Brega
30°24′21″N 019°34′26″E / 30.40583°N 19.57389°E
Marsa Brega | |
|---|---|
| Country | Libya |
| District | Al Wahat District |
| Population | |
| • Total | 7,000 |
| Time zone | UTC + 2 |
Marsa Brega (Arabic: مرسى البريقة Marsā al Burayqah), also known as Marsa el-Brega, is situated in Libya on the Gulf of Sirte, the most southerly point of the Mediterranean Sea. It is located in the former Ajdabiya District, which in 2007 was merged into the Al Wahat District.
During the 2011 mass protests, the city fell under control of the Libyan opposition.[1] Government forces attempted to capture the city on March 2 but were repelled by the opposition. [2][3]
City
The assigned settlement nearby is known as Al Burayqah or Brega.
The city was built in pre-fabricated concrete parts and was designed by Greek architect and urban planner Konstantinos Apostolos Doxiadis.[4] The city is not very big and has about 7000 inhabitants.
History
On 13 January 2000 a Short 360 aircraft leased by the Sirte Oil Company crashed 13 miles off the coast, resulting in 22 fatalities. The crash is thought to have occurred after the plane's engines were flooded with melting ice after failure to engage the aircraft's ice protection system.[5]
Battle of Brega (1941)
Marsa Brega was the location of a key battle in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. On March 31, 1941, during the opening phase of Rommel's first offensive, The German Afrika Korps expelled the British from their partially prepared positions at Marsa Brega. This opened the way for Rommel's drive to the Egyptian border and encirclement of Tobruk.[6]
Battles of Brega (2011)
During the 2011 Libyan uprising, anti-government forces gained control of the town and oil production facilities. Government forces attempted to regain control of the area on March 2 but were repulsed by the rebels.[2] On March 13 government forces retook Brega [7]
Industry
The town is the site of an oil refinery belonging to and run by Sirte Oil Company, which is a subsidiary of the state owned National Oil Corporation (NOC). During the 1960s and 1970's it was run in partnership with the international oil company, Esso. By the early 80’s, Esso had left, passing full control over to Sirte Oil Company.
Transportation
The Marsa Brega Airport has daily flights to Tripoli.
References
- ^ "Hundreds flee Libya as Obama orders sanctions". This Just In. Cable News Network. February 25, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
Protesters took control of the eastern Libyan city of Brega and its oil terminal Friday, according to an official who works at the communications department for the Port of Brega.
- ^ a b "Rebels fight off Gaddafi attack". BBC News. BBC. March 2, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
- ^ Pfeiffer, Tom (March 2, 2011). "Rebels retake Libya town, may seek foreign role". Rueters UK. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|publiser=ignored (|publisher=suggested) (help) - ^ "Constantinos A. Doxiadis Archives". 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
- ^ "HB-AAM Marsa el-Brega". ASN Aircraft accident Shorts. Aviation Safety Network. October 2, 2004. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
- ^ Jarg Muth; et al. "Erwin Rommel". Achtung Panzer!. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
{{cite web}}: Explicit use of et al. in:|author=(help) - ^ "Libya: Gaddafi troops 'force rebels out of Brega'". BBC News. March 13, 2011.
- Marsā al-Burayqah at Encyclopædia Britannica online
External links
| Capital |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Towns and villages | ||
 | This Libya location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |