Libya And Lybian People example essay topic

Libya is an Arab country in northern Africa. It lies on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The country is bordered by Egypt and Sudan on the east, Chad and Niger on the south, and Algeria and Tunisia on the west. Tripoli is Libya's capital and largest city. The vast, dry Sahara covers most of Libya, and the country has few natural resources. But the discovery of petroleum in 1959 injected huge sums of money into Libya's economy.

The government of Libya used some of this wealth to improve farmland and provide services for the people. Almost all of Libya's people are of mixed Arab and Berber ancestry and are Muslims. Until the early 1900's, Libya consisted of three separate geographical and historical regions. It became a united, independent country in 1951. Libya's official name is the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

GovernmentMuammar Muhammad al-Qadhafi is Libya's head of state, but he holds no official title. In 1969, Qadhafi led a military revolt that overthrew the ruling monarchy. Libya's government is based on popular assemblies. All Libyan citizens age 18 or older may vote and hold public office. About 1,000 local groups elect a representative to the General People's Congress (GPC), which officially runs the national government. The General People's Congress meets every year to consider legislation and to select the members of the General People's Committee, which develops national policy.

Libya is divided into 24 political units called bald iyas. A local People's Congress administers each bald iya. Political parties have not been permitted since 1952. In 1971, the Arab Socialist Union was formed as Libya's only political alliance. But a number of underground opposition groups exist. People Population and ancestry.

About 80 percent of Libya's people live along the Mediterranean coast or in the upland regions just south of the coast. More than 90 percent of Libya's population is of mixed Arab and Berber ancestry. The Berbers lived in Libya before the Arabs arrived in the A.D. 600's. Languages.

Arabic, the official language, is spoken by almost all Libyans. Many educated Libyans speak a second language, particularly English or Italian. Way of life. Most of Libya's people live in urban areas. The country's rural dwellers live mostly in villages or desert oases.

Some nomads move with their sheep, goats, and camels in search of pasture. The expansion of the Libyan economy after the mid-1900's triggered a substantial migration from rural areas to the cities. The transition from rural to urban life required many difficult adjustments. For example, rural Libyans live as an extended family, with several generations sharing a single home. But this arrangement is not practical in Libya's crowded cities. The status of women in Libya changed dramatically in the late 1900's.

Women once received little or no education and were largely confined to the home. As a result of the changes, women have the legal right to participate fully in Libyan society. But many traditional attitudes about women remain. Libyan women form only about 10 percent of the work force, but this percentage is increasing as more women become educated. Housing. Libya's large cities look much like those in North America and Western Europe.

High-rise office and apartment buildings fill the downtown areas. Suburban areas have more spacious single-family dwellings. In rural areas, most people live in stone or mud-brick houses. Often, families have a single room for all activities and a nearby shelter for their animals. The flood of people from the country to the cities has created overcrowding, particularly in older urban neighborhoods. Clothing.

Traditional garments are commonly worn in rural areas of Libya. Men wear a loose cotton shirt and trousers covered by an outer cloak. They often wear a flat, brimless, tight-fitting cap. Women traditionally wear a full-length robe.

Some people in Libya's cities wear these garments to indicate their regard for traditional values and practices. But most city dwellers wear Western-style clothing..