Gulf of Sidra
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Gulf of Sidra is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya; it is also known as Gulf of Sirte. It is located by the city of Sirte. The gulf's waters are the warmest of all the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
Tuna fishing is of economical importance in the Gulf.
[edit] Territorial claim
From time to time, Libya has asserted that the entire gulf is Libyan territory, though other countries hold to the international standard of a 12-mile (22.2 km) territorial limit from the country's shore. In 1973 this was asserted by Libya's leader Muammar al-Gaddafi who dubbed it The Line of Death.
This is not without international precedent, the United States, for example enforces a 200 mile air security zone around its coastline [1].
[edit] See also
- Second Battle of Sirte, World War II naval battle between Regia Marina and Royal Navy.
- Gulf of Sidra incident (1981), US-Libyan air engagement over territorial claim, two Libyan jets shot down
- Gulf of Sidra incident (1989), US-Libyan air engagement over territorial claim, two Libyan jets shot down
- Operation Attain Document in 1986, was a series of Freedom of Navigation operations by US Naval Forces.
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