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<\/a>The earliest evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back more than seven thousand years, predating recorded history. Lebanon was home to the Phoenicians<\/a>, a maritime culture that flourished for almost three thousand years (c. 3200\u2013539 BC). In 64 BC, the region came under the rule of the Roman Empire<\/a>, and eventually became one of its leading centers of Christianity. The Mount Lebanon<\/a> range saw the emergence of a monastic tradition known as the Maronite Church<\/a>. As the Arab Muslims conquered<\/a> the region, the Maronites held onto their religion and identity. However, a new religious group, the Druze<\/a>, established themselves in Mount Lebanon as well, generating a religious divide that has lasted for centuries. During the Crusades<\/a>, the Maronites re-established contact with the Roman Catholic Church and asserted their communion with Rome. These ties have influenced the region into the modern era.<\/p>\n Lebanon was conquered by the Ottomans<\/a> in the 16th century and remained under their rule for the next 400 years. Following the empire’s collapse after World War I<\/a>, the five provinces constituting modern Lebanon came under the French Mandate<\/a>. The French expanded the borders of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, which was predominately Maronite and Druze, to include more Muslims.<\/p>\n Upon independence in 1943, Lebanon established a unique confessionalist<\/a> form of government, with the major religious sects apportioned specific political powers. President Bechara El Khoury<\/a>, prime minister Riad El-Solh<\/a>, and minister of defense Emir Majid Arslan II<\/a> are considered the founders of modern Lebanon and national heroes for their role in independence. Lebanon initially enjoyed political and economic stability, which was shattered by the bloody Lebanese Civil War (1975\u20131990)<\/a> between various political and sectarian factions. The war partially led to military occupations by Syria<\/a> (1975 to 2005) and Israel<\/a> (1985 to 2000).<\/p>\n Despite Lebanon’s small size, Lebanese culture is renowned both in the Arab world and globally, powered by its large and influential diaspora. Prior to the civil war, the country enjoyed a diversified economy that included tourism, agriculture, commerce, and banking. Its financial power and stability through the 1950s and 1960s earned Lebanon the name of “Switzerland of the East”, while its capital, Beirut<\/a>, attracted so many tourists that it was known as “the Paris of the Middle East”. Since the end of the war, there have been extensive efforts to revive the economy and rebuild national infrastructure. While still recovering from the political and economic effects of the conflict, Lebanon remains a cosmopolitan and developing country, with the highest Human Development Index<\/a> and GDP per capita in the Arab world outside of the oil-rich economies of the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n Lebanon was a founding member of the United Nations<\/a> in 1945 and is a member of the Arab League<\/a> (1945), the Non-Aligned Movement<\/a> (1961), Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation<\/a> (1969), and the Organisation internationale de la francophonie<\/a> (1973).<\/p>\n Evidence dating back to an early settlement in Lebanon was found in Byblos<\/a>, considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The evidence dates back to earlier than 5000 BC. Archaeologists discovered remnants of prehistoric huts with crushed limestone floors, primitive weapons, and burial jars left by the Neolithic and Chalcolithic fishing communities who lived on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea over 7,000 years ago.<\/p>\n Lebanon was part of northern Canaan<\/a>, and consequently became the homeland of Canaanite descendants, the Phoenicians, a seafaring people who spread across the Mediterranean in the first millennium BC. The most prominent Phoenician cities were Byblos, Sidon<\/a> and Tyre<\/a>, while their most famous colonies were Carthage<\/a> in present-day Tunisia<\/a> and C\u00e1diz<\/a> in present-day Spain<\/a>. The Phoenicians are credited with the invention of the oldest verified alphabet<\/a>, which subsequently inspired the Greek alphabet and the Latin one thereafter. The cities of Phoenicia were incorporated into the Persian Achaemenid Empir<\/a>e by Cyrus the Great<\/a> in 539 BCE. The Phoenician city-states were later incorporated into the empire of Alexander the Great<\/a> following the Siege of Tyre<\/a> in 332 BC.<\/p>\n The region that is now Lebanon, as with the rest of Syria and much of Anatolia<\/a>, became a major center of Christianity in the Roman Empire during the early spread of the faith. During the late 4th and early 5th century, a hermit named Maron<\/a> established a monastic tradition focused on the importance of monotheism and asceticism, near the Mediterranean mountain range known as Mount Lebanon. The monks who followed Maron spread his teachings among Lebanese in the region. These Christians came to be known as Maronites<\/a> and moved into the mountains to avoid religious persecution by Roman authorities. During the frequent Roman-Persian Wars<\/a> that lasted for many centuries, the Sassanid Persians<\/a> occupied what is now Lebanon from 619 till 629.<\/p>\n During the 7th century the Muslim Arabs conquered Syria<\/a> establishing a new regime to replace the Byzantines<\/a>. Though Islam and the Arabic language were officially dominant under this new regime, the general populace nonetheless only gradually converted from Christianity and the Syriac language. The Maronite community, in particular, managed to maintain a large degree of autonomy despite the succession of rulers over Lebanon and Syria.<\/p>\n During the 11th century the Druze religion emerged from a branch of Shia Islam<\/a>. The new religion gained followers in the southern portion of Mount Lebanon. The northern portion of Mount Lebanon was ruled by Druze feudal families to the early 14th century which was then brought to an end by the Mamluk invasion. The Maronite population increased gradually in Northern Mount Lebanon and the Druze have remained in Southern Mount Lebanon until the modern era. In the south of Lebanon, Jabal Amel<\/a>, Baalbek<\/a> and the Beqaa Valley<\/a> was ruled by Shia feudal families under the Mamluks and the Ottoman Empire. Major cities on the coast, Acre<\/a>, Beirut, and others, were directly administered by the Muslim Caliphs and the people became more fully absorbed by the Arab culture.<\/p>\n Following the fall of Roman Anatolia to the Muslim Turks, the Byzantines put out a call to the Pope in Rome for assistance in the 11th century. The result was a series of wars known as the Crusades<\/a> launched by the Franks<\/a> from Western Europe to reclaim the former Byzantine Christian territories in the Eastern Mediterranean, especially Syria and Palestine<\/a> (the Levant). The First Crusade<\/a> succeeded in temporarily establishing the Kingdom of Jerusalem<\/a> and the County of Tripoli<\/a> as Roman Catholic Christian states along the coast. These crusader states made a lasting impact on the region, though their control was limited, and the region returned to full Muslim control after two centuries following the conquest by the Mamluks.<\/p>\n One of the most lasting effects of the Crusades in this region was the contact between the Franks (i.e. the French) and the Maronites. Unlike most other Christian communities in the Eastern Mediterranean, who swore allegiance to Constantinople or other local patriarchs, the Maronites proclaimed allegiance to the Pope in Rome. As such the Franks saw them as Roman Catholic brethren. These initial contacts led to centuries of support for the Maronites from France and Italy, even after the fall of the Crusader states in the region.<\/p>\n During this period Lebanon was divided into several provinces: Northern and Southern Mount Lebanon, Tripoli, Baalbek and Beqaa Valley and Jabal Amel<\/a>. In southern Mount Lebanon in 1590, Fakhr-al-Din II<\/a> became the successor to Korkmaz<\/a>.<\/p>\n He soon established his authority as paramount prince of the Druze in the Shouf area of Mount Lebanon. Eventually, Fakhr-al-Din II was appointed Sanjakbey<\/a> (Governor) of several Ottoman sub-provinces, with responsibility for tax-gathering. He extended his control over a substantial part of Mount Lebanon and its coastal area, even building a fort as far inland as Palmyra<\/a>. This over-reaching eventually became too much for Ottoman Sultan Murad IV<\/a>, who sent a punitive expedition to capture him in 1633. He was taken to Istanbul<\/a>, kept in prison for two years and then executed along with one of his sons in April 1635. Surviving members of Fakhr al-Din’s family ruled a reduced area under closer Ottoman control until the end of the 17th century.<\/p>\n On the death of the last Maan emir, various members of the Shihab clan ruled Mount Lebanon until 1830. Approximately 10,000 Christians were killed by the Druzes<\/a> during inter-communal violence in 1860. Shortly afterwards, the Emirate of Mount Lebanon<\/a>, which lasted about 400 years, was replaced by the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate<\/a>, as a result of a European-Ottoman treaty called the R\u00e8glement Organique<\/a>. The Baalbek and Beqaa Valley and Jabal Amel was ruled intermittently by various Shia feudal families, especially the Al Ali Alsagheer in Jabal Amel that remained in power until 1865 when Ottomans took direct ruling of the region. Youssef Bey Karam<\/a>, a Lebanese nationalist played an influential role in Lebanon’s independence during this era.<\/p>\n In 1920, following World War I, the area of the Mutasarrifate, plus some surrounding areas which were predominantly Shia<\/a> and Sunni<\/a>, became a part of the state of Greater Lebanon<\/a> under the French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon. Around 100,000 people in Beirut and Mount Lebanon died of starvation during World War I. In the first half of 1920, Lebanese territory was claimed as part of the Arab Kingdom of Syria<\/a>, but shortly the Franco-Syrian War<\/a> resulted in Arab defeat and capitulation of the Hashemites.<\/p>\n On 1 September 1920, France reestablished Greater Lebanon after the Moutasarrifiya rule removed several regions belonging to the Principality of Lebanon and gave them to Syria. Lebanon was a largely Christian country (mainly Maronite territory with some Greek Orthodox enclaves) but it also included areas containing many Muslims and Druze. On 1 September 1926, France formed the Lebanese Republic. A constitution was adopted on 25 May 1926 establishing a democratic republic with a parliamentary system of government.<\/p>\n Lebanon gained a measure of independence while France was occupied by Germany. General Henri Dentz<\/a>, the Vichy<\/a> High Commissioner for Syria and Lebanon, played a major role in the independence of the nation. The Vichy authorities in 1941 allowed Germany to move aircraft and supplies through Syria to Iraq<\/a> where they were used against British forces. The United Kingdom, fearing that Nazi Germany<\/a> would gain full control of Lebanon and Syria by pressure on the weak Vichy government, sent its army into Syria and Lebanon.<\/p>\n After the fighting ended in Lebanon, General Charles de Gaulle<\/a> visited the area. Under political pressure from both inside and outside Lebanon, de Gaulle recognized the independence of Lebanon. On 26 November 1941, General Georges Catroux<\/a> announced that Lebanon would become independent under the authority of the Free French<\/a> government. Elections were held in 1943 and on 8 November 1943 the new Lebanese government unilaterally abolished the mandate. The French reacted by imprisoning the new government. In the face of international pressure, the French released the government officials on 22 November 1943. The allies occupied the region until the end of World War II.<\/p>\n Following the end of World War II in Europe the French mandate may be said to have been terminated without any formal action on the part of the League of Nations<\/a> or its successor the United Nations. The mandate was ended by the declaration of the mandatory power, and of the new states themselves, of their independence, followed by a process of piecemeal unconditional recognition by other powers, culminating in formal admission to the United Nations. Article 78 of the UN Charter ended the status of tutelage for any member state: “The trusteeship system shall not apply to territories which have become Members of the United Nations, relationship among which shall be based on respect for the principle of sovereign equality.” So when the UN officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, after ratification of the United Nations Charter<\/a> by the five permanent members<\/a>, as both Syria and Lebanon were founding member states, the French mandate for both was legally terminated on that date and full independence attained. The last French troops withdrew in December 1946.<\/p>\n Lebanon’s unwritten National Pact of 1943<\/a> required that its president be Maronite Christian, its speaker of the parliament to be a Shiite Muslim, its prime minister be Sunni Muslim, and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament and the Deputy Prime Minister be Greek Orthodox<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lebanon’s history since independence has been marked by alternating periods of political stability and turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on Beirut’s position as a regional center for finance and trade.<\/p>\n In May 1948, Lebanon supported neighboring Arab countries in a war against Israel. While some irregular forces crossed the border and carried out minor skirmishes against Israel, it was without the support of the Lebanese government, and Lebanese troops did not officially invade. Lebanon agreed to support the forces with covering artillery fire, armored cars, volunteers and logistical support. On 5\u20136 June 1948, the Lebanese army \u2013 led by the then Minister of National Defence, Emir Majid Arslan \u2013 captured Al-Malkiyya<\/a>. This was Lebanon’s only success in the war.<\/p>\n 100,000 Palestinians<\/a> fled to Lebanon because of the war. Israel did not permit their return<\/a> after the cease-fire. As of 2017 between 174,000 and 450,000 Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon with about half in refugee camps (although these are often decades old and resemble neighborhoods). Palestinians often cannot obtain Lebanese citizenship or even Lebanese identity cards<\/a> and are legally barred from owning property or performing certain occupations (including law, medicine, and engineering). According to Human Rights Watch<\/a>, Palestinian refugees in Lebanon live in “appalling social and economic conditions.”<\/p>\n In 1958, during the last months of President Camille Chamoun’s<\/a> term, an insurrection<\/a> broke out, instigated by Lebanese Muslims who wanted to make Lebanon a member of the United Arab Republic<\/a>. Chamoun requested assistance, and 5,000 United States Marines were briefly dispatched to Beirut on 15 July. After the crisis, a new government was formed, led by the popular former general Fuad Chehab<\/a>.<\/p>\n With the defeat<\/a> of the PLO<\/a> in Jordan, many Palestinian militants<\/a> relocated to Lebanon, increasing their armed campaign against Israel. The relocation of Palestinian bases also led to increasing sectarian tensions between Palestinians versus the Maronites and other Lebanese factions.<\/p>\n In 1975, following increasing sectarian tensions, largely boosted by Palestinian militant relocation into South Lebanon, a full-scale civil war<\/a> broke out in Lebanon. The Lebanese Civil War pitted a coalition of Christian groups against the joint forces of the PLO, left-wing Druze and Muslim militias. In June 1976, Lebanese President Elias Sarkis<\/a> asked for the Syrian Army to intervene on the side of the Christians and help restore peace. In October 1976 the Arab League<\/a> agreed to establish a predominantly Syrian Arab Deterrent Force<\/a>, which was charged with restoring calm.<\/p>\n PLO attacks from Lebanon into Israel in 1977 and 1978 escalated tensions between the countries. On 11 March 1978, eleven Fatah fighters landed on a beach in northern Israel and proceeded to hijack two buses full of passengers on the Haifa \u2013 Tel-Aviv road, shooting at passing vehicles in what became known as the Coastal Road massacre<\/a>. They killed 37 and wounded 76 Israelis before being killed in a firefight with Israeli forces. Israel invaded Lebanon four days later in Operation Litani<\/a>. The Israeli Army occupied most of the area south of the Litani River<\/a>. The UN Security Council<\/a> passed Resolution 425<\/a> calling for immediate Israeli withdrawal and creating the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)<\/a>, charged with attempting to establish peace.<\/p>\n Israeli forces withdrew later in 1978, but retained control of the southern region by managing a 12-mile (19 km) wide security zone along the border. These positions were held by the South Lebanon Army (SLA)<\/a>, a Christian-Shi’a militia under the leadership of Major Saad Haddad<\/a> backed by Israel. The Israeli Prime Minister, Likud’s<\/a> Menachem Begin<\/a>, compared the plight of the Christian minority in southern Lebanon (then about 5% of the population in SLA territory) to that of European Jews during World War II. The PLO routinely attacked Israel during the period of the cease-fire, with over 270 documented attacks. People in Galilee regularly had to leave their homes during these shellings. Documents captured in PLO headquarters after the invasion showed they had come from Lebanon. Arafat refused to condemn these attacks on the grounds that the cease-fire was only relevant to Lebanon.<\/p>\n In April 1980 the presence of UNIFIL soldiers in the buffer zone led to the At Tiri incident<\/a>. On 17 July 1981, Israeli aircraft bombed multi-story apartment buildings in Beirut that contained offices of PLO associated groups. The Lebanese delegate to the United Nations Security Council claimed that 300 civilians had been killed and 800 wounded. The bombing led to worldwide condemnation, and a temporary embargo on the export of U.S. aircraft to Israel. In August 1981, defense minister Ariel Sharon<\/a> began to draw up plans to attack PLO military infrastructure in West Beirut, where PLO headquarters and command bunkers were located.<\/p>\n In 1982, the PLO attacks from Lebanon on Israel led to an Israeli invasion<\/a>, aiming to support Lebanese forces in driving out the PLO. A multinational force<\/a> of American, French and Italian contingents (joined in 1983 by a British contingent) were deployed in Beirut after the Israeli siege of the city<\/a>, to supervise the evacuation of the PLO. The civil war re-emerged in September 1982 after the assassination of Lebanese President Bashir Gemayel<\/a>, an Israeli ally, and subsequent fighting. During this time a number of sectarian massacres occurred, such as in Sabra and Shatila<\/a>, and in several refugee camps<\/a>. The multinational force was withdrawn in the spring of 1984, following a devastating bombing attack<\/a> during the previous year.<\/p>\n In September 1988, the Parliament failed to elect a successor to President Gemayel as a result of differences between the Christians, Muslims, and Syrians. The Arab League Summit of May 1989 led to the formation of a Saudi\u2013Moroccan\u2013Algerian committee to solve the crisis. On 16 September 1989 the committee issued a peace plan which was accepted by all. A ceasefire was established, the ports and airports were re-opened and refugees began to return.<\/p>\n In the same month, the Lebanese Parliament agreed to the Taif Agreement<\/a>, which included an outline timetable for Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon and a formula for the de-confessionalisation of the Lebanese political system. The civil war ended at the end of 1990 after sixteen years; it had caused massive loss of human life and property, and devastated the country’s economy. It is estimated that 150,000 people were killed and another 200,000 wounded. Nearly a million civilians were displaced by the war, and some never returned. Parts of Lebanon were left in ruins. The Taif Agreement has still not been implemented in full and Lebanon’s political system continues to be divided along sectarian lines.<\/p>\n But, the war in Lebanon did not stop yet. The bickering between Israel and the Lebanese resistance continued leading to a series of harsh events ,including the Qana massacres<\/a>, and to losses in both groups. In 2000, the Israeli forces retreated from Lebanon. It estimated that more than 17,000 civilians were killed and more than 30,000 were injured. Since then, the date 25\/May is considered as ” Resistance and Liberation Day in Lebanon ” for Lebanese.<\/p>\n The internal political situation in Lebanon significantly changed in the early 2000s. After the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the death of former president Hafez Al-Assad<\/a> in 2000, the Syrian military presence faced criticism and resistance from the Lebanese population.<\/p>\n On 14 February 2005, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri<\/a> was assassinated in a car bomb explosion. Leaders of the March 14 Alliance<\/a> accused Syria of the attack, while Syria and the March 8 Alliance<\/a> claimed that Israel was behind the assassination. The Hariri assassination marked the beginning of a series of assassinations that resulted in the death of many prominent Lebanese figures.<\/p>\n The assassination triggered the Cedar Revolution<\/a>, a series of demonstrations which demanded the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon and the establishment of an international commission to investigate the assassination. Under pressure from the West, Syria began withdrawing, and by 26 April 2005 all Syrian soldiers had returned to Syria.<\/p>\n UNSC Resolution 1595<\/a> called for an investigation into the assassination. The UN International Independent Investigation Commission published preliminary findings on 20 October 2005 in the Mehlis report<\/a>, which cited indications that the assassination was organized by Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services.<\/p>\n On 12 July 2006, Hezbollah<\/a> launched a series of rocket attacks and raids into Israeli territory, where they killed three Israeli soldiers and captured two others. Israel responded with airstrikes and artillery fire on targets in Lebanon, and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, resulting in the 2006 Lebanon War<\/a>. The conflict was officially ended by the UNSC Resolution 1701<\/a> on 14 August 2006, which ordered a ceasefire. Some 1,191 Lebanese and 160 Israelis were killed in the conflict. Beirut’s southern suburb was heavily damaged by Israeli airstrikes.<\/p>\n In 2007, the Nahr al-Bared<\/a> refugee camp became the center of the 2007 Lebanon conflict<\/a> between the Lebanese Army and Fatah al-Islam<\/a>. At least 169 soldiers, 287 insurgents and 47 civilians were killed in the battle. Funds for the reconstruction of the area have been slow to materialize.<\/p>\n Between 2006 and 2008, a series of protests<\/a> led by groups opposed to the pro-Western Prime Minister Fouad Siniora<\/a> demanded the creation of a national unity government, over which the mostly Shia opposition groups would have veto power. When \u00c9mile Lahoud’s<\/a> presidential term ended in October 2007, the opposition refused to vote for a successor unless a power-sharing deal was reached, leaving Lebanon without a president.<\/p>\n On 9 May 2008, Hezbollah and Amal<\/a> forces, sparked by a government declaration that Hezbollah’s communications network was illegal, seized western Beirut, leading to the 2008 conflict<\/a> in Lebanon. The Lebanese government denounced the violence as a coup attempt. At least 62 people died in the resulting clashes between pro-government and opposition militias. On 21 May 2008, the signing of the Doha Agreement<\/a> ended the fighting. As part of the accord, which ended 18 months of political paralysis, Michel Suleiman<\/a> became president and a national unity government was established, granting a veto to the opposition. The agreement was a victory for opposition forces, as the government caved in to all their main demands.<\/p>\n In early January 2011, the national unity government collapsed due to growing tensions stemming from the Special Tribunal for Lebanon<\/a>, which was expected to indict Hezbollah members for the Hariri assassination. The parliament elected Najib Mikati<\/a>, the candidate for the Hezbollah-led March 8 Alliance, Prime Minister of Lebanon, making him responsible for forming a new government. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah<\/a> insists that Israel was responsible for the assassination of Hariri. A report leaked by the Al-Akhbar<\/a> newspaper in November 2010 stated that Hezbollah has drafted plans for a takeover of the country in the event that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon issues an indictment against its members.<\/p>\n In 2012, the Syrian civil war<\/a> threatened to spill over in Lebanon<\/a>, causing more incidents of sectarian violence and armed clashes between Sunnis and Alawites<\/a> in Tripoli. According to UNHCR<\/a>, the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon increased from around 250,000 in early 2013 to 1,000,000 in late 2014. In 2013, The Lebanese Forces Party<\/a>, the Kataeb Party<\/a> and the Free Patriotic Movement<\/a> voiced concerns that the country’s sectarian based political system is being undermined by the influx of Syrian refugees. On 6 May 2015, UNHCR suspended registration of Syrian refugees at the request of the Lebanese government. In February 2016, the Lebanese government signed the Lebanon Compact, granting a minimum of \u20ac400 million of support for refugees and vulnerable Lebanese citizens. As of October 2016, the government estimates that the country hosts 1.5 million Syrians.<\/p>\n On 17 October 2019, the first of a series of mass civil demonstrations erupted; they were initially triggered by planned taxes on gasoline, tobacco and online phone calls such as through WhatsApp, but quickly expanded into a country-wide condemnation of sectarian rule, stagnant economy, unemployment, endemic corruption in the public sector, legislation (such as banking secrecy) that is perceived to shield the ruling class from accountability and failures from the government to provide basic services such as electricity, water and sanitation.<\/p>\n As a result of the protests, Lebanon entered a political crisis, with Prime Minister Saad Hariri<\/a> tendering his resignation and echoing protestors’ demands for a government of independent specialists. Other politicians targeted by the protests have remained in power. On 19 December 2019, former Minister of Education Hassan Diab<\/a> was designated the next prime minister and tasked with forming a new cabinet. Protests and acts of civil disobedience have since continued, with protesters denouncing and condemning the designation of Diab as prime minister. Lebanon is suffering the worst economic crisis in decades. Lebanon is the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to see its inflation rate exceed 50% for 30 consecutive days, according to Steve H. Hanke, professor of applied economics at the Johns Hopkins University. On August 4th of 2020, an explosion at the port of Beirut<\/a>, Lebanon’s main port, destroyed the surrounding areas, killing more than 200 people, and injuring thousands more.<\/p>\n The cause of the explosion was later determined to be 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been unsafely stored, and accidentally set on fire that Tuesday afternoon. Less than a week after the explosion, on August 10, 2020, Hassan Diab, the prime minister that had been designated less than a year before, addressed the nation and announced his resignation.<\/p>\n Lebanon’s surface area is 10,452 square kilometres (4,036 sq mi) of which 10,230 square kilometres (3,950 sq mi) is land. Lebanon has a coastline and border of 225 kilometres (140 mi) on the Mediterranean Sea to the west, a 375 kilometres (233 mi) border shared with Syria to the north and east and a 79 kilometres (49 mi) long border with Israel to the south. The border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights<\/a> is disputed by Lebanon in a small area called Shebaa Farms.<\/a><\/p>\n Lebanon is divided into four distinct physiographic regions: the coastal plain, the Lebanon mountain range<\/a>, the Beqaa valley<\/a> and the Anti-Lebanon mountains<\/a>.<\/p>\n The narrow and discontinuous coastal plain stretches from the Syrian border in the north where it widens to form the Akkar plain<\/a> to Ras al-Naqoura<\/a> at the border with Israel in the south. The fertile coastal plain is formed of marine sediments and river deposited alluvium alternating with sandy bays and rocky beaches. The Lebanon mountains rise steeply parallel to the Mediterranean coast and form a ridge of limestone and sandstone that runs for most of the country’s length. The mountain range varies in width between 10 km (6 mi) and 56 km (35 mi); it is carved by narrow and deep gorges. The Lebanon mountains peak at 3,088 meters (10,131 ft) above sea level in Qurnat as Sawda’<\/a> in North Lebanon and gradually slope to the south before rising again to a height of 2,695 meters (8,842 ft) in Mount Sannine<\/a>. The Beqaa valley sits between the Lebanon mountains in the west and the Anti-Lebanon range in the east; it is a part of the Great Rift Valley system. The valley is 180 km (112 mi) long and 10 to 26 km (6 to 16 mi) wide, its fertile soil is formed by alluvial deposits. The Anti-Lebanon range runs parallel to the Lebanon mountains, its highest peak is in Mount Hermon<\/a> at 2,814 meters (9,232 ft).<\/p>\n The mountains of Lebanon are drained by seasonal torrents and rivers foremost of which is the 145 kilometers (90 mi) long Leontes<\/a> that rises in the Beqaa Valley to the west of Baalbek and empties into the Mediterranean Sea north of Tyre. Lebanon has 16 rivers all of which are non navigable; 13 rivers originate from Mount Lebanon and run through the steep gorges and into the Mediterranean Sea, the other three arise in the Beqaa Valley.<\/p>\n The Lebanese economy went through a significant expansion after the war of 2006, with growth averaging 9.1% between 2007 and 2010. After 2011 the local economy was affected by the Syrian civil war, growing by a yearly average of 1.7% on the 2011-2016 period and by 1.5% in 2017. In 2018, the size of the GDP was estimated to be $54.1 billion.<\/p>\n Lebanon has a very high level of public debt and large external financing needs. The 2010 public debt exceeded 150.7% of GDP, ranking fourth highest in the world as a percentage of GDP, though down from 154.8% in 2009. At the end 2008, finance minister Mohamad Chatah<\/a> stated that the debt was going to reach $47 billion in that year and would increase to $49 billion if privatization of two telecoms companies did not occur. The Daily Star wrote that exorbitant debt levels have “slowed down the economy and reduced the government’s spending on essential development projects”.<\/p>\n The urban population in Lebanon is noted for its commercial enterprise. Emigration has yielded Lebanese “commercial networks” throughout the world. Remittances from Lebanese abroad total $8.2 billion and account for one-fifth of the country’s economy. Lebanon has the largest proportion of skilled labor among Arab States.<\/p>\n The agricultural sector employs 12% of the total workforce. Agriculture contributed to 5.9% of the country’s GDP in 2011. Lebanon’s proportion of cultivable land is the highest in the Arab world. Major produce includes apples, peaches, oranges, and lemons.<\/p>\n Oil has recently been discovered inland and in the seabed between Lebanon, Cyprus, Israel and Egypt and talks are underway between Cyprus and Egypt to reach an agreement regarding the exploration of these resources. The seabed separating Lebanon and Cyprus is believed to hold significant quantities of crude oil and natural gas.<\/p>\n Industry in Lebanon is mainly limited to small businesses that reassemble and package imported parts. In 2004, industry ranked second in workforce, with 26% of the Lebanese working population, and second in GDP contribution, with 21% of Lebanon’s GDP.<\/p>\n Nearly 65% of the Lebanese workforce attain employment in the services sector. The GDP contribution, accordingly, amounts to roughly 67.3% of the annual Lebanese GDP. However, dependence on the tourism and banking sectors leaves the economy vulnerable to political instability.<\/p>\n Transportation in Lebanon varies greatly in quality from the ultramodern Beirut International Airport<\/a> to poor road conditions in many parts of the country. The Lebanese civil war<\/a> between 1975 and 1990 and the 2006 Lebanon War<\/a> with Israel severely damaged the country’s infrastructure.<\/p>\n Lebanon has an extensive road network throughout the country, generally in good conditions, though it varies. The main roads in the country are:<\/p>\n Beirut – Byblos – Tripoli – Aarida Part of the main road network have been updated to dual carriageway, four-lane motorways, which are the following:<\/p>\n Beirut – Tripoli. Length: 81 km. Beirut has frequent bus connections to other cities in Lebanon and major cities in Syria.<\/p>\n The Port of Beirut<\/a> is a port of entry. As a final destination, anyone can reach Lebanon by ferry from Cyprus, or Greece. The Port of Tripoli<\/a> (Lebanon) is also a port of entry and ferries usually come from Ta\u015fucu, Turkey.<\/p>\n The main national airport is the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport and is located in the southern suburbs.<\/p>\n The Lebanese rail system is not currently in use, with services having ceased due to the country’s political difficulties.<\/p>\n The flag of Lebanon is formed of two horizontal red stripes enveloping a horizontal white stripe. The white stripe is twice the height ( width ) of the red ones (ratio 1:2:1). The green cedar (Lebanon Cedar)<\/a> in the middle touches each of the red stripes and its width is one third of the width of the flag.<\/p>\n The presence and position of the Cedar in the middle of the flag is directly inspired by the mountains of Lebanon cedar (Cedrus libani). The Cedar is a symbol of holiness, eternity and peace. As an emblem of longevity, the cedar of Lebanon has its origin in many biblical references.<\/p>\n The cedar of Lebanon is mentioned seventy-seven times in the Bible, especially in the book Psalms chapter 92 verse 13 where it says that “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon” and Chapter 104, verse 16, where it is stated: “[t]he trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted”.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Bechara-El-Khoury.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Ras-Beirut-and-the-Mediterranean-Sea-300x201.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>History:<\/h2>\n
Ancient Lebanon:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Byblos-in-2003-300x201.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Maronites, Druze, and the Crusades:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/St.-Maron-the-Syrian-Hermit-235x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/The-Fall-of-Tripoli-to-the-Egyptian-Mamluks-189x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Ottoman Lebanon and French Mandate:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Fakhr-al-Din-II-246x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Youssef-Bey-Karam-218x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Map-of-the-French-Mandate-300x248.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Independence from France:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Henri-Dentz-246x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Martyrs-Square-22-November-43-Celebration-of-the-Release-of-the-Lebanese-Government-from-French-Prison-170x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Beirut-in-1950-300x298.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/US-Marine-Outside-Lebanon-1958-300x203.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Civil War and Occupation:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Elias-Sarkis-300x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/UNIFIL-Base-1981-300x195.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Blue-Line-Boundary-between-Israel-and-Lebanon-300x207.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/The-Green-Line-that-Separated-West-and-East-Beirut-1982-300x200.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Victims-in-Sabra-and-Shatila-300x201.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Marine-Barracks-in-Beirut-after-Bombing-October-23-1983-300x280.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Aftermath:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Demonstrators-Against-Syrian-Occupation-223x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Airstrike-on-Tyre-300x199.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Instability and Syrian War Spillover:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Nahr-al-Bared-Refugee-Camp-248x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Michel-Suleiman-200x300.jpeg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Hassan-Nasrallah-200x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>2019\u20132020 Crisis:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Saad-Hariri-219x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/2020-Port-Explosion-300x185.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Geography:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Topographic-Map-of-Lebanon.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Anti-Lebanon-Mountains-300x225.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Economy:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Lebanese-Export-Tree-Map-300x234.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Transportation:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Road-Map-of-Lebanon-235x300.gif\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>
\nBeirut – Sidon – Sour – Naqoura
\nBeirut – Bhamdoun Al Mhatta – Chtaura – Masnaa
\nChtaura – Zahle – Baalbek – Qaa
\nChtaura – Qab Elias – Machgara – Nabatieh
\nTripoli – Bsharri – Baalbek<\/p>\n
\nBeirut – Kfar Badde. Length: 65 km.
\nBeirut – Mdeyrej. Length: 33 km.
\nTripoli – Khane. Length: 20 km.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Beirut\u2013Rafic-Hariri-International-Airport-300x209.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Flag of Lebanon:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Flag-of-Lebanon-300x200.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Cedrus-libani-300x225.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>