Benghazi (or Banghāzī)
Historic city and industrial port in northern Libya on the Gulf of Sirte; population (2005 est) 685,400. It is the second largest Libyan city and lies 645 km/400 mi east of the largest, Tripoli. It is linked by road to other cities of the Mediterranean coast. Industries include oil refining, engineering, food and salt processing, brewing, and tanning. It was controlled by Turkey between the 16th century and 1911, and by Italy from 1911 to 1942; it was a major naval supply base during World War II. The university was founded in 1955.
History
Colonized by the Greeks in the 7th century
BC (as
Euhesperides), Benghazi was taken by the Romans in the 1st century
BC (renamed
Berenice) and by the Vandals in the 5th century
AD. It became Arab in the 7th century. During World War II, the city was an important Allied objective in the North African campaign. It changed hands so frequently during 1941–42 that the advances and retreats across the desert became known as the ‘Benghazi Handicaps’ by British troops. It was finally captured by the British during the advance after the victory at El Alamein in November 1942 and so deprived the Italians of a vital supply port. With Tripoli, it was co-capital of Libya 1951–72.
| The city is served by Benina International Airport. |
