Libya

Italian Colonization of East Africa (1872 - 1915)

The country of Libya is located in northern Africa, south of Italy. It’s basically made of three regions: Cyrenaica, Fezzan, and Tripolitania.

Long ago, the area of Libya was under Roman rule. Since the middle of the 1500s, it was part of the Ottoman empire. After the Italo-Turkish War, in 1911, Italy took Libya and the established of two colonies: Italian Cyrenaica and Italian Tripolitania. In 1934, the two colonies together with Fezzan, which was under military control were merged into what became the Italian Libya colony. It would remain so until it was conquered in World War II by Alied Forces in February 1934.

Note

This album contains stamps that were designated for use in Libya, as that was fluidly defined under Italian rule from 1911 to 1943. The Kingdom of Italy issued stamps at first printed specifically with the name and for the use of the Italian Cirenaica colony, and others specifically for the Italian Tripolitania colony. They also issued some Libyan stamps and some Italian stamps with Libia overprinted on them. These Libia designated stamps were for use in both colonies, as well as neighhboring territories where they had military control, such as Fezzan. Starting in 1934, when these two colonies and related territories were merged into the Italian Libya colony, only Libia stamps were issued.

This album is composed of stamps that bear the name Libia, from 1911 until the end of Italian colonial control in 1943. Some of them have Cyrenaica and others have Tripolitania printed on them, but have Libia overprinted on them. Those are included in this album since they were intended for use in the wider area of Libya. This album also includes stamps that were issued without Libia on them, but were still intended for use in Libya and surrounding regions. It doesn’t include stamps that were not intended for all of Libya, but for one of the two colonies or adjacent territories. Those stamps are in the albums with those names.

remaining stamps & stories in sub-album

page	story	note	used	need

Vittorio Emanuele III	✓	✓	1	6
Red Cross	✓	✓	3	3
Vittorio Vento	✓	✓	2	5
Sibyl	✓	✓	3	12
Legionnaires	✓	✓	1	5
Italian Minaret				7
Fourth Shore		✓
Naples Fair	✓	✓	2	3
Ostrich	✓	✓		13
Life in Libia				14
Pomegranate
Arch of Philaeni	✓	✓		2
Private	✓	✓		1
Postage Due	✓	✓		13
Express	✓	✓		1
Parcel Post	✓	✓		2