Colors and the Meaning of the Libya Flag
The Libya flag is composed of red, black and green stripes positioned horizontally. The black stripe is positioned in the middle of the flag to cover half of it and the red color occupies the upper part of the flag while the green color is in the lower part. There is a white moon-star positioned on the black strip in the middle of the flag.
Colors are Pan-Arab colors. The crescent symbolizes the beginning of the month according to the Muslim calendar. The crescent symbolizes Prophet Mohammed, who teaches the principles of right and virtue to spread the mind to Islam in the Muslim world. The star represents the hope, the purpose and the beauty of the object, the light of faith in Allah, and the light that illuminates the country and ends the darkness.
History of the Libya Flag
The flag of Libya is the flag used by Libya for the first time on December 24, 1951, which was re-used by the National Transition Council, the official government of Libya after the regime change.
Libya’s first national flag was designed as a symbol of independence in the Libyan Kingdom after the independence from Italy in 1951. This flag bearing the traces of local traditions and the religious Senusiye movement, which was influential in Libya, consisted of a black horizontal strip with white moon and star on the middle and three red and green main colors with half of the above and below this strip. After the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi as a result of the 2011 Libyan Civil War, this flag was re-used.
After the 1969 coup, Muammar Gaddafi changed his name to El-Cumhurya el-Arabiya al-Libiya (the Libyan Arab Republic) and the flag was redesigned. A three-color flag consisting of red-black and white stripes, the national colors of the Arab nationalists and the Baath Party, was accepted.
When Libya became a member of the Federation of Arab Republics in 1972, its flag was changed again. At that time, the common flag used by Syria and Egypt was used. Later, on 8 March 1977, the name of the country was changed again and the Libyan Arab Socialist People’s Republic was held. Muammar Gaddafi, who reacted with Anwar Sadat to sit on the table on 11 November 1977, reacted by changing the flag.
From 1977 until the fall of the Muammar Gaddafi as a result of the 2011 Libyan Civil War, the Libyan flag, consisting of a green plain ground, was used. A flag with no emblem, symbol or letter on it was the only flag between the flags that represented a country in the world at the time of its use. The flag was removed by the end of the Muammar Gaddafi regime.
Neighboring Countries of Libya
It is located on the Mediterranean coast in North Africa. It is adjacent to Egypt in the east, Algeria and Tunisia in its west, Niger, and Chad in the south and Sudan in the southeast.
Main Characteristics of Libya
Libya comes from the Lebu word used by the ancient Egyptians for the Berbers living in the west of the Nile. The country’s capital is Tripoli. The official language, Arabic, is spoken by the majority of the population. Libyan dinar is used as currency.
Climate varies. It is generally under the influence of the desert climate. Summers are very hot and dry, winters are mild and less rainy. The average temperature is 15 degrees in winter and 38 degrees in summer. It consists of Arabic and Mediterranean cuisine. Apricots, oranges, and olives are important foods. Meat and seafood are also consumed a lot. They use plenty of spices in their food.
| Country | Libya |
| Code | LY (LBY) |
| Calling Code | 218 |
| Capital City | Tripoli |
| Currency | libyan dinar (LYD) |
| Emoji Symbol | 🇱🇾 |
| Highest Point | Bikku Bitti (2,267 m) |
| Internet TLD | .ly |
| Population(2018) | 6,470,956 |
| Total Area | 1,759,540 km2 |