a region and former province (1951–63) of E Libya: largely desert; settled by the Greeks in about 630 bc; ruled successively by the Egyptians, Romans, Arabs, Turks, and Italians. Area: 855 370 sq km (330 258 sq miles)
Cyrenaica in American English
(ˌsɪrəˈneɪɪkə; ˌ saɪrəˈneɪɪkə)
1.
region of E Libya
2.
ancient Greek kingdom (7th-4th cent. b.c.) in the same general region, dominated by the city of Cyrene