Books with title Libya

Libya is teetering on the edge of collapse, having become a new haven for terrorist organizations and an epicenter of the refugee crisis. Few could have imagined that the uprising against the longstanding regime of Mu‘ammar Al-Gaddafi would expose a polity deeply fractured by internal divisions. Fewer still could have predicted the intractability of the conflicts that emerged in the wake of this revolution. Jacob Mundy’s Libya is the first book to explain the political, security, and humanitarian crises that have engulfed Libya – Africa’s largest oil-exporting country – since the Arab Spring of 2011. Examining the roots of the anti-Gaddafi revolution and the failures that resulted in the country’s descent into chaos, Mundy identifies new centers of power that coalesced in the wake of the regime’s collapse. The more these rival coalitions vied for political authority and control over Libya’s vast oil wealth, the more they reached out to external actors who were playing their own “great game” in Libya and across the region. In the face of such a multifaceted crisis, the future looks grim as the international community seems unable to bring peace to this divided and conflict-ridden nation.

Libya is teetering on the edge of collapse, having become a new haven for terrorist organizations and an epicenter of the refugee crisis. Few could have imagined that the uprising against the longstanding regime of Mu‘ammar Al-Gaddafi would expose a polity deeply fractured by internal divisions. Fewer still could have predicted the intractability of the conflicts that emerged in the wake of this revolution. Jacob Mundy’s Libya is the first book to explain the political, security, and humanitarian crises that have engulfed Libya – Africa’s largest oil-exporting country – since the Arab Spring of 2011. Examining the roots of the anti-Gaddafi revolution and the failures that resulted in the country’s descent into chaos, Mundy identifies new centers of power that coalesced in the wake of the regime’s collapse. The more these rival coalitions vied for political authority and control over Libya’s vast oil wealth, the more they reached out to external actors who were playing their own “great game” in Libya and across the region. In the face of such a multifaceted crisis, the future looks grim as the international community seems unable to bring peace to this divided and conflict-ridden nation.

For more than three decades, most countries of the world have viewed Libya as a radical, unstable nation. Under the leadership of Muammar al-Qaddafi, Libya has sponsored international terrorism and supported efforts to overthrow the governments of its African neighbors. This has led to confrontations with the West, particularly with the United States during the 1980s. Beneath the sands of Libya lies a valuable resource-vast amounts of oil. Despite this, the people of Libya have remained poor during Qaddafi's rule. Although in recent years Libyan society appears to have become more open, and Qaddafi seems to have moderated some of his extremist views, the future of the country remains uncertain. Discusses the geography, history, economy, government, religion, people, foreign relations, and major cities of Libya.

Libya is the third-largest state in Africa by area. Located in North Africa, it has no permanent rivers or streams, as the Sahara Desert covers most of the country. Yet just beneath the land's surface lie huge reserves of oil, which have provided vast wealth for Libya's political elite. Unfortunately, little of this wealth has reached the country's approximately 6 million residents. For more than 40 years, Mu'ammar al-Gadhafi ruled Libya as an authoritarian state. The hostile foreign policies of the controversial leader, including support for international terrorist groups, caused Libya to become politically and economically isolated from the rest of the world during the late 20th century and early 21st century. In February 2011, a civil war began in Libya that resulted in the overthrow of Gadhafi's government—and eventually, the dictator's execution. Today, Libya remains in turmoil politically, as various factions squabble for power in the newly forming government.

Diversity is the spice of life, and the highly regarded Cultures of the World series celebrates just that in fully updated, and expanded editions. As has always been true of these outstanding titles, an abundance of vibrant photographs -- including those new to this edition -- stimulate the imaginations of young readers as they travel the globe. A new chapter on the environment focuses on politics and economics as well as on endangered species and the effects of industrialization. Additional authentic recipes add general interest while new maps offer further, easy-to-find facts in "About the Geography, " "About the Culture" and "About the Economy" sections.