from 970 to 979. And books on the
history of the United States are numbered
973. Some numbers also have a
decimal point and more digits to divide
the subject even further.
A library user can find an item’s call
number by looking in the library catalog.
One kind of catalog is called a card
catalog. A card catalog is a file of printed
cards that list call numbers and other
information about library items. A person
can find a book by looking for the
card filed under its author’s name, its
title, or its subject. Most libraries today
have replaced their card catalogs with
electronic catalogs. Library users can
search an electronic catalog on computers
in the library.
History
The first libraries were collections of
official documents, or records. The most
famous library in the ancient world was
in Alexandria, Egypt. During the
Middle Ages (AD 500 to 1500) monks in
Europe copied books by hand. Libraries
grew rapidly after printed books became
available in the late 1400s. Today the
largest library in the world is the Library
of Congress, in the United States.
#More to explore
Book and Bookmaking • Storytelling
Libreville
Population
(2003 estimate),
metropolitan
area, 661,600
Libreville is the capital of Gabon, a
country in western Africa. It is Gabon’s
largest city. Libreville has a port on the
Atlantic Ocean.
Many people in Libreville work for the
government. The port is also important
to the economy. Ships load up there
with lumber and minerals. Shipbuilding
also brings money to the city.
A people called the Pongoue settled in
the Libreville area in about the 1500s.
The Fang moved there in the 1800s.
The French founded Libreville in 1849
as a settlement for freed slaves. The
name Libreville means “free town.” In
1960 Gabon became an independent
country with Libreville as its capital. Oil
was discovered off the coast near the city
in the 1970s.
#More to explore
Gabon
The Library of
Congress was
founded in
1800.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Libreville 143
Libya
Libya is a country in North Africa.
Large amounts of oil have brought
wealth to the country. Tripoli is Libya’s
capital and largest city.
Geography
Libya borders Tunisia, Algeria, Niger,
Chad, Sudan, and Egypt. The Mediterranean
Sea lies to the north.
Libya is within the Sahara, the world’s
largest desert. Bare rock and sand make
up almost all of the country’s land.
There are some oases, or small areas of
green land, in the desert. Most of the
people and farms are in the northwest,
near the coast. Mountains rise in the
northeast.
Most of Libya is hot and dry. Only the
coast has a cool, rainy winter. Libya’s
riverbeds are dry most of the year. The
country mines some underground water
in the desert and pipes it to the coastal
cities. This large project is called the
Great Man-Made River.
Plants and Animals
There are few natural plants in Libya.
The country’s animals include desert
rodents, hyenas, foxes, jackals, gazelles,
and wildcats. Eagles, hawks, and vultures
are common birds.
People
Most of Libya’s people are Arabs. Berbers
were once the main people. Today
most Berbers have adopted Arab culture.
There are small groups of other Africans,
Italians, Greeks, and other peoples. Arabic
is the main language. Most Libyans
are Muslims who belong to the Sunnah
branch of Islam.
Economy
Libya’s economy is based on oil, which
Libya sells to other countries. Libya also
Metal objects and other goods are for sale
at a shop in Tripoli, Libya.
144 Libya BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
has supplies of natural gas and iron ore.
Many people work in services, including
government work, health care, and
banking. Factories produce chemicals,
metals, food products, and cement.
Agriculture is a smaller part of the
economy. Libya’s crops include watermelons,
potatoes, onions, olives, tomatoes,
and dates. Farmers also raise sheep
and goats.
History
Many different groups—including Africans,
Greeks, and Phoenicians—ruled
parts of Libya in ancient times. The
ancient Romans made the region part of
their empire in the 100s BC. In AD 642
Arab armies moved into the area. Many
of the local Berber peoples converted to
Islam. The Turkish Ottoman Empire
conquered the region in the early 1500s.
In 1911 Italy invaded Libya. The Libyan
people never accepted Italian rule. Italy
lost control of Libya duringWorldWar
II, which ended in 1945.
In 1951 Libya became an independent
monarchy, or a state headed by a king.
In 1969 a group of army officers overthrew
the king. Colonel Muammar
al-Qaddafi was their leader. Qaddafi
became the ruler of Libya. In 1977 he
changed the name of the country to the
Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
Jamahiriya means “brotherhood.”
People found deposits of oil in Libya in
the 1950s. The country sold its oil
around the world. It used the profits to
build housing, roads, and modern
schools.
Qaddafi also used oil money to build a
strong military. He kept troops in Chad
(south of Libya) between 1977 and
1987. He also supported the Arab countries
that considered Israel to be their
enemy.
Qaddafi was accused of supporting
many terrorist attacks. For years he protected
two Libyan men who were suspected
