Lebanon
Lebanon (/ˈlɛbənɒnˌ-nən/ (About this soundlisten);[9]
Arabic: لبنان, romanized: Lubnān, Lebanese Arabic
pronunciation: [lɪbˈneːn]), officially known as the Republic
of Lebanon[nb 3] (Arabic: الجمهورية اللبنانية, romanized:
al-Jumhūrīyah al-Lubnānīyah, Lebanese Arabic pronunciation:
[lˈʒʊmhuːrijje lˈlɪbneːnijje]; French: République
libanaise), is a country in Western Asia.[10][11][12][13] It
is bordered by Syria to the north and east and Israel to the
south, while Cyprus is west across the Mediterranean Sea.
Lebanon's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean
Basin and the Arabian hinterland had contributed to its rich
history and shaped a cultural identity of religious and
ethnic diversity.[14] At just 10,452 km2 (4,036 mi2), it is
the smallest recognized sovereign state on the mainland
Asian continent.
The earliest evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back
more than seven thousand years, predating recorded
history.[17] Lebanon was home to the Phoenicians, a maritime
culture that flourished for almost three thousand years (c.
3200–539 BC). In 64 BC, the region came under the rule of
the Roman Empire, and eventually became one of its leading
centers of Christianity. The Mount Lebanon range saw the
emergence of a monastic tradition known as the Maronite
Church. As the Arab Muslims conquered the region, the
Maronites held onto their religion and identity. However, a
new religious group, the Druze, established themselves in
Mount Lebanon as well, generating a religious divide that
has lasted for centuries. During the Crusades, 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.
Lebanon was conquered by the Ottomans in the 16th century
and remained under the rule for the next 400 years.
Following the empire's collapse after World War I, the five
provinces constituting modern Lebanon came under the French
Mandate. The French expanded the borders of the Mount
Lebanon Governorate, which was predominately Maronite and
Druze, to include more Muslims. Upon independence in 1943,
Lebanon established a unique confessionalist form of
government, with the major religious sects apportioned
specific political powers. President Bechara El Khoury,
prime minister Riad El-Solh, and minister of defence Emir
Majid Arslan II are considered the founders of modern
Lebanon and national heroes for their role in independence.
Lebanon initially enjoyed political and economic stability,
which shattered by the bloody Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990)
between various political and sectarian factions. The war
partially led to military occupations by Syria (1975 to
2005) and Israel (1985 to 2000).
Despite its small size,[18] 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.[19] Its financial power
and stability through the 1950s and 1960s earned Lebanon the
moniker of "Switzerland of the East",[20] while its capital,
Beirut, attracted so many tourists that it was known as "the
Paris of the Middle East".[21] Since the end of the war,
there have been extensive efforts to revive the economy and
rebuild national infrastructure.[22] While still recovering
from the political and economic effects of the conflict,
Lebanon remains a cosmopolitan and relatively developed
country, with the highest Human Development Index and GDP
per capita in the Arab world outside of the oil-rich
economies of the Persian Gulf.
Lebanon was a founding member of the United Nations in 1945
and is a member of the Arab League (1945), the Non-Aligned
Movement (1961), Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation
(1969) and the Organisation internationale de la
francophonie (1973).
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