Libya

Libya is a country on the Mediterranean Sea between Egypt and Algeria.

Italian colony

 * As part of the Ottoman Empire, Italy invaded Libya in 1911. Beginning in 1912, Italian stamps were overprinted Libia.
 * In 1921, pictorials were issued with additional inscription COLONIE ITALIANE POSTE in two different perfs.
 * In 1923, separate issues were created for Cyrenaica and Tripolitania provinces. See: Cyrenaica, Tripolitania.
 * In 1924, a new set of pictorials was released with some values also in perf 11.
 * Beginning in 1927, several issues were released to commemorate the Tripoli Fair, only inscribed TRIPOLI. At this time, Cyrenaica, Tripolitania and Fezzan were politically merged into Libya.

 File:Libya 1c overprint.jpg|1912 1 centisimi overprint. File:Libya 15c king.jpg|1912 15c value File:Libia B.jpg|1921 1c value. File:Libya A.jpg|1921 25c value. File:Libya 1.75L first ovpt.jpg|1929 1.75L overprint. File:Libya 1932 Tripoli fair.jpg|1932 Tripoli Fair airmail semipostal. File:Libya Tripoli airmail 1933.jpg|1933 75c Tripoli fair airmail. File:Libya 1938 tripoli fair A.webp|1938 10c Tripoli Fair. File:Libya 1939 Fair.jpg|1939 20c Tripoli Fair File:Libya 1939 fair.jpg|1939 25c Tripoli Fair airmail. 

Allied occupation

 * In World War II, in 1943, Libya was occupied by the Allies. Fezzan province was occupied by France, Cyrenaica and Tripolitania provinces was occupied by Great Britain. See: Fezzan, M.E.F..

 File:Libya prov MAL Cyrenaica.jpg|1951 96MAL on Cyrenaica stamp. 

Kingdom

 * Provisional issues were surcharged LIBYA and in arabic in 1951 for each of the provinces, since each was using different currencies.
 * In 1952, definitives showing King Idris were issued, inscribed KINGDOM OF LIBYA.
 * In 1956, the El Senussi memorial issue was inscribed LIBYE.
 * Beginning in December 1956, stamps were inscribed in arabic only or with UNITED KINGDOM OF LIBYA.
 * Beginning in 1961, some stamps were inscribed just LIBYA.

 File:Libya 12m Idris.A.webp|1952 12 mills King Idris. File:Libya 1956 map A.webp|1956 35m UN admission. Note stylized lettering including "LIBYE". File:Libya 1962 triangle.jpg|1962 10m Tripoli Fair. 

Libyan Arab Republic
 File:Libya 1970 communication.jpg|1970 20d telecommunications File:Libya 50 defin LAR.jpg|1972 50m definitive. File:Libya youth.jpg|1975 25d youth festival. File:Libya vase.jpg|1977 30d Tripoli Fair. File:Libya 1977 standards.jpg|1977 30d standards. File:Libya 1977 soccer.jpg|1979 115d University games File:Libya 2010 PAPU 1.webp|2010 500d Pan-African Postal Union File:Libya anniv revolt.jpg|2012 500p first anniversary of revolution File:Libya 2014 Euromed.jpg|2014 Euromed issue File:Libya 9th anniv 2020.jpg|2020 9th anniversary of the republic 
 * In 1961, The Libyan Arab Republic was established. From that time, stamps were inscribed L.A.R, LAR or in arabic script only. "LAR" sometimes appeared only in tiny lettering.
 * About 1970, most inscriptions were in arabic script only: Libya inscrip III.png
 * Beginning in late 1977, stamps were inscribed SOCIALIST PEOPLE'S LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA and Lib ya Jamahiriya script.png.
 * In November 1988, stamps began to be inscribed THE GREAT SOCIALIST PEOPLE'S LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA.
 * After the revolution of 2011, inscriptions became simply LIBYA. Genuine stamps have the additional inscription "POST" bilingually.