Libya is one of the largest countries of Africa in terms of area. It consists of three regions, each with its own individual landscape and culture. Tripolitania in the west is to a large extent colored by the French colonial history of its western Arabic neighbors, Tunisia and Algeria. Cyrenaica in the east has close links with Egypt. The southerly Fezzan consists of sandy and rocky deserts and borders the Sahara.

Two-thirds of the Libyan population live in the province of Tripolitania, with 1.8 million in the metropolitan area of the capital, Tripoli. Tripoli was founded by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC. The Greeks and Romans subsequently added their cultural influence to the city. A Roman triumphal arch, erected in the 2nd century in honor of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, is one of the numerous sights of the capital. Around 645 AD this Mediterranean harbor city came under Arab rule. Dubbed the "Gateway to the Sahara," it was the starting and ending point of the trans-Sahara trade routes for centuries.

Libya's second-largest city, Bengasi, on the east coast of the Gulf of Sirte, was founded as a Greek colony of the Hesperides. Since the 16th century it has been under Turkish rule. It was incorporated in 1911 by the Italians into its newly-acquired province of Libya. When the Italians withdrew from Libya in 1943, the country was completely impoverished and the eastern part ravaged by the aftermath of the Second World War.

The discovery of rich oil reserves at the end of the 1950s transformed Libya into a wealthy nation. Following nationalization of the oil economy, an ambitious development program was launched. Part of the modernization plan involves demands for equality for women - women can be appointed as judges, are represented on the General People's Committee, corresponding to a cabinet or ministerial committee, and have their own military academy.