Lib·y·a (l b  - ) A country of northern Africa on the Mediterranean Sea. Controlled at various times by Carthage, Rome, Arabia, and Spain, the area was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1551 to 1911. It was subsequently seized by Italy and became an Italian colony during World War II, achieving independence as a kingdom in 1951. In 1969 Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi took power in a coup d'état, establishing a socialist dictatorship. Tripoli is the capital and the largest city. Population: 6,040,000. |   |
Libya [ˈlɪbɪə]
n
(Placename) a republic in N Africa, on the Mediterranean: became an Italian colony in 1912; divided after World War II into Tripolitania and Cyrenaica (under British administration) and Fezzan (under French); gained independence in 1951; monarchy overthrown by a military junta in 1969. It consists almost wholly of desert and is a major exporter of oil. Official language: Arabic. Official religion: (Sunni) Muslim. Currency: Libyan dinar. Capital: Tripoli. Pop.: 5 241 000 (2001 est.). Area: 1 760 000 sq. km (680 000 sq. miles) Official name Al-Jumhuria al-Arabia allibya
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Libya - a military dictatorship in northern Africa on the Mediterranean; consists almost entirely of desert; a major exporter of petroleumAbu Nidal Organization, ANO, Arab Revolutionary Brigades, Black September, Fatah Revolutionary Council, Fatah-RC, Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Muslims - a Palestinian international terrorist organization that split from the PLO in 1974; has conducted terrorist attacks in 20 countries; "in the 1980s the Fatah-RC was considered the most dangerous and murderous Palestinian terror group" Al-Jama'a al-Islamiyyah al-Muqatilah bi-Libya, Libyan Fighting Group, Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, Libyan Islamic Group, FIG - a Libyan terrorist group organized in 1995 and aligned with al-Qaeda; seeks to radicalize the Libyan government; attempted to assassinate Qaddafi Arab League - an international organization of independent Arab states formed in 1945 to promote cultural and economic and military and political and social cooperation OPEC, Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries - an organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the production and sale of petroleum capital of Libya, Tarabulus Al-Gharb, Tripoli - the capital and chief port and largest city of Libya; in northwestern Libya on the Mediterranean Sea; founded by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC Benghazi - port in northern Libya on the Gulf of Sidra; formerly a joint capital of Libya with Tripoli Libyan Desert - the northeastern part of the Sahara Desert in Libya and Egypt and Sudan Africa - the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean Libyan - a native or inhabitant of Libya |
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