1939: Libya

Libya, an Italian possession made part of Italy proper in October 1938, is situated in North Africa on the Mediterranean coast. It is bounded west by Tunisia and Algeria, south by French West Africa and French Equatorial Africa, and east by Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and Egypt. The territory has an area estimated at 684,764 sq. mi. The population by the 1937 estimates was 850,250 inhabitants, of whom, 771,529 were natives, chiefly Moslems, 78,728 were Italians and other Europeans, and 27,740 were Jews. The capital of the territory is Tripoli, located on the coast.

The chief products are dates, olives, and oranges from the coastal regions; barley, wheat, and other grains from the inland steppe; and figs, wines from cultivated grapes, and other fruits from the mountain regions. Livestock-raising is an important occupation. Other important products are fish, sponge, tobacco, and salt. Total exports in 1937 were valued 122,354,459 lire; total imports at 623,253,656 lire. For administrative and military purposes, Libya (Tripolitania and Cyrenaica) was divided, January 1934, into four provinces: Tripoli, Misurata, Benghasi and Derna. The governor is Air Marshal Italo Balbo.

In the early months of 1939, Italy's demands for a readjustment of colonial territory caused friction between Libya and the adjacent French protectorate of Tunisia. The hostility between the two colonies was expressed in propaganda broadcasts from Libya to the Tunisian natives urging them to rise against France, and in actual border clashes. On Feb. 17, a border clash was reported between French and Italian troops at the Tunis coastal frontiers; and on Feb. 28, a small group of Libyan natives attacked French gendarmes near Gabes. During 1939 the Steppe region of Libya was the seat of extensive colonial settlements from the more crowded provinces of Italy. Between March and October, it is estimated over 40,000 Italian settlers immigrated into the territory. Defenses were greatly increased; and in September, after the outbreak of the war in Europe, additional troops were sent to Libyan garrisons. See also ITALY.