leptis Magna is a marvelous sight for anyone who loves history.
There are a lot of ancient ruins scattered all over the world. One might ask: “What makes Leptis Magna so special then?”. The answer to that is how this ancient ruin is well-preserved. Unlike many other ancient ruins out there, Leptis Magna is not a place that’s always crowded with a lot of people. It’s not easy to get a visa to tour Libya which is why not a lot of tourists get to visit the place. Leptis Magna is also a place where you can see how the Roman Empire’s architectures are built to last.
6. Libya is considered to be an Islamic country today even if it had a lot of Christian history.
There’s no doubt that Libya is one of the largest Islamic countries to date. With all the mosques around, it’s not that hard to know the dominant religion. However, what’s interesting is that most of what remains in Libya are influenced by Christianity. The fact that two contrasting religious influences co-exist is just a heartwarming to see.
7. The food in this country is a mix of African, Italian, and Mediterranean.
While it’s quite normal to assume that Libya has African and Mediterranean cuisine, you should know how Italian influence got involved in the picture. The short answer would be that Italy was one of the countries that colonized Libya. In the end, they left some infrastructures behind and a lot of influence on the food. More than ever, Libya has the best cuisines you’ll ever taste due to this mix.
8. The people of Libya are great.
With Libya being an Islamic country, a lot of people are skeptical about visiting it due to the stereotypes going around. There’s also the fact that Libya right now is not a place that’s considered safe for tourists. Of course, Tripoli is far from the country’s less peaceful area. One can say that Tripoli is the haven of Libya because of the people who live in it. They always greet everyone with a smile. They are always friendly and always wants to laugh with others, a fun fact about Libya. Even with what the country is going through, the people of Libya still want to help each other and always hope for a better tomorrow.
Conclusion
Libya is a great place with all its historical value. However, what makes the country great is its people. With the power struggle going on in the country, a lot of people may get disappointed and discouraged to visit it. However, Libya is a beautiful place. Not a lot of people have the chance to see well-preserved ruins. Also, the food is great and you can just try out a lot of ingredients in this country. Other than that, this country is a good place to visit if you want to see how people can be so resilient even in times of war. Hopefully, Libya gets to open its doors even wider after its current situation has passed.
I hope that this article on Libya facts was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Country Facts Page!
