Libya stretches along the northern coast of Africa and has Tunisia and Algeria on the west and Egypt on the east. To the south of Libya are Sudan, Chad and Niger. Most of the country is within the Sahara Desert while the coastal areas and interior is plateau. Libya, as it is now, was founded by Col. Muammar al Qaddafi.

Libya - Facts and Figures

• Official name is Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
• The terrain is mostly barren, flat plain with plateaus and depressions.
• Libya’s climate is Mediterranean along its coast while being dry and extreme within its exterior.
• Libya has total land boundaries of 4,383 kilometers while its coastline is 1,770 kilometers long.
• Area: 1,759,540 sq km, all of it being land.
• The Arabs came to Libya in the middle of the seventh century and Islam quickly followed. More recently, Libya was under Italian rule.
• Population is almost 6 million, of which Berbers and Arabs comprise 97%. Other races include Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians and Tunisians.
• The main languages are Arabic and Italian. English is also widely spoken. (Buy Islamic Arabic Books here)
• Islam is practiced by 97% of the population, the majority of them being Sunnis.
• Capital is Tripoli and the other major city is Benghazi.
• Major exports are machinery, transport equipment, food and consumer products.
• The local currency is the Libyan dinar.
• Agricultural products are wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus fruits, vegetables, peanuts and soybeans.
• Major trading partners include Italy, Germany, Spain, Turkey, France, South Korea, United Kingdom and Tunisia.
• Government system is military rule.

Lebanon, at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, has Israel to its south and Syria to it east. Most of the country is covered by the Lebanon Mountains on the west while the Anti-Lebanon Range is on the east. In the middle is the Bekaa Valley, which is the main agricultural area. Lebanon has a violent recent history, with parts of the country being occupied by Israeli and Syrian forces at some time.

Lebanon - Facts and Figures

• Official name is Republic of Lebanon.
• Terrain comprises of a narrow coastal plain with the Bekaa Valley separating the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains.
• Lebanon’s climate is Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Heavy snow falls on the mountains during winter.
• Lebanon’s land boundaries are 454 kilometers in total while 225 kilometers are coastline.
• Area: 10,400 sq km, of which 10,230 sq km is land and 170 sq km is water.
• Lebanon and Syria were joined under the Ottoman Empire but split after World War I and handed over to a French mandate. Full independence was declared in 1941.
• Population is about 3.8 million, comprising 95% Arabs and 4% Armenians.
• Lebanon’s official language is Arabic while French, English and Syrian are also spoken.
• About 60% of the population is Muslim (Shiite, Sunni, Druze, Ismailis and Alawite). Christians make up about 39%.
• Capital is Beirut, while other large cities include Tripoli and Sidon.
• Major exports are jewelry, inorganic chemicals, consumer goods, fruit, tobacco, textiles and paper.
• The local currency is the Lebanese pound.
• Agricultural products are citrus fruits, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, sheep and goats.
• Major trading partners are Syria, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Italy, France, Germany, China, United States and United Kingdom.
• Republic-based government.

 

Yemen was unified as a nation in 1990 after decades of hostility between the Marxist south and North Yemen. Previously, it was divided into the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen and the Yemen Arab Republic. The country is located in the southwest tip of the Arabian peninsular with Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the east. It is separated from Africa by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Yemen - Facts and Figures

• Official name is Republic of Yemen.
• Yemen’s terrain is a narrow coastal plain merging into flat-topped hills and rugged mountains. Desert areas fill uplands and interior of the country.
• Climate is mostly desert, being hot and humid along the west coast, temperate in the western mountains and harsh and hot in the desert east.
• Yemen’s land boundaries total 1,746 kilometers and it has 1,906 kilometers of coastline.
• Area: 527,970 sq km of land area.
• Islam came to Yemen in the seventh century. North Yemen was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1918 and was free of British protection in 1967.
• Population is about 21.5 million. The majority of people are Arabs but you also find Afro-Arabs, South Asians and Europeans.
• The official language is Arabic.  (Buy Islamic Arabic Books here)
• Islam is the majority religion while there are also pockets of Jews, Christians and Hindus.
• Capital is Sanaa. Other large cities are Aden, Hodiedah and Tiaz.
• Major exports include crude oil, coffee and dried and salted fish. Yemen’s natural resources are petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble, coal, gold, lead, nickel and copper.
• The local currency is the rial.
• Agricultural products are grain, fruits, vegetables, pulses, qat, coffee, cotton, dairy products, livestock, poultry and fish.
• Major trading partners are Thailand, China, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, France, India, United States and Kuwait.
• Government is based on a parliamentary republic.