Fezzan

Fezzan (Arabic: فزان transliterated: Fuzzan) (Latin name Phasania) is a south-western desert region and a former Province ("muhafazah" or "wilayah") of Libya (alongside Tripolitania and Cyrenaica ), in an old system of administrative divisions which was abolished in the early 1970s in favor of smaller municipalities or "baladiyah". The "Baladiyat"-system was subsequently changed many times and has lately become the "Sha'biyat"-system. The Fezzan is now divided into several "Sha'biyat". The main city of the region is Sebha.

Fezzan is crossed in the north by the Ash-Shati Valley, in the west by the wadi Irawan. The region's inhabitants include the nomadic Tuareg, especially in rural areas near the borders with Algeria and Niger where they often cross from one country to another (without formalities).

Free French troops occupied Murzuk, a chief town of Fezzan on 16 January 1943 and the area was under French military control until 1951 when Fezzan became part of the Kingdom of Libya.

See also

External links

• Map from Google showing a large area of Fezzan and its important cities.
• Map of Fezzan from Encarta online.
• Worldstatesmen.org's History and list of rulers of Fezzan.
• Hostkingdom.net's History and list of rulers of Fezzan.
• Lexiorient.com's article on Fezzan.

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Last updated on Friday January 11, 2008 at 11:57:43 PST (GMT -0800)
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