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Banghāzī
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Banghāzī is Libya’s second largest city and is an administrative, commercial, and educational centre. It is the site of several national government buildings, as well as the Gar Younis (formerly Benghāzī) University (founded 1955). Local industries include salt processing, oil refining, food processing, cement manufacturing, and tanning, brewing, and fishing. Fresh water is provided by large desalination facilities and by the Great Man-Made River, a network of underground pipelines that carries water from aquifers in the Sahara. Benina International Airport is 20 miles (32 km) east of the city. Roads connect Banghāzī with other Libyan centres on the Mediterranean coast. Pop. (2005 est.) 685,367.
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