Report: An atlas of Libya

Summary

This review examines the *National Atlas of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya*, prepared in Sweden for the Planning Secretariat with input from Libyan scholars and local institutions, using statistical and cartographic data available in 1976–1977. Péchoux considers it one of the finest sources for understanding contemporary Libya. The atlas consists primarily of analytical small-scale maps (1:2,000,000) covering orography, climate, agricultural production, and industrial sites; the map of the Sebha region stands out as relatively detailed. Larger scales—1:1,000,000 for Cyrenaica and 1:250,000 for Tripolitania—reveal major relief features, the road network, and the distribution of clustered population. Large-scale maps are rare and limited to development plans of major cities, archaeological zones, and exemplary ongoing agricultural projects, often paired with aerial photographs that highlight agrarian colonization works funded by oil revenues. The atlas clearly reflects Libya’s sudden oil wealth: hydrogeological and water-resource maps, as well as the petroleum-perimeter map, are direct outcomes of hydrocarbon exploitation, while distinctive geological maps (Precambrian surface and Paleozoic surface at the base of the Mesozoic) stem from petroleum exploration campaigns. Historical maps situate Libya within the Arab world, and Gemini satellite images, though more anecdotal, are included with sketch maps. Notably, the small-scale southern maps reveal that borders claimed by Libya at the fringes of Algeria, Niger, and Chad do not coincide with generally accepted limits. Péchoux concludes that very few states in the region possess an atlas of comparable quality.