Libya's land is separated into three zones, but is mostly barren and desert -like. In the north there are low-lying coastal plains called Jifarah. To the south of Jifarah there is a mountain zone called Jabal. A desert zone called Fazzan is on a plateau that has some oasis across it.

For most of the time that Libya has been a country it has been in the control of foreign countries. In 1912 Italy captured North Tripoli during the Turko-Italian War and by 1914 Italy had taken over almost all of Libya. An Italian named Balbo improved Libya by building roads, schools, government buildings, and hospitals. Two areas called Tripolitania and Cyrenaica were put together to form the country of Libya in 1934. Italy sent 40,000 Italian immigrants to form a colony. The Muslim people of Libya was given limited Italian citizenship. During the 1950's Libya was living in poverty and depended on loans from other governments in order to survive. A group of army officers planned a coup and kicked out the ruler of Libya, King Idris. This group of officers was led by Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi who was only 27 years old. In 1951 Libya's government came under rule by the military who set up the Revolutionary Command Council. Qaddafi became the prime minister of Libya, but gave the office of prime minister to Abdul Salam Jallud. Qaddafi did not give up rule over Libya, but is became the president of the military group, Revolutionary Command Council, still in control. Under Qaddifi Libya's government set up laws that were part socialist and part Islamic. Qaddifi was against socialism in the form of communism, but wanted strict laws that would keep western views out of Libya.