Massive rallies, joyful parades, parties and fireworks have put the Libyan capital Tripoli in a party mood since August 31.

This once isolated north African country continued to celebrate its 36th anniversary of the 1969 revolution, also its national day.

Late Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of Libyans of all walks of life gathered in the capital to celebrate, while the country, once isolated from the international community, is reintegrating itself into the mainstream of the world. "Welcome to the party," read a T-shirt worn by a Libyan young man who passed joyfully by the Al Kabir Hotel near Tripoli's landmark Green square, which has been the center for celebrations. The square, sitting along the serene Mediterranean coast, has been turned into a large open air party site with jubilant Libyans singing, dancing and chanting to the music.

Grabbing the opportunity for displaying a new Libya to the outside world, Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi invited up to 100 foreign journalists to cover the celebration.

Libya has undergone quiet but dramatic changes since 2003 when the government announced to abandon programs of developing weapons of mass destruction, paving the way for rapprochement with Western countries. The country then went further to mend ties with major European countries by paying billions of US dollars in compensation to victims of several major blasts blamed on the country, including the downing of two civilian passenger jets (PanAm, UTA).

In response to Libya's goodwill gestures, the European Union decided to lift economic sanctions and an arms embargo on it in September 2004, following a similar US move in which Washington ended most sanctions applied against Tripoli.
In an unusual move, some western oil firms, many of which were forced to quit Libya as a result of the international sanctions, were setting up banners congratulating the Libyan people on the occasion of the revolution anniversary and the national day.

"Congratulate the Libyan people on the 36th anniversary of the Sept. 1 revolution," read one banner signed by an Western oil company at one of the streets leading to the Green Square.

Libya has been a major oil producer in Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The country earned an estimated 18.2 billion dollars from oil exports in 2004, 38 percent up from 2003. For 2005 and 2006, Libya is projected to earn 24 billion dollars and 25 billion dollars respectively from oil exports, according to an OPEC report.

Libya has a total proven oil reserves of 39 billion barrels, according to the Oil and Gas Journal, but the country remains highly unexplored and retains huge potential for more oil discoveries. World oil giants, both from the USA and Europe, are returning after the sanctions were lifted.

"With all the sanctions, we managed to live a good life in the past, and we will live a better life in the future," declared a man in his thirties who identified himself as Osama.

That's true. With a population of some 5 million, Libyans have already enjoyed the highest per capita of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) among African countries. The life of the people are expected to be remarkably improved as the country welcomes foreign investors to tap its lucrative oil fields.

Source: Xinhua