J.A. Allan – författare

Oil revenues have made Libya rich since 1961, when oil exports began. This new wealth has affected all sectors of the economy and especially the agricultural sector; there have been considerable movements of population, changes in the use of land, and, possibly most important, there has been a profound change in the expectations of the Libyan people. Agriculture was the major contributor to GDP before oil and even in 1968 it was still the major sector in terms of employment, occupying 32 per cent of the employed population; as such it has always been given prominence in government planning. This study begins by introducing the major economic and geographical features relevant to agricultural development and examines the extension of agricultural activity in the twentieth century, prior to independence in 1951. The later chapters deal with the changes which have taken place since the discovery of oil with respect to land use in all parts of Libya, and deals in detail with agricultural investment and wages.

First published in 1973.

Oil revenues have made Libya rich since 1961, when oil exports began. This new wealth has affected all sectors of the economy and especially the agricultural sector; there have been considerable movements of population, changes in the use of land, and, possibly most important, there has been a profound change in the expectations of the Libyan people. Agriculture was the major contributor to GDP before oil and even in 1968 it was still the major sector in terms of employment, occupying 32 per cent of the employed population; as such it has always been given prominence in government planning. This study begins by introducing the major economic and geographical features relevant to agricultural development and examines the extension of agricultural activity in the twentieth century, prior to independence in 1951. The later chapters deal with the changes which have taken place since the discovery of oil with respect to land use in all parts of Libya, and deals in detail with agricultural investment and wages.

First published in 1973.

Since its independence in 1951, Libya has experienced rapid economic and social change. Many of these developments, though dramatic, have not been comprehensively documented until now. One of the problems that Libya has had to face has been the absorption of burgeoning oil revenues, and here the Libyan experience accords with that of other oil-rich states. The country has embarked on ambitious policies based on oil wealth; this book charts the development of traditional agricultural way of life, and the growth of new industrial projects and transport systems. The effect of Libya’s new wealth on its social and political systems is also considered in detail. In conclusion, the importance of Libya’s frontiers are discussed; although Libyan international interests have been wide-ranging in recent years, its real external interests are to extend its natural resource base, for its future developments will be founded on Libya’s perception of its territorial entitlement.

First published in 1982.