Banghazi

Banghazi

 or Benghazi

Coastal city (pop., 1995 est.: 650,000), northeastern Libya. Located on the Gulf of Sidra, it is Libya's second largest city and was once its capital. Founded by Greeks as Hesperides, it received from Ptolemy III the additional name Berenice in honour of his wife. After the 3rd century AD it superseded Cyrene and Barce as the chief city of the region. After its importance waned, it remained a small town until it was extensively developed during the Italian occupation of Libya (1912–42). In World War II it suffered considerable damage before being captured by the British in 1942. It is now an administrative and commercial centre and the site of one of the world's largest desalinization plants.