The Western Asian nation of Lebanon was for many years the cultural and commercial center of the Arab world. Located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, it served as a crossroads between East and West. Lebanon is bordered on the south by Israel and on the north and east by Syria. The capital and largest city is Beirut
Lebanon covers an area of about 3,950 square miles (10,230 square kilometers). Along the Mediterranean coast is a narrow coastal plain. The Lebanon Mountains, which rise to 9,800 feet (3,000 meters), run down the middle of the country. The Anti-Lebanon Mountains in the east run almost parallel to the Lebanon Mountains. They form Lebanon's border with Syria. Between these two mountain ranges lies the high, fertile Bekaa Valley. The valley receives water from the Litani, the only river in Lebanon that flows throughout the year.
Lebanon's Mediterranean coast has warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Summers in the Bekaa Valley are hot and dry, and winters are cool. Compared to other Middle Eastern countries, Lebanon has abundant precipitation. Parts of the mountains receive up to 60 inches (150 centimeters) of rain and snow each year.
Lebanon was once a heavily forested country. Because of centuries of logging, however, forests now cover only about 8 percent of the land. The plant life that has survived consists mainly of brush and low trees, including oaks, pines, cypresses, firs, junipers, and carobs. Lebanon is famous for its cedar trees, but these remain only in protected mountain groves.
Few large wild animals survive in Lebanon, though bears are occasionally seen in the mountains. Among the smaller animals are deer, wildcats, hedgehogs, squirrels, martens, dormice, and hares. The country's bird life includes flamingos, pelicans, cuckoos, and various birds of prey.
Lebanon is one of the most densely populated countries in the Middle East. The population is unevenly distributed, however, with most of the country's 3.5 million people living along the coast. Almost 90 percent of the people live in cities. The largest city by far is Beirut, with more than 1 million people. Other major cities include Tripoli, Zahlah, and Sidon.
Most Lebanese are Arabs. Arabic is the official language, but many people speak English and French. Lebanon is diverse in its religious composition. Muslims make up more than half the population, while most of the rest are Christian. Both the Muslim and Christian communities are divided into sects.
The cultural life of Lebanon suffered during a long civil war, but it began to revive after the end of that war in 1991. The music and theater festivals that the country was noted for prior to the war began to make a comeback. The most notable of the music festivals takes place in the town of Baalbek. Popular Lebanese folk arts include songs, dabkah (the national dance), and zajal (folk poetry).
Lebanon has traditionally been the commercial and financial center of the Middle East. The civil war of 1975–91 devastated the country's economy, however. The 1990s were a period of rebuilding and recovery.
Lebanon's most important industries have traditionally been food processing and the production of textiles. Oil refining, woodworking, the manufacture of cement, and tourism are also significant. Among the country's major exports are pharmaceutical products, food and beverages, machinery and transport equipment, paper, metals and metal products, and textiles.
Agriculture in Lebanon is concentrated along the Mediterranean coast and in the Bekaa Valley. The major crops include citrus fruits, tomatoes, sugar beets, potatoes, grapes, apples, and olives. Goats and sheep are the main livestock.
The region that includes Lebanon had many rulers in ancient times. Among them were the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. Christianity was introduced to the area in the 5th century, followed by Islam two centuries later. The Christians established themselves in the north and the Muslims in the south.
In 1516 the Ottoman Turks made the region part of their empire. After Turkey's defeat in World War I, the League of Nations gave France the right to govern the area. In 1920 France created the republic of Greater Lebanon, with the same boundaries as present-day Lebanon. The country became independent in 1943.
After independence, Christians and Muslims lived in peace for several years. Tensions grew between the two groups, however, especially after the foundation of Israel in 1948. In 1970 the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) moved its headquarters to Lebanon. This organization was dedicated to the creation of an Arab state on the land occupied by Israel. The PLO launched attacks on Israel from Lebanon. Lebanese Muslims allied with the Palestinians against Israel and the Lebanese Christians. The Lebanese Muslims also demanded more power in the government.
In 1975 the conflict escalated into civil war between Muslims and Christians. The following year Syrian forces entered the country to support the Lebanese Christians. In 1982 Israeli forces invaded Lebanon, intent on driving the PLO out of the country. The invasion was successful, as an international peacekeeping force helped supervise the departure of many PLO members out of the country later that year. The international peacekeeping force left Beirut in 1984 after suffering many casualties. The next year Israeli troops withdrew from most of Lebanon, remaining only at the Lebanon-Israel border. Fighting between Lebanon's religious groups continued, however.
Lebanese legislators reached an agreement in 1989 that ended the Christian dominance of the government. In 1991, with the help of Syrian troops, the Lebanese army began disarming the various militias. The civil war was officially over. Violence continued in southern Lebanon, however, especially between Israeli forces and the radical Muslim group known as Hezbollah. In May 2000 Israel finally withdrew its forces from southern Lebanon. Syrian troops remained in place, however. Population (2000 estimate), 3,578,000.
