Language: Arabic, French
Currency: Lebanese pound (LBP)
Calling Code: 961
Lebanon (Arabic: لبنان Lubnān), officially the
Lebanese Republic, is a country in the Middle East that borders on
the south with Israel, on the north and east with Syria, and is
bathed by the Mediterranean Sea to the west. In the cities of
Baalbek, Tire and Byblos there are the oldest preserved Roman
temples and Phoenician sanctuaries. It has one of the highest HDIs
in the region, being the 7th highest in the Arab World. Being a
country influenced by many cultures, it is reflected in the
diversity of architecture and society. In Beirut there is the
architectural influence typical of Arab countries, with large
mosques for the Muslim population, and at the same time large
Maronite or Orthodox churches for Christians, and modern
skyscrapers.
It was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1516 to 1918, when it
collapsed at the end of the First World War. Then the five provinces
that make up modern Lebanon were under the French Mandate. The
French expanded the borders of the Governorate of Mount Lebanon,
which was populated by Maronites and Druzes to include more Muslims.
Lebanon gained independence in 1943, establishing a unique political
system, Confessionalism, a consociational type of power sharing
among religious communities. Bechara El Khoury, first president of
Lebanon, Riad el-Solh, first Prime Minister of Lebanon and Emir
Majid Arslan II, Prime Minister of Defense, as the three founders of
the modern Republic of Lebanon and national heroes for having
achieved independence are considered . Foreign troops withdrew
completely from the country on December 31, 1946. Until the 1970s,
Lebanon was the financial center of the Middle East, which earned it
the nickname of Near Eastern Switzerland. However, its economic
importance disintegrated with the terrible Lebanese Civil War of
1975-1990, which destroyed an exemplary political equilibrium. Since
1973 he has been a member of the International Organization of la
Francophonie.
By mid-2006, the country had regained a considerable degree of
stability and development, the reconstruction of Beirut was almost
complete and a growing number of tourists were returning to the
country, but in the summer of 2006 the Lebanon War broke out one
month long, between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, which caused a
large number of civilian casualties and significant damage to the
country's infrastructure. On 14 August, a ceasefire was reached
after an appeal to end the hostilities of the UN Security Council.
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Medieval town of Anjar was originally built as a trading post on the crossing of the trading routes in the strategic Bekaa Valley. |
Ruins of the ancient town of Baalbek in the Beqaa Valley is one of the most important archeological sites left from the time of Antiquity.
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Byblos Castle is a well preserved example of European military architecture in the Middle East that remains in near perfect preservation state. |
Jeita Grotto is a large network of naturally formed caves with splendid geological formations near Beirut, capital of Lebanon. |
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Picturesque Kadisha Valley is famous for its numerous ancient Christian monasteries perched on its beautiful cliffs. |
Sidon Sea Castle is a medieval fortress constructed on the island by Crusaders in the early 13th century to defend their conquests. |
Tyre is one of the most important and one of the largest ancient archaeological sites situated in South Governorate in Lebanon. |