Lebanon

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For other uses, see Lebanon (disambiguation).

The Lebanese Republic or Lebanon is a country in Southwest Asia, along the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Syria and Israel.

الجمهوريّة البنانيّة
(Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah)
Flag of Lebanon Lebanese COA
(In Detail) (Full size)
National motto: siyédé, 7orriyé, est2elel
Official language Arabic
Spoken languages Arabic, French, English, Armenian
Capital Beirut
President Émile Lahoud
Prime Minister Omar Karami
Area
 - Total
 - % water 		Ranked 160th
10,452 km²
1.6%
Population


 - Total (2003 E)
 - Density

Ranked 123rd


3,727,703
358/km²

Independence 22 November 1943
Currency Lebanese pound (LBP)
Time zone UTC +2 (DST +3)
National anthem Koullouna Lilouataan Lil Oula Lil Alam
National emblem Lebanon Cedar
Internet TLD .lb
Calling Code 961

Name

The country was named after Mount Lebanon; the word "Lebanon" (also "Loubnan" or "Lebnan") comes from the Aramaic word laban which means "white" and refers to the mountain's snow-capped appearance).

History

Main article: History of Lebanon

Lebanon is one of the fifteen present-day countries that comprise what is considered to be the Cradle of Humanity. It is the historic home of the Phoenicians, Semitic traders whose maritime culture flourished there for more than 2,000 years. The region was a territory of the Roman Empire and during the Middle Ages was involved in the Crusades. It was then taken by the Ottoman Empire.

Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, the League of Nations mandated the five provinces that make up present-day Lebanon to France.

Modern Lebanon's constitution, drawn up in 1926, specified a balance of political power among the major religious groups.

The country gained independence in 1943, and French troops withdrew in 1946. Lebanon's history from 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.

Civil War, (1975-1990)

Main article: Lebanese Civil War

Beirut was called the Paris of the Middle East, until the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War.

After the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict, Lebanon became home to more than 110,000 Palestinian refugees who had fled from Israel. More Palestinian refugees arrived in Lebanon after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and Black September, and by 1975, they numbered more than 300,000, led by Yassir Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In the early 1970s, difficulties arose over the presence of Palestinian refugees, and full-scale civil war broke out in April 1975, effectively leaving the nation with no central government.

On one side was the Maronite militia of the Phalangist party, on the other a coalition of Palestinians, Sunni, and Druze forces. By early 1976, the war was going poorly for the Maronites, and Syria sent 40,000 troops into the country to prevent them being overrun; that Baathist Syrians were fighting against Palestinian forces was and remains ironic. The Syrian forces remained in Lebanon, effectively dominating its government, into the first years of the twenty-first century.

Cross-border attacks from Lebanon against Israeli territory led to an Israeli invasion in March 1978; Israel withdrew later that year in response to UN pressures.

The PLO's armed forces continued to use Lebanon as a base to attack Israel with rockets and artillery, and Israel again invaded Lebanon in 1982 with the objective of evicting the PLO. Israeli forces occupied areas from the southern Lebanese border with Israel northward into areas of Beirut. It was during this invasion that the first Sabra and Shatila massacre was committed by the Phalangist militia (under the command of Elie Hobeika).

A multinational force landed in Beirut on August 20, 1982 to oversee the PLO withdrawal from Lebanon and U.S. mediation resulted in the evacuation of Syrian troops and PLO fighters from Beirut.

This period saw the rise of radicalism among the country's different factions, and a number of landmark terrorist attacks against American forces, including the destruction of the United States Embassy by a truck bomb and an even deadlier attack on the U.S. Marines barracks. Concurrently, in 1982 Hezbollah was created by some of the old members of Amal with other religious clerics.

The Taif Agreement of 1989 marked the beginning of the end of the war. In all, it is estimated that more than 100,000 were killed, and another 100,000 handicapped by injuries, during Lebanon's 16 year war. On May 22 2000, Israel unilaterally completed its withdrawal from the south of Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 425 from 1978. On October 19 2004, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to put out a statement calling on Syria to pull its troops out of Lebanon.

The country is recovering from the effects of the civil war, with foreign investment and tourism on the rise. Syrian forces continue to occupy large areas of the country, and Iran exercises heavy influence over Hezbollah forces in the Beka'a Valley and Southern Lebanon. There has been a marked exodus of Christian Lebanese from the country. Nevertheless, areas of Lebanon and Beirut in particular are moving toward a sense of normalcy and stability. Lebanese civil society enjoys significantly more freedoms than elsewhere in the Arab world.

On February 14, 2005, after 10 years of relative political stability, Lebanon was shaken by the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in a car-bomb explosion. Accusations of responsibility were directed at Syria, Israel, and local gangsters, with suspicion of Syria being particularly widespread. Both Syria and Israel denied any involvement.

The assassination resulted in massive, anti-Syrian protests by Lebanese citizens in Beirut demanding the resignation of the pro-Syrian government. On February 28, 2005, as over 25,000 demonstrated in Martyr's Square, Prime Minister Omar Karami and his Cabinet stepped down.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Lebanon

Lebanon is a republic in which the three highest offices are reserved for members of specific religious groups:

This arrangement is part of the "National Pact" (al Mithaq al Watani), an unwritten agreement which was established in 1943 during meetings between Lebanon's first president (a Maronite) and its first prime minister (a Sunni). The pact included a promise by the Christians not to seek French protection and to accept Lebanon's "Arab face", and a Muslim promise to recognize the independence and legitimacy of the Lebanese state in its 1920 boundaries and to renounce aspirations for union with Syria. This pact was thought at the time to be an interim compromise, necessary until Lebanon formed its own sense of a national identity. Its continued existence and the fallout from subsequent civil wars continue to dominate politics in Lebanon.

Seats in the parliament are allocated by religion and region in proportions based on the 1932 census, during a period when Christians still had a slight majority. The proportions were adjusted slightly as part of the Taif Agreement, but some argue that they still do not reflect current demographics.

The constitution grants the people the right to change their government. However, from the mid-1970s until the parliamentary elections in 1992, civil war precluded the exercise of political rights. According to the constitution, direct elections must be held for the parliament every four years. The last parliament election was in 2000. Parliament, in turn, elects a president every six years to a single term. The President is not eligible for re-election.

This constitutional rule has been amended twice in recent history, at the urging of the Syrian government.

The last presidential election was in 1998. The president and parliament choose the prime minister. Political parties may be formed. However, most are based on sectarian interests. Freedom of speech has thus been curbed and the president must have Syrian backing in order to be in power.

Lebanon's judicial system is based on the Napoleonic Code. Juries are not used in trials. The Lebanese court system has three levels--courts of first instance, courts of appeal, and the court of cassation. There also is a system of religious courts having jurisdiction over personal status matters within their own communities, with rules on matters such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance.

Lebanon has been under Syrian occupation since 1990. For more information check [1]. Many Lebanese are unhappy with the undue influence exerted mainly by the Syrian government over their affairs. Recently, after the assassination of former prime minister Rafic Hariri, international pressure on Syria was dramatically increased, demanding a complete and immediate withdrawal of its forces from Lebanon.

Administrative divisions

Lebanon is divided into six governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah), which are further subdivided into 25 districts (Aqdya, singular - qadaa), also divided into several municipalities englobing a group of cities or villages.

Geography

Map of Lebanon
Map of Lebanon
Main article: Geography of Lebanon

A Middle Eastern country, Lebanon is demarcated to the west by the Mediterranean (Coast: 225 kilometres) and to the east by the Syro-African Depression. Lebanon borders Syria for 375 kilometres to the north and to the east and Israel for 79 kilometres to the south. The border with Israel has been approved by the United Nations [see Blue Line (Lebanon)], although a small piece of land called "Shebaa Farms" located in the Golan Heights is claimed by Lebanon but occupied by Israel, who claim that it is actually Syrian land. The UN has officially declared this region not to be Lebanese territory, but Lebanese resistance occasionally launches attacks against Israeli positions within it. In addition, Syria maintains an army of approximately 17,000 troops in Lebanon. Lebanese supporters of Syria claim this is a legitimate presence as it was requested by the Lebanese government at the outset of the civil war in 1975. Opponents of Syria, as well as the international community, claim the Syrian presence is a hostile occupation by a foreign power.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Lebanon

Lebanon has a competitive and free market regime and a strong laissez-faire commercial tradition. The Lebanese economy is service-oriented; main growth sectors include banking and tourism. There are no restrictions on foreign exchange or capital movement, and bank secrecy is strictly enforced. Lebanon has recently adopted a law to combat money laundering. There are practically no restrictions on foreign investment.

The 1975-1991 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. Peace has enabled the central government to restore control in Beirut, begin collecting taxes, and regain access to key port and government facilities. Economic recovery has been helped by a financially sound banking system and resilient small- and medium-scale manufacturers, with family remittances, banking services, manufactured and farm exports, and international aid as the main sources of foreign exchange.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Lebanon

The population of Lebanon comprises different ethnic groups and religions: Christians (Maronites mainly of Assyrian descent, Arabs, and Armenians), Muslims (Sunnis, Shi'ites, and Alawites), Druze, and others. No official census has been taken since 1932, reflecting the political sensitivity in Lebanon over confessional (religious) balance. The U.S. Government estimates that 60% of the resident population is Muslim; the rest is Christian, predominantly Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, and Armenian Catholic, as well as a minority of Protestants. There is a small minority of Jews, mostly living outside Lebanon. Also, a small community (less then 1%) of Kurds live in Lebanon. There are 20 million Lebanese spread all over the world, predominantly Christian.

While 360,000 Palestinian refugees have registered in Lebanon with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) since 1948, estimates of those remaining range between 160,000 and 225,000. Since they are not citizens, they are not accorded the full legal rights enjoyed by the rest of the population (such as the right to vote).

Many Lebanese still derive their living from agriculture. The urban population, concentrated mainly in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, is noted for its commercial enterprise. A century and a half of migration and return have produced Lebanese commercial networks around the globe from North and South America to Europe, the Gulf, and Africa. Lebanon has a high proportion of skilled labor compared with many other Middle Eastern countries.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Lebanon

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Lebanon

The foreign policy of Lebanon reflects its geographic location, the composition of its population, and its reliance on commerce and trade. Lebanon's foreign policy is heavily influenced by Syria, which maintains forces throughout parts of Lebanon.

Lebanon concluded negotiations on an association agreement with the European Union in late 2001, and both sides initialed the accord in January 2002. Lebanon also has bilateral trade agreements with several Arab states and is in the process of accession to the World Trade Organization. Lebanon enjoys good relations with virtually all of its Arab neighbors (despite historic tensions with Libya, the Palestinians, and Iraq). Lebanon also is a member of the Organization of Islamic Conference and maintains a close relationship with Iran.

See also

Template:Southwest Asia


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