Which city on the south coast of the Gulf of Sidra, halfway between Tripoli and Benghazi, was the birthplace, in 1942, of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi?
"Second Gulf of Sidra offensive The Second Gulf of Sidra offensive was a military operation in the Libyan Civil War conducted by rebel anti-Gaddafi forces in August and September 2011 to take control of towns along the Gulf of Sidra in an effort to surround Muammar Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, which was held by pro-Gaddafi forces. It ended on 20 October, when Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim Gaddafi were killed along with former defense minister, Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr. The Gaddafi loyalists in the area were finally defeated when NTC fighters captured Sirte. Following the success of rebels hostile to"
"Sirte Sirte (; , ; from ), also spelled ""Sirt"", ""Surt"", ""Sert"" or ""Syrte"", is a city in Libya. It is located south of the Gulf of Sirte, between Tripoli and Benghazi. It is famously known for its battles, ethnic groups, and loyalism to Muammar Gaddafi. Also due to its development, it was the capital of Libya as Tripoli's successor after the Fall of Tripoli since 1 September 2011 to 20 October 2011. The settlement was established in the early 20th century by the Italians, at the site of a 19th-century fortress built by the Ottomans. It grew into a"
"a prominent town after the Second World War for two reasons – the discovery and exploitation of oil nearby and the birth of Muammar Gaddafi in 1942 in a tent at Qasr Abu Hadi, some south of Sirte. He was sent to the primary school at Sirte at the age of ten. After seizing power in 1969, Gaddafi transformed Sirte into a showcase of his self-proclaimed revolution, carrying out an extensive programme of public works to expand the former village into a small city. After 1988, most government departments and the Libyan parliament were relocated from Tripoli to Sirte, although"
"Tripoli Tripoli (; , ; Berber: ""Oea"", or ""Wy't"") is the capital city and the largest city of Libya, with a population of about 1.158 million people in 2018. It is located in the northwest of Libya on the edge of the desert, on a point of rocky land projecting into the Mediterranean Sea and forming a bay. It includes the port of Tripoli and the country's largest commercial and manufacturing centre. It is also the site of the University of Tripoli. The vast Bab al-Azizia barracks, which includes the former family estate of Muammar Gaddafi, is also located in"
"rivalry and sensitivities between Benghazi and Tripoli, and between Cyrenaica and Tripolitania. The population was 670,797 at the 2006 census. On 15 February 2011, an uprising against the government of Muammar Gaddafi occurred in the city. The revolts spread by 17 February to Bayda, Tobruk, Ajdabya, Al Marj in the East and Zintan, Zawiya in the West, calling for the end of the Gaddafi Regime. Benghazi was taken by Gaddafi opponents on 21 February, who founded the National Transitional Council. On 19 March, the city was the site of the turning point of the Libyan Civil War, when the Libyan"
"city after World War II. As the birthplace of Muammar Gaddafi, Sirte was favoured by the Gaddafi government. The city was the final major stronghold of Gaddafi loyalists in the Libyan Civil War and Gaddafi was killed there by rebel forces on 20 October 2011. During the battle, Sirte was left almost completely in ruins, with many buildings totally destroyed or damaged. Six months after the civil war, almost 60,000 inhabitants, more than 70 percent of pre-war population, had returned. Sirte is built near the site of the ancient Phoenician city of Macomedes-Euphranta, which was an important link on the"
"protesters in Benghazi. Saif al-Arab was viewed as the most low-profile of Gaddafi's eight children. Saif al-Arab was born in 1982 in the Libyan capital of Tripoli. His father was Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and his mother was Safia Farkash, Gaddafi's second wife. Saif al-Arab was wounded in the U.S. bombing attack of 1986 when he was four years old. In 2006, Saif al-Arab came to Munich with an Italian tourist visa for a proposed study. In November that year, Saif al-Arab became involved in a fight with a nightclub bouncer, after his girlfriend was thrown out of Munich’s ""4004"""
"Sabha, Libya Sabha, or Sebha ( ""Sabhā""), is an oasis city in southwestern Libya, approximately south of Tripoli. It was historically the capital of the Fezzan region and the Military Territory of Fezzan-Ghadames and is now capital of the Sabha District. Sabha Air Base, south of the city, is a Libyan Air Force installation that is home to multiple MiG-25 aircraft. Sabha was where the erstwhile ruler of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi had been schooled and where he started his Peoples revolution. After the Libyan Civil War and the resultant instability in the country, Sabha has grown in importance as a"
"described the city as a ""ghost town."" Later, During the Second Libyan Civil War, the city was taken over by the Ajdabiya Revolutionaries Shura Council until it was taken over by the Libyan National Army on 21 February 2016. Ajdabiya is situated in central northern Libya near the Mediterranean Sea coast at the eastern end of the Gulf of Sidra. It is located on an arid plain about from the sea and is approximately from the Libyan capital of Tripoli and from Libya's second largest city, Benghazi. The city is the site of an important crossroads between the coastal road"
"Sidra, Libya Sidra or Sidr () is a port about 23 km west of Ra's Lanuf in Libya. It is Libya's largest oil depot, shipping about , and during the Cold War gave its name to the 'Gulf of Sidra', an alternative name for the Gulf of Sirte. Sidra Airport is directly next to the port. This oil port increased in importance as Libya's economy developed in the last quarter of the 20th century. During the Libyan Civil War, forces under the leadership of the National Transitional Council captured the port of Sidra at the beginning of March 2011. Pro-Gaddafi"
"While this aspect of Sabha had been kept under check during the reign of Muammar Gaddaffi, it raised its head again due to the turbulence in Libya caused by the civil war. Most of the migrants came here escaping equally tragic conditions back home in Burkina Faso, Nigeria and other neighbouring African countries. Sabha, Libya Sabha, or Sebha ( ""Sabhā""), is an oasis city in southwestern Libya, approximately south of Tripoli. It was historically the capital of the Fezzan region and the Military Territory of Fezzan-Ghadames and is now capital of the Sabha District. Sabha Air Base, south of the"
"cities like Tripoli (37% of the city was Italian), Benghazi (31%), and Hun (3%). Their numbers decreased after 1936. Most of Libya's Italians were expelled from the North African country in 1970, a year after Muammar Gaddafi seized power (a ""day of vengeance"" on 7 October 1970), but a few hundred Italian settlers returned to Libya in the 2000s (decade). Somalia had over 50,000 Italian Somali settlers during World War II, constituting more than 5% of the total population in Italian Somaliland. The Italians resided in most major cities in the central and southern parts of the territory, with around"
"on 19–20 March. The Zintan people were responsible for the capture of Saif al-Islam, the second son of Muammar Gaddafi. He was captured on 19 November 2011, a month after his father's death, about west of the town of Ubari near Sabha in southern Libya. Zintan Zintan (, Amazigh: ""Tigharmin"", meaning ""small castles"") is one of the biggest cities in north western Libya, situated roughly southwest of Tripoli, in the area. The city and its surrounding area has a population of approximately 50,000. Groups from Zintan joined in the Libyan Civil War (2011). The Battle of Zintan reportedly began when"
"time by anti-Gaddafi forces in August. El Agheila El Agheila () is a coastal city at the southern end of the Gulf of Sidra in far western Cyrenaica, Libya. In 1988 it was placed in Ajdabiya District; it was in that district until 1995. It was removed from Ajdabiya District in 1995 but in 2001 it was placed back into Ajdabiya District. In 2007, El Agheila was placed within the enlarged Al Wahat District. El Agheila is best known to history as the site of several Second World War battles during the North African Campaign. El Agheila is the site"
"the west and east, Libya experienced a full-scale uprising beginning in February 2011. By 20 February, the unrest had spread to Tripoli. Much of Libya had slipped out of Gaddafi's control, falling to anti-Gaddafi forces. Eastern Libya, centered around the second largest city and vital port of Benghazi, was firmly under the control of the opposition. The opposition began to organise themselves into a functioning government. Anti-Gaddafi forces marched on Sirte (Gaddafi's hometown) on 28 September 2011. Gaddafi loyalists delayed the attack with the use of their snipers. The fight for Sirte ended on 20 October with the capture of"
"took full control, abolishing the Gaddafi-era system of national and local government. Tripoli lies at the western extremity of Libya close to the Tunisian border, on the continent of Africa. Over a thousand kilometres (621 Miles) separates Tripoli from Libya's second largest city, Benghazi. Coastal oases alternate with sandy areas and lagoons along the shores of Tripolitania for more than . Until 2007, the ""Sha'biyah"" included the city, its suburbs and their immediate surroundings. In older administrative systems and throughout history, there existed a province (""muhafazah""), state (""wilayah"") or city-state with a much larger area (though not constant boundaries), which"
"Hannibal Muammar Gaddafi Hannibal Muammar Gaddafi ( born ) is the fifth son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his second wife, Safia Farkash. Gaddafi was born in Tripoli, the Libyan Arab Republic. He started his maritime career by joining the Marine Academy of Maritime Studies/Libya in 1993 as a Deck Cadet. He graduated in 1999, as a watch keeping officer with a BSc degree in marine navigation. Soon after he started his maritime career on board various types of GNMTC vessels on various ranks, he obtained successfully the combined chief officer and Master Mariner qualification from the Arab"
"combat were generally considered to be the Nafusa Mountains, the Tripolitanian coast, the Gulf of Sidra, and the southern Libyan Desert. In late August, anti-Gaddafi fighters captured Tripoli, scattering Gaddafi's government and marking the end of his 42 years of power. Many institutions of the government, including Gaddafi and several top government officials, regrouped in Sirte, which Gaddafi declared to be Libya's new capital. Others fled to Sabha, Bani Walid, and remote reaches of the Libyan Desert, or to surrounding countries. However, Sabha fell in late September, Bani Walid was captured after a grueling siege weeks later, and on 20"
"the new government to complete the demolition of the compound and build a park on its land. Bab al-Azizia Bab al-Azizia ( """", ), ""The Splendid Gate"", is a military barracks and compound situated in the southern suburbs of Tripoli, the capital of Libya. It served as the main base for the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi until its capture by anti-Gaddafi forces on 23 August 2011, during the Battle of Tripoli in the Libyan Civil War. The base is strategically located south of Tripoli city centre at the northern end of Airport Highway, allowing easy access to government assets within"
"Port of Benghazi The Port of Benghazi is a major seaport in the city of Benghazi, Libya, on the Mediterranean Sea coast within the Gulf of Sidra. A natural seaport, it was founded as Euesperides by the ancient Greeks of Cyrenaica in the 6th Century BC. After passing it to the Egyptian pharaoh Ptolemy III, it was renamed Berenice to honor his wife. The city’s current name honors benefactor Ghazi. From the third century onwards, it surpassed Barce and Cyrene as the region’s main center. Under the Kings of Libya, it was a joint capital with Tripoli, resulting today in"
"The nearly 300 bodies were all buried in several mass graves around Sirte. Another 572 loyalists, who were killed during the fighting, were reportedly buried in a local cemetery. Battle of Sirte (2011) The Battle of Sirte (also spelled Surt) was the final battle of the Libyan Civil War, beginning when the National Liberation Army attacked the last remnants of the Libyan army still loyal to Muammar Gaddafi in his hometown and designated capital of Sirte, on the Gulf of Sidra. As of September 2011, Sirte and Bani Walid were the last strongholds of Gaddafi loyalists and the NTC hoped"
"Safia Farkash Safia Farkash El Hadad (born 1952) is the widow of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and former First Lady of Libya, and mother of seven of his eight biological children. There are two different stories about her origin. One is that Farkash is from a family from the Eastern Libyan Barasa tribe and that she was born in Bayda and was trained as a nurse. The other story is that Farkash was born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina as ""Zsófia Farkas"" and has a Bosnian Croat and Hungarian origin. She met Gaddafi when he was hospitalised and treated"
"Tripoli protests and clashes (February 2011) The 2011 Tripoli clashes were a series of confrontations between Libyan anti-government demonstrators and forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in the capital city of Tripoli at the beginning of the Libyan Civil War. During the early days of the uprising, there was significant unrest in the city, but the city remained under the control of the government. Gaddafi had ruled Libya since overthrowing the Libyan monarchy in 1969. As the Arab Spring caused revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, which both border Libya, Gaddafi was reportedly still in full control, being the longest-ruling"
"line and port is proposed in 2008. It is also served by Misurata Airport. Misrata ] Misurata (, ) is a city in the Misrata District in northwestern Libya, situated to the east of Tripoli and west of Benghazi on the Mediterranean coast near Cape Misurata. With a population of about 281,000, it is the third-largest city in Libya, after Tripoli and Benghazi. It is the capital city of the Misrata District and has been called the trade capital of Libya. The harbor is at Qasr Ahmad. The name ""Misurata"" derives from the Misrata tribe, a section of the larger"
"by sea or major dual carriageway roads. Air access is via Benina International Airport. Port of Benghazi The Port of Benghazi is a major seaport in the city of Benghazi, Libya, on the Mediterranean Sea coast within the Gulf of Sidra. A natural seaport, it was founded as Euesperides by the ancient Greeks of Cyrenaica in the 6th Century BC. After passing it to the Egyptian pharaoh Ptolemy III, it was renamed Berenice to honor his wife. The city’s current name honors benefactor Ghazi. From the third century onwards, it surpassed Barce and Cyrene as the region’s main center. Under"
"It later served as the western outpost of Italian Libya (1912–43), being the terminus of the now-defunct Italian Libya Railway from Tripoli to the east. Its artificial harbour shelters a motorized fishing fleet. Cereals, dates, and esparto grass (used to make cordage, shoes, and paper) are local products. Zuwara has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification ""BSh""). In 1973, it was here in Zuwara that Muammar Gaddafi first proclaimed the Libyan ""Cultural Revolution"". In the 2011 Libyan Civil War battles, the city was reported by Al Jazeera to be under control of the local anti-Gaddafi forces on 23 February"
"one used in Egypt and Tunisia) between Tripoli and Benghazi. But the war (with the defeat of the Italian Army) stopped the construction the next year. Tripoli was controlled by Italy until 1943 when the provinces of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica were captured by Allied forces. The city fell to troops of the British Eighth Army on 23 January 1943. Tripoli was then governed by the British until independence in 1951. Under the terms of the 1947 peace treaty with the Allies, Italy relinquished all claims to Libya. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi became leader of Libya on 1 September 1969. On 15"
"Bin Jawad Bin Jawad ( """"), also known as ""Bin Jawwād"", ""Bin Quwad"" is a town with estimated 8,488 inhabitants in the Sirte District in Libya. It is approximately halfway between Benghazi and Misrata. The nearest settlements are Nofaliya, which about 20 km to the west, and the port of Sidra, which is about 30 km to the southeast of Bin Jawad. During the Libyan Civil War, anti-Gaddafi forces moved into the city on 5 March 2011. Forces loyal to Gaddafi infiltrated the city by night and attacked the anti-Gaddafi forces on the next day which resulted in the Battle"
"Bab al-Azizia Bab al-Azizia ( """", ), ""The Splendid Gate"", is a military barracks and compound situated in the southern suburbs of Tripoli, the capital of Libya. It served as the main base for the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi until its capture by anti-Gaddafi forces on 23 August 2011, during the Battle of Tripoli in the Libyan Civil War. The base is strategically located south of Tripoli city centre at the northern end of Airport Highway, allowing easy access to government assets within the city as well as direct high-speed road access to Tripoli International Airport. After the Libyan Civil"
"part of a radical decentralization programme undertaken by Gaddafi in September 1988, all General People's Committee secretariats (ministries), except those responsible for foreign liaison (foreign policy and international relations) and information, were moved outside Tripoli. According to diplomatic sources, the former Secretariat for Economy and Trade was moved to Benghazi; the Secretariat for Health to Kufra; and the remainder, excepting one, to Sirte, Muammar Gaddafi's birthplace. In early 1993 it was announced that the Secretariat for Foreign Liaison and International Co-operation was to be moved to Ra's Lanuf. In October 2011, Libya fell to The National Transitional Council (N.T.C.), which"
"Tajura Tajura ( ), also spelt ""Tajoura"", is a town in north-western Libya, and baladiyah in the Tripoli Muhafazah, on the Mediterranean coast east of Tripoli. From 2001 to 2007 Tajura was the capital of the Tajura wa Arba' District. Tajura is also known to be the most anti-Gaddafi district in Tripoli and had high casualties in the Libyan revolution. The Ottoman Turks established a base at Tajura in 1531. Under the command of Hayreddin Barbarossa, the site was selected for its proximity to Tripoli which had come under the Knights of Malta in 1530 when Charles V of Spain,"
"Tajura Tajura ( ), also spelt ""Tajoura"", is a town in north-western Libya, and baladiyah in the Tripoli Muhafazah, on the Mediterranean coast east of Tripoli. From 2001 to 2007 Tajura was the capital of the Tajura wa Arba' District. Tajura is also known to be the most anti-Gaddafi district in Tripoli and had high casualties in the Libyan revolution. The Ottoman Turks established a base at Tajura in 1531. Under the command of Hayreddin Barbarossa, the site was selected for its proximity to Tripoli which had come under the Knights of Malta in 1530 when Charles V of Spain,"
"Battle of Tripoli (2011) The Battle of Tripoli ( ) was a military confrontation in Tripoli, Libya, between loyalists of Muammar Gaddafi, the longtime leader of Libya, and the National Transitional Council, which was attempting to overthrow Gaddafi and take control of the capital. The battle began on 20 August 2011, six months after the Libyan Civil War started, with an uprising within the city; rebel forces outside the city planned an offensive to link up with elements within Tripoli, and eventually take control of the nation's capital. The rebels codenamed the assault ""Operation Mermaid Dawn"" ( ). Tripoli's nickname"