Population
The region's inhabitants include the nomadic Tuareg in the southwest and the Toubou in the southeast. These pastoralist populations often cross the borders of Algeria, Chad and Niger freely. In the north, Arab, Berber and settled Tuareg and Toubou mix. While making up some 30% of the land area of Libya, the Fezzan supports little of its population. Despite this, large towns like Sabha, survive on near-surface water in the wadis of the north and west. The northeast area is dominated by Haruj, a large and unpopulated volcanic field.
Fezzan's population has grown rapidly since the mid 20th century along with the overall growth in Libya's population, and the province's share of the national population has increased slightly.
| Year | Population | Percent of Libya's population |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 59,315 | 5.4 |
| 1964 | 79,326 | 5.1 |
| 1973 | 128,012 | 5.7 |
| 1984 | 213,915 | 5.9 |
| 1995 | 352,276 | 7.3 |
| 2006 | 442,090 | 7.8 |
Source: Gathered from bulletins of censuses 1964, 1973, 1995, 2006.
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