Libya is a country located in North Africa which mostly lies in the Sahara desert. Much of the country's population is concentrated by the coast, where two of its major cities are located. The Libyan dinar (LYD) is the official currency of Libya. It is often called jni or jenh by locals in the country. The currency is made up of 1,000 dirhams and is usually presented with the "LD" symbol. The term dirham is never used in common language. Instead, the word "garsh" is used, which refers to 10 dirhams.
When Libya was a part of the Ottoman Empire, the country's currency was the Ottoman piastres. And in 1911, when Italy colonized it, Libya adopted the Italian lira currency. Libya introduced its own currency, the Libyan pound, only after the country gained its independence in 1951. In 1971, after the establishment of a new central bank, the Libyan dinar replaced the pound. The Libyan dinar took the place of the Libyan pound at par. The banknotes of the currency are now issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, and 50 dinars and coins for 50 and 100 dirhams as well as 1/4 and 1/2 dinars.
