Misrata District

Misrata (مصراته)
District
Country	Libya
Capital	Misrata
Population	550,938 (2006)
Map of Libya with Bani Walid district highlighted

Misrata (Arabic: مصراته‎‎ Miṣrātah, Libyan Arabic: Məṣrātah), also spelt Misurata or Misratah, is a sha'biyah (district) in northwestern Libya. Its capital is the city of Misrata. In 2007 the district was enlarged to include what had been the Bani Walid District and the northernmost strip of coast of the Gulf of Sidra, that from 2001 to 2007 had been part of Sirte District. In the north and east, Misrata has a shoreline on the Mediterranean Sea. On land, it borders Sirte in south and east, Murqub in north and west and Jabal al Gharbi in south and west.

Per the census of 2012, the total population in the region was 157,747 with 150,353 Libyans. The average size of the household in the country was 6.9, while the average household size of non-Libyans being 3.7. There were totally 22,713 households in the district, with 20,907 Libyan ones. The population density of the district was 1.86 persons per sq. km. Per 2006 census, there were totally 148,352 economically active people in the district.

Libya has mostly a flat undulating plain and occasional plateau, with an average elevation of around 423 m (1,388 ft). Around 91 per cent of the land is covered by desert, with only 8.8 per cent agricultural land (with only 1 % arable lands) and 0.1 per cent of forests. The major resources are petroleum, gypsum and natural gas. Along the coastal regions, the climate is Mediterranean in coastal areas, while it is desert climate in all other parts. Dust storms lasting four to eight days is pretty common during Spring. Triplotania is the northwest region, while it is Cyrenacia in the east and Fezzen in southwest. Triplotania runs from north to south and has set of coastal oases, plains and limestone plateaus having an elevation of 2,000 ft (610 m) to 3,000 ft (910 m). The region receives an annual rainfall of 16 in (410 mm). There are no perennial rivers in the region, but the region is abundant with groundwater aquifers. Most of the major cities of Libya are located in the coastal regions.