Misrata 1. Introduction Misrata Is the Third Largest City in Libya, With
CHAPTER NINE MISRATA 1. Introduction Misrata is the third largest city in Libya, with a population of approxi- mately 517,000 inhabitants before the conflict.1 It is a port city located on the far western edge of the Gulf of Sidra along the Mediterranean Coast, 187 kilometers (116 miles) east of Tripoli and 825 kilometers (512 miles) west of Benghazi.2 The city center lies just off the coast, with the seaport to the east and the airport to the south. The center is connected by a num- ber of major roads, including Tripoli Street, the main commercial boule- vard in downtown Misrata that connects to the Libyan Coastal Highway. A number of suburbs, including Al-Ghayran and Al-Shawati, extend out from the city center.3 Misrata is traditionally regarded as the country’s business capital, serv- ing as a central locale for the exchange of commodities and materials with other cities. The city’s steel mill industry is one of its principal sources of income and employment, and the industry has been able to expand throughout the years with its owners holding considerable influence in the city. Misrata is one of the country’s most modern cities, with infra- structure that includes new roads, electricity and communication centers, 1 United Nations Inter-Agency Mission, Misrata: 10 to 14 July 2011, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 4 (2011), available at http://reliefweb .int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Full_report_157.pdf. Other estimates put Misrata’s population closer to 380,000 people before the conflict. See Misratah, WolframAlpha, available at http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Misratah&lk=1&a=ClashPrefs_*City .*Misratah.Misratah.Libya--.
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