11 Facts About Italian Libya

Italian Libya was administered by the United Kingdom and France until its independence in 1951, though Italy did not officially relinquish its claim until the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty.

Italian efforts to colonize Libya began in 1911, and were characterized initially by major struggles with Muslim native Libyans that lasted until 1931.

Italian Libya occupation reduced livestock numbers, killing, confiscating or driving the animals from their pastoral land to inhospitable land near the concentration camps.

The incorporation of Libya into the Italian Empire gave the Italian Army a greater ability to exploit native Libyans for military service.

The 5th Italian Army received the 2nd Libyan Infantry Division, which it incorporated into the 13th Corps.

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In February 1943, retreating German and Italian forces were forced to abandon Libya as they were pushed out of Cyrenaica and Tripolitania, thus ending Italian jurisdiction and control over Libya.

Italian Libya was thus formally annexed to Italy and the coastal area was nicknamed the "Fourth Shore" .

The massive Italian investment did little to improve Libyan quality of life, since the purpose was to develop the economy for the benefit of Italy and Italian settlers.

Italy maintained diplomatic relations with Italian Libya and imported a significant quantity of its oil from the country.

Relations between Italy and Italian Libya warmed in the first decade of the 21st century, when they entered co-operative arrangements to deal with illegal immigration into Italy.

Italian Libya agreed to aggressively prevent migrants from sub-Saharan Africa from using the country as a transit route to Italy, in return for foreign aid and Italy's successful attempts to have the European Union lift its trade sanctions on Italian Libya.