Key Facts about Lebanon

About Lebanon:

• It is a country located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Western Asia.
• Capital: Beirut
• Borders: It borders the Mediterranean Sea in the west, Syria in the north and east, and Israel in the south.
• History:
  • It is part of an area known as the Fertile Crescent, also known as the “Cradle of Civilization”.
  • Byblos, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, is around 30 km north of modern Beirut.
  • Lebanon was ruled by a number of ancient empires, including the Phoenician, Egyptian, Hittite, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman.
  • For over 400 years (1516-1918), Lebanon was part of the Ottoman Empire.
  • In 1920,following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Lebanon was ruled byFrance, which created the State of Greater Lebanon.
  • It wasn’t until 1943 that Lebanon achieved independence after French authority dissolved, leading to the withdrawal of French troops.
• Geography:
  • It consists of a narrow strip of territory and is one of the world’s smaller sovereign states. 
  • The Lebanon Mountains, which rise to 9,800 feet (3,000 meters), run down the middle of the country. 
  • The Anti-Lebanon Mountains form Lebanon’s border with Syria.
  • Between the 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.
• Climate: Its Mediterranean climate brings mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.
• Political Structure:
  • Lebanon is a unitary, multiparty republic with a parliamentary system of government.
  • Parliamentary seats are apportioned equally between Christian and Muslim groups. This sectarian distribution is also to be observed in appointments to public office.
• Languages: Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
• People: Most Lebanese are Arabs. There are small groups of Armenians and Kurds.
• Economy: Services, including banking and tourism, are Lebanon’s most important economic activities.

Q1: Which countries border the Mediterranean Sea?

22 countries and one territory (Gibraltar - a British Overseas Territory) have coasts on the Mediterranean Sea. The European Countries are Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece. The West Asian (Middle Eastern) countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea are Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestine Gaza Strip and the divided island of Cyprus. Five North African nations have coasts on the Mediterranean Sea: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.

Source: Security Council holds emergency session over Lebanon; region ‘on the brink of catastrophe’