Lebanon is a country in Western Asia with a narrow strip of territory on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It has ancient Phoenician settlements and has been an important commercial hub for the Middle East. Beirut is its capital and largest city. The country has a complex communal make-up and has often been at the center of Middle Eastern conflicts. The Cedar tree is the national symbol of Lebanon.
The country is in the Levant region of West Asia, bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south , and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Cyprus, lies a short distance from the country's coastline. It is at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula. Lebanon has a population of more than five million, and an area of 4,036 square miles..
Human civilisation in Lebanon dates back to 500 BC . From 3200 to 500 BC, it was part of Phoenicia, a maritime empire that stretched the Mediterranean Basin. In 64 BC, the region became part of the Roman Empire, and later the Byzantine Empire. After the 7th century , it came under the rule of different caliphates, including Rashidun, Umayyad, and Abbasid Caliphate.
The 11th century saw the establishment of Crusaders states, which fell to the Ayyubids, and the Mamluks. and eventually the Ottomans. Under Ottoman ruler, Abdulmejid 1, the Lebanese proto-state, the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate, was established in the 19th century as a home for Maronite Christians, in the Tanzimat period.
After the dissolution of the Osterman Empire, following World War 1, Lebanon came under the mandate for Syria and Lebanon, administered by France, which established Greater Lebanon. French rule weakened with the German invasion in 1940. Lebanon gained independence in 1943 from Free France and established a distinct form of confessionalist government, with the state's major religious groups being apportioned specific political powers.
Today Lebanon's official language is Arabic. The ethnic composition shows 95% Arabs, 4% Arminian, and 1% Others. this country is a unitary parliamentary republic that includes confessionalism. This structure includes a present - currently vacant- a prime minister, and a speaker of parliament.
The Lebanese economy follows a laissez-faire model. Most of the economy is dollarized and the country has no restrictions on the movement of capital across its border. The lebanese government intervention in foreign trade is minimal Its current GDP stands at 19 billion USD.
The country is in the Levant region of West Asia, bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south , and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Cyprus, lies a short distance from the country's coastline. It is at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula. Lebanon has a population of more than five million, and an area of 4,036 square miles..
Human civilisation in Lebanon dates back to 500 BC . From 3200 to 500 BC, it was part of Phoenicia, a maritime empire that stretched the Mediterranean Basin. In 64 BC, the region became part of the Roman Empire, and later the Byzantine Empire. After the 7th century , it came under the rule of different caliphates, including Rashidun, Umayyad, and Abbasid Caliphate.
The 11th century saw the establishment of Crusaders states, which fell to the Ayyubids, and the Mamluks. and eventually the Ottomans. Under Ottoman ruler, Abdulmejid 1, the Lebanese proto-state, the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate, was established in the 19th century as a home for Maronite Christians, in the Tanzimat period.
After the dissolution of the Osterman Empire, following World War 1, Lebanon came under the mandate for Syria and Lebanon, administered by France, which established Greater Lebanon. French rule weakened with the German invasion in 1940. Lebanon gained independence in 1943 from Free France and established a distinct form of confessionalist government, with the state's major religious groups being apportioned specific political powers.
Today Lebanon's official language is Arabic. The ethnic composition shows 95% Arabs, 4% Arminian, and 1% Others. this country is a unitary parliamentary republic that includes confessionalism. This structure includes a present - currently vacant- a prime minister, and a speaker of parliament.
The Lebanese economy follows a laissez-faire model. Most of the economy is dollarized and the country has no restrictions on the movement of capital across its border. The lebanese government intervention in foreign trade is minimal Its current GDP stands at 19 billion USD.