▁The ▁Italian ▁population ▁( about ▁ 1 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁population ) ▁had ▁ 8 1 ▁elementary ▁schools ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 - 1 9 4 0 , ▁while ▁the ▁Lib y ans ▁( more ▁than ▁ 8 5 % ▁of ▁total ▁population ) ▁had ▁ 9 7 . ▁There ▁were ▁only ▁three ▁secondary ▁schools ▁for ▁Lib y ans ▁by ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁two ▁in ▁Tri pol i ▁and ▁one ▁in ▁Beng h azi . ▁ ▁The ▁Lib yan ▁economy ▁substantial ly ▁grew ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁mainly ▁in ▁the ▁agricult ural ▁sector . ▁Even ▁some ▁manufact uring ▁activities ▁were ▁developed , ▁mostly ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁food ▁industry . ▁Building ▁construction ▁increased ▁imm ens ely . ▁Furthermore , ▁the ▁It ali ans ▁made ▁modern ▁medical ▁care ▁available ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁Lib ya ▁and ▁improved ▁san it ary ▁conditions ▁in ▁the ▁towns . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁the ▁It ali ans ▁had ▁built ▁ ▁of ▁new ▁rail ro ads ▁and ▁ ▁of ▁new ▁roads . ▁The ▁most ▁important ▁and ▁largest ▁highway ▁project ▁was ▁the ▁Via ▁Bal bo , ▁an ▁east - west ▁coast al ▁route ▁connecting ▁Tri pol i ▁in ▁western ▁Italian ▁Tri polit ania ▁to ▁Tob ru k ▁in ▁eastern ▁Italian ▁Cy ren a ica . ▁The ▁last ▁railway ▁development ▁in ▁Lib ya ▁done ▁by ▁the ▁It ali ans ▁was ▁the ▁Tri pol i - B eng h azi ▁line ▁that ▁was ▁started ▁in