Lebanon

Lebanon, officially the Lebanese Republic, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. The capital and largest city is Beirut.

Human habitation in Lebanon dates back to 5000 BC. The region was once part of ancient Phoenicia, known for its seafaring culture. Over the centuries, Lebanon has been ruled by various empires, including the Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire.

After World War I, Lebanon gained independence from France in 1943 and established a unique system of sharing power among its different religious groups. However, the country faced a long and difficult civil war from 1975 to 1990, followed by occupations and ongoing conflicts.

Today, Lebanon is a developing country facing serious economic challenges, including a major crisis that has affected its currency and resources. Despite these difficulties, Lebanese culture remains influential around the world, thanks in part to a large community of people living outside the country. Lebanon is also a member of many international organizations, such as the United Nations and the Arab League.

Etymology

The name "Mount Lebanon" comes from an old Phoenician word lbn, meaning "white." This name likely refers to the snow that covers the mountain's peaks. People have found this name in old writings from places like Ebla and the famous story of the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Later, during changes in the Ottoman Empire in 1861, the area became known as the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate. This name stayed when Greater Lebanon was created in 1920, and it became the official name when Lebanon became an independent country in 1943.

Main article: Phoenician
Main articles: Greater Lebanon, Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate

History

Main article: History of Lebanon

Antiquity

Main article: History of ancient Lebanon

The Natufian culture was the first to settle down around 12000 BC.

Evidence of early settlement in Lebanon was found in Byblos, considered among 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.

Lebanon was part of northern Canaan, and consequently became the homeland of Canaanite descendants, the Phoenicians, a seafaring people based in the coastal strip of the northern Levant who spread across the Mediterranean in the first millennium BC. The most prominent Phoenician cities were Byblos, Sidon and Tyre. According to the Bible, King Hiram of Tyre worked closely with Solomon, supplying cedar logs for Solomon's Temple and sending skilled workers. The Phoenicians are credited with creating the oldest known alphabet, which later inspired the Greek alphabet and the Latin one.

In the 9th century BC, Phoenician colonies, including Carthage in present-day Tunisia and Cádiz in present-day Spain, flourished throughout the Mediterranean. Foreign powers, starting with the Neo-Assyrian Empire, later imposed tribute and attacked cities that did not comply. The Neo-Babylonian Empire took control in the 6th century BC. In 539 BC, the cities of Phoenicia were incorporated into the Achaemenid Empire by Cyrus the Great. The Phoenician city-states were later incorporated into the empire of Alexander the Great following the siege of Tyre in 332 BCE.

In 64 BC, the Roman general Pompey annexed the region of Syria into the Roman Republic. The area was then split into two Imperial Provinces under the Roman Empire, Coele-Syria and Phoenice, with present-day Lebanon being part of the latter.

The region that is now Lebanon, along with the rest of Syria and much of Anatolia, 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 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 became known as Maronites and moved into the mountains to avoid persecution by Roman authorities. During the frequent Roman–Persian Wars that lasted for many centuries, the Sasanian Empire occupied what is now Lebanon from 619 till 629.

Middle Ages

During the 7th century, Muslims took control of Syria from the Byzantines, incorporating the region, including modern-day Lebanon, under the Islamic Caliphate. In the era of Uthman's caliphate (644–656), Islam gained influence in Damascus, led by Mu'awiya, a relative of Uthman, serving as the governor. Mu'awiya sent forces to the coastal region of Lebanon, leading to conversions to Islam among the coastal population. The mountainous areas kept their Christian or other cultural practices. Despite Islam and Arabic becoming dominant, the population's shift from Christianity and Syriac language was gradual. The Maronite community, in particular, kept much of its autonomy despite changes in rulers over Lebanon and Syria. The isolation of the Lebanese mountains provided refuge during religious and political crises in the Levant. The mountains showed religious diversity and the presence of several well-established groups and religions, notably, Maronites, Druze, Shiite Muslims, Ismailis, Alawites and Jacobites.

After the Islamic conquest, Mediterranean trade declined for three centuries due to conflicts with the Byzantines. The ports of Tyre, Sidon, Beirut, and Tripoli struggled to recover, sustaining small populations under Umayyad and Abbasid rule. Christians and Jews were often required to pay the jizya, or tax on non-Muslims. During the 980s, the Fatimid Caliphate took control of the Levant, including Mount Lebanon, leading to the revival of Mediterranean trade along the Lebanese coast through renewed connections with Byzantium and Italy. This resurgence saw Tripoli and Tyre flourish well into the 11th century, focusing on exports such as textiles, sugar, and glassware.

During the 11th century, the Druze religion emerged from a branch of Shia Islam. The new religion gained followers in the southern part of Mount Lebanon. The southern part of Mount Lebanon was ruled by Druze feudal families until the early 14th century. The Maronite population increased gradually in Northern Mount Lebanon and the Druze stayed in Southern Mount Lebanon until today. Keserwan, Jabal Amel and the Beqaa Valley was ruled by Shia feudal families under the Mamluks and the Ottoman Empire. Major cities on the coast, Sidon, Tyre, Acre, Tripoli, Beirut, and others, were directly administered by the Muslim Caliphs and the people became more fully part of Arab culture.

Following the fall of Roman Anatolia to the Muslim Turks, the Byzantines asked the Pope in Rome for help in the 11th century. This led to a series of wars known as the Crusades launched by the Franks from Western Europe to reclaim former Byzantine Christian territories in the Eastern Mediterranean, especially Syria and Palestine (the Levant). The First Crusade succeeded in temporarily establishing the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the County of Tripoli as Roman Catholic Christian states along the coast. These crusader states had a lasting impact on the region, though their control was limited, and the region returned to Muslim control after two centuries following the conquest by the Mamluks.

Among 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 pledged loyalty to Constantinople or other local leaders, the Maronites declared loyalty to the Pope in Rome. As such the Franks saw them as Roman Catholic brothers. 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.

Ottoman rule

See also: Mount Lebanon Emirate, Sidon Eyalet, and Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate

In 1516, Lebanon became part of the Ottoman Empire, with governance administered indirectly through local emirs. Lebanon's area was organized into provinces: Northern and Southern Mount Lebanon, Tripoli, Baalbek and Beqaa Valley, and Jabal Amel.

In 1590, Druze tribal leader Fakhr al-Din II succeeded Korkmaz in southern Mount Lebanon and quickly asserted his authority as the main emir of the Druze in the Shouf region. Eventually, he was appointed Sanjak-bey, overseeing various Ottoman sub-provinces and tax collection. Expanding his influence extensively, he even built a fort in Palmyra.

This expansion raised concerns for Ottoman Sultan Murad IV, leading to a punitive expedition in 1633. Fakhr al-Din II was captured, imprisoned for two years, and later executed in April 1635, along with one of his sons. Surviving members of his family continued to govern a reduced area under closer Ottoman supervision until the late 17th century. On the death of the last Maan emir, various members of the Shihab clan ruled Mount Lebanon until 1830.

While the history of Druze-Christian relations in Lebanon has generally been marked by harmony and peaceful living together, there were occasional periods of tension, notably during the 1860 Mount Lebanon conflict, during which around 10,000 Christians were affected by the Druze. Shortly afterwards, the Emirate of Mount Lebanon, which lasted about 400 years, was replaced by the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate, as a result of a European-Ottoman treaty called the Règlement Organique. The Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate (1861–1918, Arabic: متصرفية جبل لبنان; Turkish: Cebel-i Lübnan Mutasarrıflığı) was one of the Ottoman Empire's areas following the Tanzimat reform. After 1861 there existed an autonomous Mount Lebanon with a Christian mutasarrıf, which had been created as a home for the Maronites under European diplomatic pressure following the 1860 events. The Maronite Catholics and the Druze helped form modern Lebanon in the early eighteenth century, through the ruling and social system known as the "Maronite-Druze partnership" in Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate.

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 stayed in power until 1865 when Ottomans took direct control of the region. Youssef Bey Karam, a Lebanese leader played an important role in Lebanon's path to independence during this time.

Lebanon faced serious hardship in the First World War when the Ottoman army took control, disrupting supplies and taking animals, leading to a severe lack of food. During the war, about 100,000 people in Beirut and Mount Lebanon suffered from hunger.

French Mandate

Amidst the height of the First World War, the Sykes–Picot Agreement of 1916, a secret agreement between Britain and France, set Lebanon and its surrounding areas as regions open to possible French influence or control. After the Allies won the war, the Ottoman Empire finally fell, losing control over the area. Soon after the war, Patriarch Elias Peter Hoayek, representing the Maronite Christians, successfully called for an larger territory at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, also including areas with many Muslim and Druze people in addition to the Christian-dominated Mount Lebanon.

In 1920, King Faisal I announced the Arab Kingdom of Syria's independence and claimed control over Lebanon. However, following a loss to the French at the Battle of Maysalun, the kingdom ended. Around the same time, at the San Remo Conference, it was decided that Syria and Lebanon would be under French rule. Shortly after, the formal division of lands took place in the Treaty of Sèvres, signed a few months later.

On 1 September 1920, Greater Lebanon, or Grand Liban, was created under French control as a League of Nations Mandate, following the terms outlined in the suggested Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon. Greater Lebanon joined the regions of Mount Lebanon, North Lebanon, South Lebanon, and the Bekaa, with Beirut as its main city. These borders later evolved into the present-day shape of Lebanon. This was confirmed in July 1922. The Lebanese Republic was officially announced on 1 September 1926, with the creation of a constitution inspired by the French constitution on 23 May 1926. While a Lebanese government was formed, the country stayed under French control.

Pressure on German-occupied France

Lebanon gained some independence while France was occupied by Germany. General Henri Dentz, the Vichy High commissioner for Syria and Lebanon, played a part in the nation's independence. The Vichy authorities in 1941 allowed Germany to move planes and supplies through Syria to Iraq where they were used against British forces. The United Kingdom, fearing that Nazi Germany would fully control Lebanon and Syria by pushing the weak Vichy government, sent its army into Syria and Lebanon.

After the fighting ended in Lebanon, General Charles de Gaulle visited the area. Under political pressure from inside and outside Lebanon, de Gaulle agreed to Lebanon's independence. On 26 November 1941, General Georges Catroux said that Lebanon would become independent under the authority of the Free French government. Elections were held in 1943 and on 8 November 1943 the new Lebanese government ended the mandate. The French reacted by arresting the new government. Lebanese leaders called for a temporary government, and the British helped by talking to the French. Facing strong British pressure and protests by Lebanese leaders, the French released the government leaders on 22 November 1943, and agreed to Lebanon's independence.

Independence from Free France

Following the end of World War II in Europe the French mandate ended without any formal action by the League of Nations or its successor the United Nations. The mandate ended by the statement of the ruling power, and of the new nations themselves, of their independence, followed by a process of full recognition by other nations, ending with formal entry to the United Nations. Article 78 of the UN Charter ended the status of supervision 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 started on 24 October 1945, after approval of the United Nations Charter by the five permanent members, as both Syria and Lebanon were founding members, the French mandate for both ended on that date and full independence was reached. The last French soldiers left in December 1946.

Lebanon's unwritten National Pact of 1943 required that its president be Maronite Christian, its speaker of the parliament to be a Shia Muslim, its prime minister be Sunni Muslim, and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament and the Deputy Prime Minister be Greek Orthodox.

Lebanon's history since independence has included times of political stability and growth together with times of trouble, built on Beirut's role as a regional center for money and trade.

In May 1948, Lebanon joined neighboring Arab countries in a war against Israel. While some informal groups crossed the border and fought Israel, it was without the support of the Lebanese government, and Lebanese soldiers did not officially attack. Lebanon agreed to help the groups with cover fire, armored cars, volunteers and support. On 5–6 June 1948, the Lebanese army – led by the then Minister of National Defense, Emir Majid Arslan – took Al-Malkiyya. This was Lebanon's only success in the war.

100,000 Palestinians moved to Lebanon because of the war. Israel did not allow their return after the pause. 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 look like neighborhoods). Often Palestinians are not allowed to own property or do certain jobs. According to Human Rights Watch, Palestinian refugees in Lebanon live in "very hard social and economic conditions."

In 1958, during the last months of President Camille Chamoun's time in office, a protest began, started by Lebanese Muslims who wanted to make Lebanon part of the United Arab Republic. Chamoun asked for help, and 5,000 United States Marines were sent to Beirut on 15 July. After the crisis, a new government was formed, led by the popular former general Fouad Chehab.

Until the early 1970s, Lebanon was called "the Switzerland of the Middle East" for its special status as both a snowy holiday place and safe banking center for Gulf Arabs. Beirut was also called "the Paris of the Middle East."

Civil War and occupation

Main articles: Lebanese Civil War, Syrian occupation of Lebanon, and Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon

With the end of the rule of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Jordan, many Palestinian fighters moved to Lebanon in 1970 and increased their armed actions against Israel. The move also caused tensions between Palestinians and the Maronites and other Lebanese groups. In 1975, following growing tensions, mostly because of Palestinian fighter presence in the south, a full-scale civil war started in Lebanon. The war had a group of Christian groups against the combined forces of the PLO, left-wing Druze and Muslim fighters. In October 1976 the Arab League agreed to create a mainly Syrian Arab Deterrent Force, which was to restore peace.

PLO attacks from Lebanon into Israel in 1977 and 1978 increased tensions between two countries. On 11 March 1978, Fatah fighters in northern Israel, took control of two passenger buses, which led to the deaths of 37 Israelis before they were stopped in a fight with Israeli forces. Israel invaded Lebanon four days later and took most of the area south of the Litani River. The UN Security Council passed the Resolution 425 calling for immediate Israeli withdrawal and creating the U.N Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), to try to set up peace. Israeli forces left later in 1978, but kept control of the southern region by managing a 19-kilometre-wide (12 mi) safety zone along the border. These places were held by the South Lebanon Army (SLA), a Christian group under the control of Major Saad Haddad backed by Israel. The Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, talked about the situation of the Christian minority in southern Lebanon (then about 5% of the population in SLA lands) as similar to that of European Jews during World War II.

The PLO often attacked Israel during the time of the pause, with over 270 recorded attacks. People in Galilee often had to leave their homes during these bombings. Documents taken from PLO offices after the invasion showed they had come from Lebanon. PLO leader Yasser Arafat refused to speak against these attacks, saying the pause only mattered for Lebanon. In April 1980 the death of two UNIFIL soldiers and the injury of a third by the South Lebanon Army, near At Tiri, in the buffer zone led to a military fight. On 17 July 1981, Israeli planes bombed apartment buildings in Beirut that held offices of PLO related groups. The Lebanese representative to the United Nations Security Council said that 300 civilians had been killed and 800 hurt. The bombing led to world protests, and a short stop on the sale of U.S. planes to Israel.

In August 1981, defense minister Ariel Sharon began to make plans to attack PLO military bases in West Beirut, where PLO leaders and command centers were. In 1982, PLO attacks from Lebanon on Israel led to an Israeli attack, aiming to help Lebanese forces push out the PLO. A multinational force of American, French and Italian groups (joined in 1983 by a British group) were sent to Beirut after the Israeli surround of the city, to watch the leaving of the PLO. The civil war started again in September 1982 after the death of President Bachir Gemayel, an Israeli friend, and fighting followed. During this time a number of group attacks happened, such as in Sabra and Shatila, and in several refugee places. The multinational force left in the spring of 1984, after a big vehicle bomb the year before.

During the early 1980s, Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim fighter group and political party, started through the work of Shiite leaders who were supported and trained by Iran. Growing from the aftermath of the 1982 war and inspired by the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Hezbollah fought against Israel as well as vehicle bombs, car bombs and killings. Their goals included ending Israel, fighting for the Shia cause in the civil war, ending Western presence in Lebanon, and creating a Shiite Islamic state.

In the late 1980s, as Amine Gemayel's second time as president came to an end, the Lebanese money lost value. At the end of 1987 US$1 was worth £L500. This meant the lowest paid worker made just $17 a month. Most things in shops were priced in dollars. A Save the Children leader thought that 200,000–300,000 children needed help and lived mainly on bread, which was helped to cost less by the government. Those who could depended on help from other countries. Hezbollah got about $3–5 million a month from Iran. In September 1988, the Parliament could not choose a successor to President Gemayel because of differences between the Christians, Muslims, and Syrians. The Arab League Summit of May 1989 led to the making of a Saudi–Moroccan–Algerian group to solve the crisis.

On 16 September 1989 the group gave a peace plan which was agreed to by all. A pause in fighting was set, the ports and airports were opened again and people began to return. In the same month, the parliament agreed to the Taif Agreement, which included a plan for Syrian soldiers to leave Lebanon and a way to share power in the Lebanese political system. The civil war ended at the end of 1990 after 16 years; it had caused huge loss of lives and property and damaged the country's economy. It is thought that 150,000 people were killed and another 200,000 were hurt. Nearly a million regular people were moved from their homes by the war, and some never came back. Parts of Lebanon were left destroyed. The agreement has still not been fully put into practice and Lebanon's political system stays divided along group lines.

Fighting between Israel and Lebanese fighters went on, leading to a number of violent events and fights including the Qana event. In May 2000, Israeli soldiers fully left Lebanon. Since then, 25 May is seen by the Lebanese as the Liberation Day. The internal political situation in Lebanon greatly changed in the early 2000s. After the Israeli leaving from southern Lebanon and the death of former Syrian president Hafez al-Assad in 2000, the Syrian military presence faced criticism and resistance from the Lebanese people.

On 14 February 2005, former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri was killed in a car bomb. Leaders of the March 14 Alliance said Syria was to blame for the attack, while Syria and the March 8 Alliance said that Israel was behind the killing. This marked the start of a number of killings that led to the deaths of many well-known Lebanese people and caused the protests which asked for the leaving of the Syrian soldiers from Lebanon and the making of an international group to look into the killing. Under pressure from the West, Syria began to leave Lebanon by 26 April. UN Security Council Resolution 1595 asked for an examination of the killing. The UN International Independent Investigation Commission shared early results on 20 October 2005 in the Mehlis report, which pointed to signs that the killing was planned by Syrian and Lebanese leaders.

Post-war revolution and spillover of the Syrian conflict

Main articles: Syrian civil war spillover in Lebanon, 2011 Lebanese protests, and 17 October Revolution

On 12 July 2006, Hezbollah started a number of missile attacks and raids into Israeli lands, where they killed three Israeli soldiers and took two others. Israel answered with air attacks and artillery on places in Lebanon, and a land attack on southern Lebanon, causing the 2006 Lebanon War. The fight was officially stopped by the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 on 14 August 2006, which asked for a stop to the fight, the leaving of Israeli soldiers from Lebanon, and the disarming of Hezbollah. Some 1,191 Lebanese and 160 Israelis were killed in the fight. Beirut's southern area was badly damaged by Israeli air attacks.

In 2007, the Nahr al-Bared refugee place became the center of the 2007 Lebanon fight between the Lebanese Army and Fatah al-Islam. At least 169 soldiers, 287 fighters and 47 regular people were killed in the battle. Money for fixing the place has been slow to arrive. Between 2006 and 2008, a number of protests by groups against the pro-Western Prime Minister Fouad Siniora asked for the making of a country wide government, over which the mostly Shia groups would have power to stop decisions. When Émile Lahoud's time as president ended in October 2007, the opposition would not choose a new president unless a sharing of power deal was made, so Lebanon had no president.

On 7 May 2008, Hezbollah and Amal groups, started because the government said Hezbollah's phone system was not allowed, took western Beirut, the main Sunni center in Lebanon, causing an internal fight. The Lebanese government called the fighting a try to take over. At least 62 people died in the fights between groups for and against the government. On 21 May 2008, the signing of the Doha Agreement stopped the fighting. As part of the deal, which ended 18 months of political stopping, Michel Suleiman became president and a country wide government was made, giving power to stop decisions to the opposition. The deal was a win for opposition groups, as the government gave in to all their main requests.

In early January 2011, the country wide government ended because of growing troubles from the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which was expected to say Hezbollah people did the Hariri killing. The parliament chose Najib Mikati, the choice for the Hezbollah-led March 8 Alliance, Prime Minister of Lebanon, to form a new government. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah later said Israel did the Hariri killing. A report from the Al-Akhbar paper in November 2010 said that Hezbollah had made plans for a violent taking over of the country if the Special Tribunal for Lebanon said its people did the Hariri killing.

In 2012, the Syrian civil war started to spread into Lebanon, causing troubles of groups fighting and armed fights between Sunnis and Alawites in Tripoli. According to UNHCR, the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon went from about 250,000 in early 2013 to 1,000,000 in late 2014. In 2013, The Lebanese Forces Party, the Kataeb Party and the Free Patriotic Movement said worries that the country's group based political system is being damaged by the arriving Syrian refugees. On 6 May 2015, UNHCR stopped signing up Syrian refugees at the request of the Lebanese government. In February 2016, the Lebanese government signed the Lebanon Deal, giving at least €400 million of help for refugees and weak Lebanese people. As of October 2016, the government thought the country had 1.5 million Syrians.

National crisis (2019–present)

Main articles: 17 October Revolution and Lebanese liquidity crisis

On 17 October 2019, the first of a number of big public protests started; they were first started by planned taxes on gasoline, tobacco and phone calls such as through WhatsApp, but quickly grew into a country wide protest against group rule, a stopping economy and money problems, job loss, public bad management, laws (such as bank secret rules) that people think keep the leaders from being responsible and the government's failure to give basic things such as power, water and cleaning.

Because of the protests, Lebanon went into a political stopping, with Prime Minister Saad Hariri saying he would step down and agreeing with protestors' requests for a government of outside experts. Other leaders targeted by the protests have stayed in power. On 19 December 2019, former Minister of Education Hassan Diab was chosen the next prime minister and given the job of forming a new government. Protests and acts of public standing against continued, with protestors saying no to the choice of Diab as prime minister. By July 2020, Lebanon was suffering the worst economy problems in years. Lebanon was the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to have its inflation go above 50% for 30 days in a row, according to Steve H. Hanke, teacher of used economics at the Johns Hopkins University.

On 4 August 2020, an explosion at the port of Beirut, Lebanon's main port, destroyed the around areas, killing over 200 people, and hurting thousands more. The reason for the explosion was later found to be 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that had been kept unsafe, and started on fire that Tuesday afternoon. Protests began again within days after the explosion, which led to the stepping down of Prime Minister Hassan Diab and his group on 10 August 2020, still staying in office in a waiting role. Protests went on into 2021 with Lebanese blocking roads with burned tires to show anger against poverty and the economy problems.

On 11 March 2021 the waiting minister for power Raymond Ghajar said that Lebanon was in danger of "total dark" at the end of March if no money was found to buy fuel for power stations. In August 2021, a big fuel explosion in northern Lebanon killed 28 people. September saw the making of a new government led by former prime minister Najib Mikati. On 9 October 2021, the whole nation lost power for 24 hours after its two main power stations ran out of power because of money and fuel problems. Days later, group fighting in Beirut killed a number of people in the worst fights in the country since 2008. By January 2022, BBC News said the problems in Lebanon had gotten worse, with the value of the Lebanese pound falling fast and a planned national vote expected to be put off for ever. The putting off of the vote was said to make the political stopping longer in the country. The European Parliament said Lebanon's present situation was a 'made by people disaster caused by a small group of leaders across the political class'.

In May 2022, Lebanon held its first vote since a painful economy problems dragged it close to being a state that can no longer work. Lebanon's problems have been so bad that more than 80 percent of the people are now thought to be poor by the United Nations. In the vote the Shia Muslim Hezbollah group (and its friends) lost their control of parliament. Hezbollah did not lose any of its seats, but its friends lost seats. Hezbollah's friend, President Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement, was no longer the biggest Christian group after the vote. A fighting Christian group, the Lebanese Forces led by Samir Geagea, became the biggest Christian-based group in parliament. The Sunni Future Movement, led by former prime minister Saad Hariri, did not take part in the vote, leaving a space for other Sunni leaders to fill. The Lebanese problems became so bad that boats left the coast with people trying to leave the country in a desperate run from the country. Many did not work and were destroyed. In April 2022, 6 people died and about 50 people were saved after a full boat sunk in Tripoli. On 22 September, at least 94 people died when a boat holding people leaving from Lebanon sank off Syria's coast. 9 people were saved. Many were lost and some were found either dead or hurt. Dead bodies were sent to close hospitals. 40 people were still lost as of 24 September.

On 1 February 2023, the main bank's office of Lebanon made the Lebanese pound worth 90% less in the middle of the going money problems. This was the first time Lebanon had made its money worth less in 25 years. As of 2023, Lebanon is thought to have become a state that can no longer work, suffering from long poor living conditions, bad managing of money and a fall of banking.

The Gaza war started a new fight between Israel and Hezbollah. In 2024, Hezbollah said it would not stop fighting Israel until Israel stops its attacks in Gaza. Starting with the Israeli exploding of Lebanese radios and walkie talkies in September 2024, the fight grew worse, with the 23 September 2024 Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon killing at least 558 people, and causing people to run away from southern Lebanon. On 27 September 2024, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike. On 1 October 2024, Lebanon was attacked by Israel with the aim of destroying Hezbollah things in the south of the country. In November 2024, a peace deal was signed between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah to end 13 months of fighting. According to the deal, Hezbollah was given 60 days to end its armed place in southern Lebanon and Israeli soldiers were to leave the area over the same time.^{[need clearer info]}

The end of Assad's rule in Syria was another hit to its Lebanese friend, Hezbollah, which was already weaker because of Israeli military actions. The Syrian change in December 2024 was said^{[who said this?]} to start a new time in Lebanese politics.

In January 2025, Joseph Aoun, the Lebanese army leader, was chosen Lebanon's 14th president after a two-year waiting time. In February 2025, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, former leader of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), made a new government of 24 leaders after two years of a waiting government. On 26 February 2025, Lebanon's government of Nawaf Salam won a vote of support in parliament.

Since 2 March 2026, stronger Israeli attacks all over Lebanon have killed over 1,000 people and moved nearly 1 million, about 20% of the country's people. On 24 March, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said plans to make a "safety area" by taking southern Lebanon up to the Litani River. This plan was made bigger on 31 March, when Katz said houses in border towns would be broken to stop about 600,000 people who had to leave from coming back.

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Geography

Main article: Geography of Lebanon

Lebanon is a country in West Asia. It lies between Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. The country covers an area of 10,452 square kilometres (4,036 sq mi), with a population of more than five million people.

Lebanon has four main land areas: the coastal plain, the Lebanon mountain range, the Beqaa Valley, and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. The coastal plain runs along the Mediterranean Sea and has sandy beaches and rocky shores. The Lebanon mountains rise steeply near the coast and have peaks reaching over 3,000 metres. The Beqaa Valley lies between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountains and is known for its fertile soil. The Anti-Lebanon range runs parallel to the Lebanon mountains and includes Mount Hermon, which is over 2,800 metres tall.

Climate

Main article: Climate of Lebanon

Lebanon has a Mediterranean climate. Coastal areas have mild, rainy winters and hot, humid summers. In the mountains, winters are cold with snow that stays until early summer. Some parts of northern Lebanon get less rain because of the mountains blocking the weather.

Environment

Main articles: Wildlife of Lebanon and Marine environmental issues in Lebanon

Lebanon was once covered in forests, especially cedar trees, which are now a symbol of the country. However, many forests have been cut down over time, changing the local weather and causing problems. Today, about 13% of Lebanon is forested, and there are efforts to plant more trees to grow the forests back.

Lebanon faces challenges with waste management. In past years, garbage has sometimes been left on streets or burned openly, which can harm people's health. The government has made laws against this, but some areas still struggle with proper waste disposal.

Government and politics

Main articles: Politics of Lebanon and Human rights in Lebanon

Lebanon is a parliamentary democracy that tries to balance the needs of its many religious groups. The National Pact, made in 1943, set up a system where leaders come from different religious groups. The President must be a Maronite Christian, the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim, and the Speaker of the Parliament a Shi'a Muslim. This helps share power fairly.

Lebanon was once seen as a free country in the Middle East and North Africa, but this changed during a long and hard time called the Civil War. Today, it is still one of the more democratic places in the Arab world. The country’s parliament has 128 seats, split evenly between Christians and Muslims. Before 1990, Christians had more seats, but after the war ended, the rules changed to make it equal.

The parliament is elected every four years by people voting, based on their religious groups. The President, chosen for six years, picks the Prime Minister. Together, they form a government that must follow the same sharing of power among religious groups.

Administrative divisions

Main articles: Governorates of Lebanon, Districts of Lebanon, and Municipalities of Lebanon

Lebanon is divided into nine areas called governorates. Each governorate has districts, and districts have many towns and villages. Here are the governorates and some of their districts:

• Beirut Governorate
  • Beirut Governorate includes the city of Beirut and has no districts.
• Akkar Governorate
  • Akkar
• Baalbek-Hermel Governorate
  • Baalbek
  • Hermel
• Beqaa Governorate
  • Rashaya
  • Western Beqaa (al-Beqaa al-Gharbi)
  • Zahle
• Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate
  • Byblos (Jbeil)
  • Keserwan
• Mount Lebanon Governorate (Jabal Lubnan/Jabal Lebnen)
  • Aley
  • Baabda
  • Chouf
  • Matn
• Nabatieh Governorate (Jabal Amel)
  • Bint Jbeil
  • Hasbaya
  • Marjeyoun
  • Nabatieh
• North Governorate (ash-Shamal/shmel)
  • Batroun
  • Bsharri
  • Koura
  • Miniyeh-Danniyeh
  • Tripoli
  • Zgharta
• South Governorate (al-Janoub/Jnub)
  • Jezzine
  • Sidon (Saida)
  • Tyre (Sur)

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Lebanon

Lebanon has made an agreement with the European Union and is part of their neighborhood policy, aiming to work more closely together. Lebanon also trades with many Arab countries and is trying to join the World Trade Organization.

Lebanon gets along well with most Arab countries and hosted big meetings for the Arab League and the Francophonie in recent years.

Military

Main article: Lebanese Armed Forces

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have about 72,000 people, including those in the air force and navy. Their job is to protect Lebanon, keep peace inside the country, and help with important projects and emergencies.

Lebanon receives help from other countries for its military. It gets a lot of support from the United States.

There is a group called Hezbollah that has many fighters and strong weapons. They control parts of southern Lebanon and are stronger than the Lebanese army. This makes it hard for the government to stop fights between Hezbollah and Israel.

Law

Lebanon has many religious groups, and each has its own rules for family matters like marriage and inheritance. The country’s laws are mostly based on the French system, except for these family rules.

There are three levels of courts in Lebanon, and a special council checks if laws follow the constitution. Some laws still allow for very serious punishments, but they are not used anymore.

LGBT rights

Main article: LGBTQ rights in Lebanon

Being openly LGBTQ is not accepted in Lebanon, and many people think it should not be allowed. There have been problems for people who try to talk about these issues, and some events have been stopped by the government.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Lebanon

Lebanon's constitution says that the economy should be free and allow private business. The country uses mostly US dollars, and there are no rules stopping money from moving in and out of the country. The government does not get involved much in trade.

Lebanon is now facing one of its worst economic crises. Since 2018, the country's money has lost much of its value, and many people are living in poverty. This crisis started because of bad financial decisions made over many years.

In the past, Lebanon was known for its banking and trade, especially in food, clothing, and jewelry. After a long period of conflict, the country has been rebuilding its economy around services like finance, real estate, and tourism. Most people work in these service jobs.

The cities in Lebanon are very active in business. Many Lebanese people living abroad send money home, which helps the economy. Lebanon also has a lot of skilled workers.

Agriculture

The agricultural sector uses about 20–25% of all workers and adds a small part to the country's total money made. Lebanon grows many fruits like apples and oranges. However, most food in Lebanon comes from other countries because many farms are small.

Manufacturing and industry

Industry in Lebanon is mostly small factories that put together parts from other countries. Recently, oil and gas have been found in the sea near Lebanon, but it will take time to use these resources.

Science and technology

Lebanon was ranked 90th in the world for new ideas and inventions in 2025. The country had some notable scientists in the past.

In the 1960s, a university in Beirut started a small space program, but it stopped because of war.

Development

In the 1950s, Lebanon's economy grew very fast. A big war from 1975 to 1990 caused a lot of damage. After the war, the country started to rebuild, helped by strong banks and support from other countries.

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Lebanon

Tourism helps Lebanon's economy. Before a recent nearby conflict, the number of visitors was growing. Many tourists come from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Japan. In 2025, the United Arab Emirates said it would allow more travel to Lebanon.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Lebanon

See also: Lebanese people

Lebanon has a big population of over 5.5 million people, but it has not had an official count since 1932. This is because of the many different religious groups living together in the country. Many Lebanese people see themselves as part of a larger Arab family, even though they come from many different backgrounds.

Lebanon has seen many people move away from the country. In fact, there are more Lebanese people living outside of Lebanon than inside it! Big communities of Lebanese people live in places like Brazil, Argentina, Canada, and the United States. There are also many Lebanese people in West Africa, like the Ivory Coast and Senegal, and in places like Saudi Arabia.

Lebanon also has many refugees, more than any other country in the world for its size. There are over 1.6 million people from places like Palestine, Iraq, Syria, and Sudan living in Lebanon.

The country has faced many difficult times, including wars, and most people have been affected in some way.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Lebanon

See also: Islam in Lebanon, Christianity in Lebanon, Irreligion in Lebanon, and Secularism in Lebanon

Lebanon is a very mixed country when it comes to religions. There are 18 different religions that are officially recognized, including Muslim, Christian, Druze, and Jewish groups. Because it can be sensitive to talk about the numbers of each group, Lebanon has not counted them since 1932.

There are more Muslims than Christians now, partly because more Christians have moved away and Muslims have had more children. In 1932, Christians were about 53% of the population, but by 1956, it was about 54% Christian and 44% Muslim.

Different religious groups live in different parts of Lebanon. For example, many Muslims live in Western Beirut and the south, while many Christians live in the mountains around Mount Lebanon.

Language

Main article: Languages of Lebanon

Article 11 of Lebanon's Constitution says that Arabic is the official language. But most people speak Lebanese Arabic, which is a type of Arabic used in everyday life. French and English are also very common, especially in schools and business.

Education

Main article: Education in Lebanon

Lebanon is known for having good education. It ranks high in math and science, and many of its schools are well-regarded. Children must go to school for the first eight years of their lives.

Lebanon has many universities, including the American University of Beirut and the Saint Joseph University of Beirut. These schools teach in English and French.

Health

Main article: Health in Lebanon

In Lebanon, people spend a good amount of money on healthcare. There are many doctors and nurses, but not all hospitals are the same. Some are public, meaning they are paid for by the government, and some are private, where people pay to go.

There have been problems with food safety recently, so more people are learning about how to keep food safe.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Lebanon

Lebanon's culture comes from many different people and times. Long ago, the land was home to the Canaanite-Phoenicians. Later, many groups lived there, including the Assyrians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs, the Crusaders, the Ottoman Turks, and finally the French. All these groups added to Lebanon's culture over thousands of years.

Lebanon has many different people and religions, but they share a common culture. Lebanese Arabic is the language most people speak. The country's music, food, and stories have strong ties to the Mediterranean and the wider Arab world.

Arts

In art, Moustafa Farroukh was one of Lebanon's most famous painters in the 1900s. He studied in Rome and Paris and showed his work around the world. Today, many contemporary artists are active, such as Walid Raad, a media artist living in New York. The Arab Image Foundation has over 400,000 photographs from Lebanon and the Middle East, which can be seen in a research center and in events and publications around the world.

Literature

In writing, Kahlil Gibran is one of the best-selling poets of all time, with his 1923 book The Prophet, translated into many languages. Ameen Rihani was an important writer for Arab immigrants in North America. Mikhail Naimy is a key figure in modern Arabic literature. Today, Lebanese writers like Elias Khoury, Amin Maalouf, Hanan al-Shaykh, and Georges Schéhadé are successful around the world.

Music

Main article: Music of Lebanon

Traditional music is still popular in Lebanon, but new styles mixing Western and Arabic music, pop, and fusion are becoming more popular. Lebanese singers like Fairuz, Majida El Roumi, Wadih El Safi, Sabah, Julia Boutros, and Najwa Karam are loved in Lebanon and across the Arab world. Radio stations play many kinds of music, including traditional Lebanese, classical Arabic, Armenian, modern French, English, American, and Latin tunes.

Media and cinema

The cinema of Lebanon is one of the most active in the Arab-speaking world, along with Egyptian cinema. Lebanon has made over 500 films, some with Egyptian filmmakers and stars.

The media of Lebanon is very free and open. It is more free than in any other Arab country. Even though Lebanon is small, it plays a big role in sharing news across the Arab world.

Holidays and festivals

Main article: Public holidays in Lebanon

Lebanon celebrates national holidays and both Christian and Muslim holidays. Christian holidays follow either the Gregorian calendar or the Julian calendar. For example, most Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25, while Armenian Apostolic Christians celebrate it on January 6.

Muslim holidays follow the Islamic lunar calendar. These include Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, the Birth of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and Ashura. National holidays in Lebanon include Workers Day, Independence Day, and Martyrs Day. Music festivals are common and often held at historic sites. Famous festivals include the Baalbeck International Festival, Byblos International Festival, Beiteddine International Festival, and others. Lebanon's Ministry of Tourism helps promote these events. Lebanon hosts about 15 concerts from international performers each year.

Cuisine

Main article: Lebanese cuisine

Lebanese food is similar to that of countries around the Eastern Mediterranean, such as Syria, Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus. Popular dishes include kibbe, a meat pie made from finely minced lamb and burghul, and tabbouleh, a salad made from parsley, tomatoes, and burghul wheat. Meals usually start with mezze – small dishes like dips, salads, and pastries – followed by grilled meat or fish. Meals often end with Arabic coffee and fresh fruit, or sometimes traditional sweets.

Sports

Main article: Sport in Lebanon

Lebanon has six ski resorts. Because of its geography, people can ski in the morning and swim in the Mediterranean Sea in the afternoon. Basketball and football are very popular. Other sports people enjoy include canoeing, cycling, rafting, climbing, swimming, sailing, and caving. The Beirut Marathon happens every fall.

Lebanon national rugby league team joined the 2000 Rugby League World Cup and later qualified for the 2017 World Cup, reaching the quarter-finals. They also took part in the 2009 European Cup.

Lebanon’s Lebanese National Team has played in the FIBA World Championship three times in a row. Top basketball teams are Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut and Club Sagesse.

Football is also popular. The top league is the Lebanese Premier League, with successful clubs like Al Ansar FC and Nejmeh SC. Lebanon has hosted big events like the AFC Asian Cup and the Pan Arab Games. The country has taken part in every Olympic Games since it became independent, earning four medals. Water sports have grown a lot since 2012, with many contests and shows to encourage people to join in.