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Lebanon
الجمهورية اللبنانية
La République Libanaise
Al-Jumhūriyyah al-Lubnāniyyah
Lebanese Republic
Flag of Lebanon Coat of arms of Lebanon
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Kūllūnā li-l-waṭan, li-l-'ula wa-l-'alam  (Arabic)
"Nous sommes tous pour le pays, la sublimation et le drapeau!"  (French)

"We are all for the Country, the Sublime and the Flag!"
Anthem: Kulluna lil-watan lil 'ula lil-'alam
Location of Lebanon
Capital
(and largest city)		 Beirut
33°54′N, 35°32′E
Official languages Arabic, French
Demonym Lebanese
Government Republic
 -  President None (Émile Lahoud's term expired 23/11/07) - Interim Michel Sulaiman head of LAF.
 -  Prime Minister Fouad Siniora (interim)
Independence from France
 -  Declared November 26, 1941 
 -  Recognized November 22, 1943 
Area
 -  Total 10,452 km² (166th)
4,035 sq mi 
 -  Water (%) 1.6
Population
 -  July 2007 estimate 4,099,000 (128th)
 -  Density 358/km² (26th)
948/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2006 estimate
 -  Total $21.45 billion (103rd)
 -  Per capita $6,100 (90th)
HDI (2006) 0.774 (medium) (78th)
Currency Lebanese lira (LL) (LBP)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 -  Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Internet TLD .lb
Calling code
For other uses, see Lebanon (disambiguation).

Lebanon (IPA: /ˈlɛbənɒn/) (Arabic: لبنان Lubnān) (French: Liban), officially the Lebanese Republic (الجمهورية اللبنانية) ( La République Libanaise), is a small, mostly mountainous country in the Middle East, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south. Due to its sectarian diversity, Lebanon follows a special political system, known as confessionalism, to distribute power as evenly as possible among different sects.[1]

The flag of Lebanon features a cedar in green against a white backdrop, bounded by two horizontal red stripes along the top and bottom. This is a reference to the famous cedars of Lebanon, that were mentioned in the verses of the Old Testament (mostly in Psalms), which spoke of the "Arzei HaL'vanon," or "Cedars of Lebanon."

Until the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), the country enjoyed relative calm and prosperity, driven by the tourism, agriculture, and banking sectors of the economy.[2] It is considered the banking capital of the Arab world and was widely known as the "Switzerland of the Middle East"[3][4] due to its financial power. Lebanon also attracted large numbers of tourists,[5] to the point that the capital Beirut became widely referred to as the "Paris of the Middle East."[6]

Immediately following the end of the war, there were extensive efforts to revive the economy and rebuild national infrastructure.[7] By early 2006, a considerable degree of stability had been achieved throughout much of the country, Beirut's reconstruction was almost complete,[8] and an increasing number of foreign tourists were pouring into Lebanon's resorts.[5] The 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah brought mounting civilian and military casualties, extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, and massive population displacement from July 12, 2006 until a ceasefire went into effect on August 14, 2006.

Contents

Etymology

Faraya, Mount Lebanon. Taken by Youmna Medlej.
Faraya, Mount Lebanon. Taken by Youmna Medlej.

The name Lebanon ("Lubnān" in standard Arabic; "Lebnan" or "Lebnèn" in local dialect) is derived from the Semitic root "LBN", which is linked to several closely-related meanings in various languages, such as white and milk.[9] This is regarded as reference to the snow-capped Mount Lebanon.[10] Occurrences of the name have been found in three of the twelve tablets of the Epic of Gilgamesh (2900 BC), the texts of the library of Ebla (2400 BC), and 71 times in the Old Testament.[10][11][12] The name is even recorded in Ancient Egyptian as Rmnn, where r and l were interchangeable.[citation needed]

Geography and climate

  • Nabatieh
  • Hasbaya
  • Marjeyoun
  • Bint Jbeil
    		•
    Beqaa Governorate - 5 districts North Governorate (al-Shamal) - 7 districts
    Mount Lebanon Governorate (Jabal Lubnan) - 6 districts South Governorate (al-Janoub) - 3 districts

    Demographics and religion

  • Elementary: Five years.
  • Intermediate: Four years; students earn Intermediate Certification (Lebanese Brevet) at completion.
  • Secondary: three years, students who pass official exams earn a Baccalaureate Certificate (Baccalauréat Libanais) in the concentration they chose in 12th grade.

    • These three phases are provided free to all students and the first eight years are, by law, compulsory.[36] Nevertheless, this requirement currently falls short of being fully enforced.

    Higher education

    Following secondary school, Lebanese students may choose to study at a university, a college, or a vocational training institute. The number of years to complete each program varies.

    While the Lebanese educational system offer a very high quality and international class of education, the local employment market lacks of enough opportunities, thus encouraging many of the young educated to travel abroad; You can find successful Lebanese engineers, doctors, businessmen, etc. practically all over the world.

    Lebanon has 41 nationally-accredited universities, several of which are internationally recognized.[37][38] The American University of Beirut (AUB) and the Université Saint-Joseph (USJ) were the first Anglophone and the first Francophone universities to open in Lebanon respectively.[39][40] The forty-one universities, both public and private, largely operate in French, or English as these are the most widely used foreign languages in Lebanon.[41]

    At the English universities, students who have graduated from an American-style high school program enter at the freshman level to earn their baccalaureate equivalence from the Lebanese Ministry of Higher Education. This qualifies them to continue studying at the higher levels. Such students are required to have already taken the SAT I and the SAT II upon applying to college, in lieu of the official exams. On the other hand, students who have graduated from a school that follows the Lebanese educational system are directly admitted to the sophomore year. These students are still required to take the SAT I, but not the SAT II. The University academic degrees for the first stage are the Bachelor or the Licence, for the second stage are the Master or the DEA and the third stage is the doctorate.

    There are several prestigious universities in Lebanon, including the Lebanese University, the American University of Beirut, the Université Saint-Joseph, and the Lebanese American University. In addition, some students choose to study abroad. The United Nations assigned Lebanon an of 0.84 in 2005.[42]

    Culture

  • Constitution
  • President
    • vacant
  • Prime Minister
  • Parliament
  • Political parties
  • Elections
  • Governorates
  • Districts
  • Foreign relations
    • Other countries · Atlas
     Politics Portal
  • List of Lebanese businessmen
    		•  Lebanon Portal
    Articles about recent events
    Miscellaneous
    Pictures

    Pictures of Lebanon

    Footnotes

    1. ^ Countries Quest. "Lebanon, Government". Retrieved December 14, 2006.
    2. ^ U.S. Department of State. "Background Note: Lebanon (History) August 2005" Retrieved December 2, 2006.
    3. ^ USPG. "Anglican Church in Jerusalem responds to the Middle East crisis". Retrieved October 31, 2006.
    4. ^ Socialist Party (2005). "A new crisis in the Middle East?". Retrieved October 31, 2006.
    5. ^ a b Anna Johnson (2006). "Lebanon: Tourism Depends on Stability". Retrieved October 31, 2006.
    6. ^ TC Online (2002). "Paris of the Middle East". Retrieved October 31, 2006.
    7. ^ Canadian International Development Agency. "Lebanon: Country Profile". Retrieved December 2, 2006.
    8. ^ Center for the Study of the Built Environment. "Deconstructing Beirut's Reconstruction: 1990-2000". Retrieved October 31, 2006.
    9. ^ Joumana Medlej. "The Mountain". Retrieved December 15, 2006.
    10. ^ a b Antoine Harb (2004). "Lebanon: A Name through 4000 Years". Retrieved November 1, 2006.
    11. ^ Christian World News. "Lebanon Historically Linked to the Bible". Retrieved February 21, 2007.
    12. ^ Roger Yazbeck. "Lebanon was mentioned 71 times in the Holy Bible...". Retrieved February 21, 2007.
    13. ^ Telegraph (2000) "Israel's Withdrawal from Lebanon Given UN's Endorsement". Retrieved November 1, 2006.
    14. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. "Lebanon". Retrieved December 10, 2006.
    15. ^ (Bonechi et al.) (2004) Golden Book Lebanon, p. 3, Florence, Italy: Casa Editrice Bonechi.
    16. ^ Country Studies US. "Lebanon - Climate". Retrieved November 5, 2006.
    17. ^ a b Blue Planet Biomes. "Lebanon Cedar - Cedrus libani". Retrieved December 10, 2006.
    18. ^ USAID Lebanon. "USAID Lebanon—Definitions of Terms used". Retrieved December 17, 2006.
    19. ^ Country Studies. "Lebanon Population". Retrieved November 25, 2006.
    20. ^ a b c CIA, the World Factbook (2006). "Lebanon". Retrieved November 7, 2006.
    21. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/packages/khtml/2006/07/19/world/middleeast/20060719_MIDEAST_GRAPHIC.html
    22. ^ Marina Sarruf (2006). "Brazil Has More Lebanese than Lebanon". Retrieved November 30, 2006.
    23. ^ UNRWA (December 31, 2003). "UNRWA: Palestinian Refugees". Retrieved November 25, 2006.
    24. ^ U.S. Department of State (1994) Header: People, 4th paragraph. Retrieved December 3, 2006.
    25. ^ Background Note: Lebanon "www.washingtoninstitute.org" Retrieved December 3, 2006.
    26. ^ United Nations Population Fund."Lebanon - Overview". Retrieved November 9, 2006.
    27. ^ Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, U.S.A. 1986-1988. [1]. Retrieved December 2, 2006.
    28. ^ a b c Jean Hayek et al, 1999. The Structure, Properties, and Main Foundations of the Lebanese Economy. In The Scientific Series in Geography, Grade 11, 110-114. Beirut: Dar Habib.
    29. ^ a b c US Department of State (2005). "Lebanon". Retrieved November 1, 2006.
    30. ^ CIA World Factbook 2001. Retrieved 2006-12-04.
    31. ^ a b c Bank Audi (2006). "Lebanon Economic Report: 2nd Quarter, 2006". Retrieved November 27, 2005.
    32. ^ Cyprus News (2006). "Saudi Arabia Key Contributor To Lebanon's Reconstruction". Retrieved November 26, 2006.
    33. ^ Lebanon Under Siege (2006). "Donors pledge more than $940 million for Lebanon". Retrieved November 26, 2006.
    34. ^ Ain-Al-Yaqeen (2006). "The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Reviews with the Jordanian King the Situation in Lebanon...". Retrieved November 27, 2006.
    35. ^ Samidoun (2006). "Aid groups scramble to fix buildings, fill backpacks before school bell rings". Retrieved December 9, 2006.
    36. ^ US Department of State (2005). "Lebanon". Retrieved December 15, 2006.
    37. ^ Infopro Management. "Lebanon Opportunities - Business Information". Retrieved January 30, 2007.
    38. ^ (Arabic)Lebanese Directory of Higher Education. "Decrees". Retrieved January 30, 2007.
    39. ^ eIFL.net Regional Workshop (2005). "Country Report: Lebanon". Retrieved December 14, 2006.
    40. ^ Université Saint-Joseph. "125 years of history - A timeline". Retrieved December 8, 2006.
    41. ^ Yalla!. "Yalla! Students". Retrieved December 15, 2006.
    42. ^ Human development indicators (PDF). United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Reports. Retrieved on 2006-11-16.
    43. ^ Lebanon CIA World Fact Book. [2]. December 18, 2006.
    44. ^ Lebanon Culture. [3]. December 18, 2006.
    45. ^ The Hindu (January 5, 2003). "Called by life";. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
    46. ^ Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (2002). "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2002: Lebanon". Retrieved January 3, 2007.
    47. ^ a b United States Institute of Peace (March 2006). "Lebanon's Confessionalism: Problems and Prospects". Retrieved January 3, 2007.
    48. ^ Marie-Joëlle Zahar. "CHAPTER 9 POWER SHARING IN LEBANON: FOREIGN PROTECTORS, DOMESTIC PEACE, AND DEMOCRATIC FAILURE1". (DOC) Retrieved January 3, 2007.
    49. ^ Middle East Intelligence Bulletin (2004). "The US and France Tip the Scale in Lebanon's Power Struggle". Retrieved January 6, 2007.
    50. ^ New Age International (November 6, 2006). "Lebanon leaders head for talks amid street protest threats". Retrieved January 3, 2007.
    51. ^ Lebanon2000.com. "Factbook - Lebanon". Retrieved January 3, 2006.
    52. ^ US Department of State (2006). "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 2005: Lebanon". Retrieved December 17, 2006.
    53. ^ Amnesty International (2005). "A Human Rights Agenda for the Parliamentary Elections, Lebanon". Retrieved December 17, 2006.
    54. ^ "Byblos". Retrieved July 31, 2007.
    55. ^ About.com (1987)."Lebanon in Ancient Times". Retrieved December 17, 2006.
    56. ^ U.S. Library of Congress. "History: Present-Day Syria". Retrieved May 2, 2007.
    57. ^ Chorbishop Seely Beggiani (2005). "Aspects of Maronite History (Part Eleven) The twentieth century in the Middle East". Retrieved January 24, 2007.
    58. ^ Lebanese Global Information Center. "History of Lebanon". Retrieved December 9, 2006.
    59. ^ a b Karsh, Efraim (2002). The Arab-Israeli Conflict. The Palestine War 1948. Osprey Publishing. , p. 27
    60. ^ Avi Shlaim. "Israel and the Arab Coalition in 1948". Retrieved December 9, 2006.
    61. ^ Amnesty International. "Palestinian refugees in Lebanon". Retrieved November 14, 2006.
    62. ^ Time (1991). "After the War, the Mop-Up". Retrieved November 30, 2006.
    63. ^ Council on Foreign Relations (2006). "The Future of Lebanon". Retrieved December 18, 2006.
    64. ^ People's Daily (2000). "Lebanese Troops Patrol Near Fatma Gate Along Border With Israel". Retrieved December 18, 2006.
    65. ^ Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2000)."Withdrawal from Lebanon: Press Briefing by Foreign Minister David Levy". Retrieved November 1, 2006.
    66. ^ The key to Shebaa, Al-Jazeera online, Retrieved April 1, 2007.
    67. ^ Hariri.info (2005). "Rafik Hariri". Retrieved December 10, 2006.
    68. ^ a b CBC News Indepth (2006). "Recent background on Syria's presence in Lebanon". Retrieved December 10, 2006.
    69. ^ See this MEMRI bulletin, includes several statements and sources.
    70. ^ "United Nations Security Council Resolution 1595 (2005)".
    71. ^ United Nations Security Council (2005). "Letter dated 20 October 2005 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council". Retrieved November 2, 2006.
    72. ^ Al Bab (2005). "The Mehlis report, 2005: full text". Retrieved December 10, 2006.
    73. ^ FPS Foreign Affairs (2006). "Serge Brammertz appointed head of the UN International Independent Investigation Commission". Retrieved December 11; 2006.
    74. ^ Middle East Desk (May 30, 2007). "UN passes resolution 1757 to establish Hariri tribunal". Retrieved July 3, 2007.
    75. ^ CNN (2005). "Lebanon's pro-Syrian PM resigns". Retrieved December 11, 2006.
    76. ^ a b A great deal of controversy surrounds the exact numbers of the participants in the March 2005 demonstrations; reported numbers thus vary widely by source.
    77. ^ The Washington Post (2005). "Syria Supporters Rally in Lebanon". Retrieved December 11, 2006.
    78. ^ FOX News (2005). "Up to One Million Lebanese Protesters Mark Hariri Killing". Retrieved November 2, 2006.
    79. ^ BBC News (2005). "Bomb hits Beirut's Christian area". Retrieved December 11, 2006.
    80. ^ BBC News (2005). "Syria begins Lebanon withdrawal". Retrieved December 11, 2006.
    81. ^ CNN (2005). "Last Syrian troops leave Lebanon". Retrieved December 11, 2006.
    82. ^ Guardian Unlimited (2005). "Ceremony marks departure of last Syrian troops". Retrieved December 11, 2006.
    83. ^ The Jerusalem Post (2005). "Opposition sweeps Lebanon's elections". Retrieved December 12, 2006.
    84. ^ International Herald Tribune (2005). "Aoun scores upset win in Lebanese elections". Retrieved December 12, 2006.
    85. ^ BBC News (2005). "Profile: Fouad Siniora". Retrieved December 21, 2006.
    86. ^ BBC News. "Lebanese ex-warlord is released". Retrieved December 21, 2006.
    87. ^ MSNBC (July 26, 2005). "Lebanon ex-warlord freed after 11 years". Retrieved December 21, 2006.
    88. ^ Iran Daily (2005). "Geagea Free". Retrieved December 21, 2006.
    89. ^ AFP (2006). Timeline of the July War 2006. The Daily Star. Retrieved on 15 September.
    90. ^ See, e.g., Yaakov Katz, "Halutz officers discuss war strategy," Jerusalem Post, Sept. 5, 2006, p. 2
    91. ^ a b New York Times via the International Herald Tribune (July 12, 2006). "Clashes spread to Lebanon as Hezbollah raids Israel". Retrieved August 16, 2007.
    92. ^ Lebanese Premier Seeks U.S. Help in Lifting Blockade. Washington Post (24 August 2006).
    93. ^ Urquhart, Conal. "Computerised weaponry and high morale", The Guardian, August 11, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-08. 
    94. ^ Lebanon Higher Relief Council (2007). "Lebanon Under Siege". Retrieved March 5, 2007.
    95. ^ "Hizbullah attacks northern Israel and Israel's response", Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, August , 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-02. 
    96. ^ Middle East crisis: Facts and Figures. BBC News Online (August 31, 2006). Retrieved on .
    97. ^ "Israel says it will relinquish positions to Lebanese army", August 15, 2006. 
    98. ^ Pannell, Ian (9 September 2006). Lebanon breathes after the blockade. BBC News Online. Retrieved on 2006-09-09.
    99. ^ UN peacekeepers: Israeli troops still in Lebanon, CNN
    100. ^ Spiegel Online (August 16, 2006). "Who Will Disarm Hezbollah?". Retrieved January 10, 2007.
    101. ^ People's Daily Online (August 19, 2006). "Indonesia refuses to help disarm Hezbollah in Lebanon". Retrieved January 10, 2007.
    102. ^ International Herald Tribune (September 18, 2006). "U.N. commander says his troops will not disarm Hezbollah". Retrieved January 10, 2007.

    Book References

    • Fisk, Robert. Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon. New York: Nation Books, 2002.
    • Firzli, Nicola Y. Al-Baath wa-Lubnân [Arabic only] ("The Baath and Lebanon"). Beirut: Dar-al-Tali'a Books, 1973
    • Hitti Philip K. History of Syria Including Lebanon and Palestine, Vol. 2 (2002) ()
    • Holst, Sanford. Phoenicians: Lebanon's Epic Heritage. Los Angeles: Cambridge and Boston Press, 2005.
    • Norton, Augustus R. Amal and the Shi'a: Struggle for the Soul of Lebanon. Austin and London: University of Texas Press, 1987.
    • Riley-Smith, Jonathan. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
    • Salibi, Kamal. A House of Many Mansions: The History of Lebanon Reconsidered. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990.

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