Durham E-Theses El-Marj Plain: a geographical study Buru, M. M. How to cite: Buru, M. M. (1965) El-Marj Plain: a geographical study, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10277/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk EL-MARJ PLAIN, A GEOGRAPHICAL STUDY By M.M. Buru, B.A., M.Litt. Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The University of Durham - October, 1965. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. 9 ^ -l- K. Abstract "El-Marj Plain, A Geographical Study" El-Marj Plain is a closed depression on the upper terrace of the Jebel Akhdar of Cyrenaica. It is the largest karstic basin in the whole of Cyrenaica. The Plain has a subvalley shape with a total area of about 1,100 sq.km. Most of the Arable land is located between 278 and 300 m. above sea-level. The escarpments to the north and the south of the Plain are dissected by numerous wadis making the extension of the road system an expensive task. The water flows in the wadis during the winter and either reaches the sea or disappears into the pervious limestones without being utilised by man. Geologically, the most extensive strata are the Middle Eocene. Rainfall is the main fundamental factor in El-Marj Plain since dry farming is practised there and there are no means of irrigation except on the coastal plain. El-Marj Plain receives an annual rainfall average varying between 300 and 500 mm. However, the rainfall is erratic both in quantity and distribution. The rather high average of rainfall, topography and heavy Terra Rossa soils determine the vegetation cover in the region. The flora of the Plain is related more to the Maghreb and southern Europe than to the rest of Libya. Shortage of water and soil erosion are the main physical obstacles to. ec.onomic development. The underground water in El-Marj Plain is contained chiefly in fractures, bedding planes and solution opening in the limestone country rock. The Terra Rossa soils in El-Marj Plain are quite deep and provide an adequate rooting medium for plants and the limitations found are not so much inherent as related to the system of management. There is no pedalogical reason to suppose that under a good management system the soils of El-Marj Plain should not prove particularly fertile. The long history of the region shows that it was subjected to the invasions of the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turks and Italians. The invasion of Bani Sulaim tribally organised nomads in the eleventh century brought an end to a long period of sedentary life. After a long period of stagnation the Italians planned for a demographic colonisation, but this had come to an end in 19^3 and the Bedouin again regained the control of the whole of Cyrenaica. El-Marj Plaints principle natural resource is agriculture and raising livestock. The main crops are barley and wheat followed by olives, almonds and vines. Vegetables are grown in the area on only a small scale. Livestock production in the area probably accounts for a greater value than crop production in most years. After the discovery of oil and the rapid increase in production, capital has become available for economic development. Consequently, the Libyan Government has planned to settle the Bedouin who occupied the former Italian farms. The highly favourable terms offered by the N.A.S.A. scheme for -3- re-settlement taken along with a powerful internal trend towards sedentary life appears to give grounds for optimism. The total population of El-Marj Plain and the adjacent administrative units is 39,867 (1964). The only urban centre in the region is El-Marj town,which was struck by an earthquake in 1963. A new town will be built to replace the destroyed centre. CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE ni LIST OF FIGURES IX LIST OF PLATES XIII LIST OF TABLES XVI LIST OF APPENDICES XXII INTRODUCTION 1 PART ONE Chapter I Relief and Land Forms 15 Chapter II Geo logy- 51 Chapter III Climate 74 Chapter IV Vegetation 115 Chapter V Water Resources 132 Chapter VI" Soils 155 PART TWO Chapter VII Historical Background (Throi Land Use) 181 Chapter VIII Land User- 201 Land Tenure 206 Sedentary Agriculture2l4 Livestock 29k Shifting Cultivation 307 £age Chapter VIII Land. Use:- (Cont) Nomadism 310 Agricultural Development and Settlement Scheme. 317 PART THREE Chapter IX Background of Social Organisation 3^1 Chapter X Population 38O Chapter XI A - Settlement ^30 B - Impact of Oil k6l Chapter XII Conclusions kj7 Appendices 48l Glossary 513 Cyrenaican Place-names frequently mentioned in the text 515 A Selected Bibliography 516 Amendment 523 Ill Preface After the author had completed an eei.rlier study- on "the Geography of the Eastern Jebel Akhdar., Cyrenaica" he realised the potentialities of El-Marj Plain as a field for another study -for four reasons. First, El-Marj Plain can be considered as having the largest scope for agricultural extension in Cyrenaica and perhaps in the whole of Libya. Secondly, the need for a study of the present state of the Italian concessions and the former Ente farms run today by Libyans. Thirdly, after the discovery of oil and the rapid rise in production, the Libyan Government allocated large sums of money for economic development and El-Marj is one of the few regions in which capital can be invested. Fourthly, in Cyrenaica little geographical research work has been done and further work is desirable. There have been many difficulties to overcome. First, the statistics are not reliable and do not cover a long period. Secondly, the administrative boundaries are, as frequently happens, not suitable for geographical analysis, thus statistics usually have been given to cover the whole Mutasarrifia of El-Marj; even more the statistics which cover the sub-district of El-Marj include areas outside El-Marj Plain and vice versa. Thirdly, an earthquake struck the town of El-Marj during the field work, many official documents were lost and accommodation became unavailable in the urban centre. IV The field work was carried out from October 1962 to September 1963. At first the town of El-Marj had been taken as a centre of the field work. After the earthquake, a daily journey was made between Benghazi and El-Marj. Two months were spent in Tripoli working on the Italian literature and collecting statistics. I came to Durham in October, 1963. The Libyan Government decided to build a new town to replace the destroyed centre, consequently another trip was made between July and September, 19^3 to investigate on the spot the works on the new town, and to obtain detailed information on the newly set up National Agricultural Settlement Authority. I am most grateful to many people in Cyrenaica and Tripolitania who have shown an active interest in my work. I am greatly indebted to Essayid Abdullah Al-Guairi, the Director of Ministry of State, El-Beida for the provision of valuable information and maps, and to Ess. Mansur Breighith, Assistant Director of Zorda Experimental Station, El-Marj, Ess. Abdulgader Al-Aish, court of El-Marj, and Ess. Abdulsalam -Es-Sguri, secretary of the Mutasarrifia of El-Marj for helping me to work out the land use maps for certain farms in El-Marj and in conducting the investigation survey„in the town and the Mutasarrifia of El-Marj. Among many who helped and advised me I would especially like to thank the V following:- The Prime Minister's Office Former Prime Minister Dr.M.FiKeni Ministry of Agriculture Ess . Faraj Jibr.il Under-secretary of the Ministry Benghazi Ess. Nuri Rahuma Head of Department of Agricultural Guidance,Benghazi Ess.Abdallah Al-Sharif Head of the Department of Agricultural Machinery,El-Marj Ess.Muhammed Abdallah,Head of the Department of Statistics, Benghazi Late Ess.Ali El-Bakkush Director of the Ministry Idris Saber,Inspector, Department of Statistics ,El-Marj Ess.Muhammed Abdulgader Agricultural Guide of Farzugha and El-Hemda Late Ess.Abdulhadi Muhammed former Agricultural Guide of To era Dr.Atom Pietri Chemical Laboratory Section Sidi-Mesri, Tripoli VI Ministry of Petroleum Affairs Dr.Wahbi El-Buri The Minister Ess.AbdulMola Daghman Under-secretary,of the Ministry Ess.Mutafa El-Ke1$hia Head of the Technical Department Ministry of communications Ess.Abdallah Sasi the Administrative Secretary Censusand Statistics Ess. Isa Department Assistant Director - Tripoli Late Ess.Abdul Karim El-Abid Director of the Region Office, Benghazi Ministry of Public Work Ess.Al-Sharif Aamer Director of the Ministry, Benghazi Mr.H.Adams Chief engineerings,Benghazi Land Registry Department Ess.M.Bugaigis Director, Benghazi Barce Reconstruction Ess.M. Ben Aamer Organisation The General Director.Benghazi National Agricultural Ess.