Cyrenaica - Cyrenaica (English spelling)

A region that collectively refers to three governorates in the eastern part of Libya, North Africa. Its area is about 850,000 square kilometers. Geographically, it is divided into three regions: the highlands on the Mediterranean coast called Jebal Al-Akhdar (Green Mountain), the lowlands on the coast of Sirte Bay, and the inland southern region. The indigenous people of Cyrenaica were Berbers, but in the 7th century BC, the Greeks established colonies such as Benghazi and other cities, and in the 1st century BC, it came under Roman rule. In 641 AD, it was conquered by Arabs, and the inhabitants became Arabized and Islamized, but under the influence of rival forces in Egypt and Tripolitania, Cyrenaica was unable to establish a stable independent government, even during the Ottoman Empire. However, it was the home base of the Sanusi sect, and in the resistance movement against the Italian invasion in 1912, it became the base from which future King Muhammad Idris took control of the government. After gaining independence in 1951, it became one of the three states that make up the United Kingdom of Libya, along with Tripolitania and Fezzan, but when the federal system was abolished in 1963, it was divided into three governorates (Benghazi, Jebal Al-Akhdar, and Derna). With the exception of Jebal Al-Akhdar, Libya relies on extensive farming and livestock farming due to the scarcity of rainfall, and although oil funds were used to build cities and roads, it has lagged behind Tripolitania in development. It accounts for half of the country's land area, but only a little over a quarter of the population. Its cities include Benghazi, Derna, and Beida.

[Miyaji Kazuo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

北アフリカ、リビアの東部地方3県を総称する地域。面積約85万平方キロメートル。地理的には、ジャバル・アフダル（緑の山）とよばれる地中海沿岸の高地地方、シルテ湾岸の低地地方、内陸の南部地方の3地域に分けられる。キレナイカの先住民はベルベル人であるが、紀元前7世紀にギリシア人が現在のベンガジほかの植民市を建設し、前1世紀にローマの支配下に入った。紀元後641年アラブ人が征服し、住民のアラブ化、イスラム化が進んだが、エジプトとトリポリタニアの対抗勢力の影響下にあって、オスマン帝国期も含めてキレナイカには安定した自立政権ができなかった。しかしサヌーシー教団の本拠地であり、1912年のイタリア侵攻への抵抗運動のなかで、後の国王ムハンマド・イドリースが政権を掌握する根拠地となった。1951年の独立後、トリポリタニア、フェザンとともにリビア連合王国を構成する3州の一つとなったが、63年の連邦制廃止とともに三つの県（ベンガジ、ジャバル・アフダル、デルナ）に分けられた。ジャバル・アフダルを除けば雨量が乏しいために粗放な農耕と牧畜に依存しており、石油資金を投じて都市や道路の建設が行われたものの、トリポリタニアに比べて開発が立ち後れている。面積では国土の半分を占めるが、人口は4分の1強を占めるにすぎない。ベンガジ、デルナ、ベイダなどの都市がある。

［宮治一雄］

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