Libya

North African country bordered by Tunisia, Algeria, Niger, Chad, the Sudan, and Egypt. Formerly a colony of Italy until 1951. Since 1969, the leader of the country has been Muammar Qaddafi (also transliterated from the Arabic to several other spellings, enumerated on http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8744/spelling.htm) who holds no official title but is pretty much in control of the government. The major industry is oil.

The U.S. bombed the capital city of Tripoli in April 1986, supposedly in retaliation for a the bombing of a West Berlin nightclub with a lot of Americans in it (which was never conclusively proven to be done by Libyans) and to prevent more terrorist attacks.

One of the oldest inhabited regions in the world. For the Egyptians (some of whose ancestors may have originated there) Libya was the ancient land in the west (an area larger than the current nation of Libya). Some hold that it was associated with Amentu, the 'land of the westerners', or the 'land of the dead', by the Egyptians.

The famous Tassili Frescoes discovered here by Lhote are our main source of information on ancient cattle herding people. This area seems to have been perpetually inhabited since early man first arrived in North Africa.

Libyan wine jars in 1st Dynasty Egyptian tombs suggest wine was first exported from this region.