
Wan Caza dunes in 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 [1]), 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
Administrative divisions in ''Libya''
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.