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Interesting Facts about Libya

Trivia, oddities, and curious tidbits about Libya.

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18 curious facts about Libya.

In 1933, a weather station in the Sahara (Azizia, Libia) recorded a tempurature at 136° F.
When a child loses a tooth they throw their tooth to the sun and say “Bring me a new tooth.” They say they have a bright smile because their teeth came from the sun.
The hottest spot on the planet is Al Aziziya, in the Sahara desert where a temperature of over 136°F has been recorded.
The name “Libya” once referred to all of the lands of Africa, not just the area of North Africa now known as Libya. The Egyptians were the first to call the rest of Africa (that is, the lands that were not part of Egypt) Libya.

Muammar al-Qaddafi is considered the founder of the modern state of Libya. He assumed the leadership of the country in 1969. In 1977 Qaddafi renamed the country “The Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.” The term Jamahiriya, created by Qaddafi, means a republic of the masses.
The palm tree thrives in Libya's extreme climate. Found near the sea or by desert oases, it can survive intense heat and frost. Nomads use the trunk for fuel and for making rope, and weave the leaves into sandals and baskets.
Camels are well adapted to life in the desert. Their large feet are flat on the bottom, so they do not sink into the sand. They have flat nostrils that keep sand out of their noses and long, thick eyelashes that keep sand out of their eyes. They store fat in humps on their backs.
Libya has many important Roman archaeological sites, including Leptis Magna, one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the Mediterranean. More than 200 Roman wells have also been discovered in Libya. These still provide water, as they did two millennia ago.
Traditional North African homes were built according to a standard pattern. Rooms were all on one floor and grouped around an open-air courtyard. Often there was a pool or fountain in the courtyard. Today, most Libyans in cities live in apartment buildings.
Souks (outdoor marketplaces) are found in all Libyan cities. Farmers bring their produce, merchants sell spices, clothing and carpets, and craftspeople sell jewellery, baskets and leatherwork from small shops that line the narrow lanes of the souks.

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