Lebanon: Byblos | Lady of Lebanon | Beirut | Raouche | Faraya | Jounieh
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Lebanon officially the
Lebanese Republic, is a country in
Western Asia. It is bordered by
Syria to the north and east and
Israel to the south. Lebanon's location at the crossroads of the
Mediterranean Basin and the
Arabian hinterland has dictated its rich history and shaped a cultural identity of religious and ethnic diversity.
The earliest evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back more than seven thousand years, predating recorded history.Lebanon was the home of the
Phoenicians and their kingdom, a maritime culture that flourished for over a thousand years (c. 1550–539 BC). In 64 BC, the region came under the rule of the
Roman Empire, and eventually became one of the
Empire's leading centers of
Christianity. In the Mount Lebanon range a monastic tradition known as the
Maronite Church was established. 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, a religious divide that would last for centuries. During the
Crusades, the Maronites re-established contact with the
Roman Catholic Church and asserted their communion with
Rome. The ties they established with the
Latins have influenced the region into the modern era.
The region eventually came under the rule of the
Ottoman Empire from 1516 to
1918.
Following the collapse of the Empire after
World War I, the five provinces that constitute modern Lebanon were mandated to
France.
The French expanded the borders of
Mount Lebanon Governorate, which was mostly populated by Maronites and Druze, to include more Muslims. Lebanon gained independence in 1943, establishing a unique political system – "confessionalism" – that is, a power-sharing mechanism based on religious communities.
Bechara El Khoury (independent Lebanon's first president),
Riad El-Solh (Lebanon's first prime minister) and
Emir Majid Arslan (Lebanon's first minister of defence) are considered the founders of
the modern Republic of Lebanon and are national heroes for having led the country's independence.
Foreign troops withdrew completely from Lebanon in
31 December 1946.
Before the
Lebanese Civil War (
1975–
1990), the country experienced a period of relative calm and renowned prosperity, driven by tourism, agriculture, commerce, and banking.Because of its financial power and diversity in its heyday, Lebanon was compared to
Switzerland,] and its capital
Beirut attracted so many tourists that it was known as "the
Paris of the Middle East".
At the end of the war, there were extensive efforts to revive the economy and rebuild national infrastructure.
Wikipedia