Libya

American  

[lib-ee-uh] / ˈlɪb i ə /

noun

1. Ancient Geography. the part of N Africa W of Egypt.

2. Italian Libia.  a republic in N Africa between Tunisia and Egypt: formerly a monarchy 1951–69. 679,400 sq. mi. (1,759,646 sq. km). Tripoli.

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Libya British  

/ ˈlɪbɪə /

noun

1. Official name: Al-Jumhuria al-Arabia al-Libya ash-Shabiya al-Ishtirakiya al-Uzma.  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 led by Colonel Gaddafi in 1969; Gaddafi's authoritarian regime overthrown in 2011 following a popular uprising. 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: 6 002 347 (2013 est). Area: 1 760 000 sq km (680 000 sq miles)

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Libya Cultural  

1. Nation in northern Africa on the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Egypt (see also Egypt) to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west. Its capital and largest city is Tripoli.

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Discover More

Under the leadership of Muammar Qaddafi, Libya pursued a policy of openly supporting and abetting terrorists around the world. This policy made Libya an outcast state with few friends outside the Arab world. Recently, Qaddafi has claimed that he now disavows terrorism.

Example Sentences

Uprisings rocked and, in some cases, uprooted strongman rulers in places such as Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

The 30 crew members were rescued, leaving the LNG-laden carrier to drift between Malta and Libya for nearly three weeks.

From Barron's • Mar. 22, 2026

In the meantime, Hungary has begun receiving non-Russian seaborne Brent crude from Norway, Saudi Arabia and Libya through the Adria pipeline from Croatia.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Libya is now fractured into competing governments and rival armed groups.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

She worked at an air base in Athens, then another in Tripoli, Libya.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin