Infrastructure improvements Italian Libya

the via balbia @ marble arch german panzer iii tanks (1941).

the fascist regime, during depression years, emphasized infrastructure improvements , public works. in particular, governor italo balbo hugely expanded libyan railway , road networks 1934 1940, building hundreds of kilometers of new roads , railways , encouraging establishment of new industries , dozen of new agricultural villages massive italian investment did little improve libyan quality of life, purpose develop economy benefit of italy , italian settlers.

the italian aim drive local population marginal land in interior , resettle italian population in fertile lands of libya. italians did not provide libyans adequate education or improved native administration, italian population (about 10% of total population) had 81 elementary schools in 1939-1940, while libyans (more 85% of total population) had 97. there 3 secondary schools libyans 1940, 2 in tripoli , 1 in benghazi.

the libyan economy substantially grew in late 1930s, in agricultural sector. manufacturing activities developed, related food industry. building construction increased immensely. furthermore, italians made modern medical care available first time in libya , improved sanitary conditions in towns.

the italians started numerous , diverse businesses in tripolitania , cirenaicia. these included explosives factory, railway workshops, fiat motor works, various food processing plants, electrical engineering workshops, ironworks, water plants, agricultural machinery factories, breweries, distilleries, biscuit factories, tobacco factory, tanneries, bakeries, lime, brick , cement works, esparto grass industry, mechanical saw mills, , petrolibya society (trye 1998). italian investment in colony take advantage of new colonists , make more self-sufficient. (general staff war office 1939, 165/b).

by 1939, italians had built 400 kilometres (250 mi) of new railroads , 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi) of new roads. important , largest highway project via balbo, east-west coastal route connecting tripoli in western italian tripolitania tobruk in eastern italian cyrenaica. of these projects , achievements completed between 1934 , 1940 when italo balbo governor of italian libya, became fourth shore.

the last railway development in libya done italians tripoli-benghazi line started in 1941 , never completed because of italian defeat during world war ii.