Lebanon

Lebanon, located in the Levant region of West Asia, has a population surpassing five million within its limited space of 10,452 square kilometers. With borders to Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, this small but culturally rich country is deliberately situated at the junction of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterlands. Cyprus’s close proximity—just a short distance from the coast of Lebanon—highlights even more its vital position in the area.

The past of Lebanon is a tapestry spun with strands of present strife, ancient civilizations, and empires. One of the cradles of human habitation, Lebanon boasts the earliest traces of human civilization in this country from an amazing 5000 BC. From 3200 to 539 BC, the territory that would become modern-day Lebanon was a part of Phoenicia, a maritime state with sway over the Mediterranean Basin. Renowned for their business savvy and skill at sailing, the Phoenicians permanently changed the cultural and economic scene of the area.

Under the rule of the Roman Empire in 64 BC, Lebanon saw notable religious and cultural change. Lebanon became a prominent Christian center as the Roman Empire changed into the Byzantine period. With the arrival of Islam in the 7th century, the religious scene of the area changed even more as several caliphates—including the Rashidun, Umayyad, and Abbasid—exercised their impact over the nation.

The Crusades, during which Crusader nations were founded in the area, began in the 11th century. But rather short-lived, these Christian kingdoms gave way to the military power of later Muslim kingdoms like the Ayyubids and the Mamluks. The Ottoman Empire finally expanded to include Lebanon, therefore launching a centuries-long period of Ottoman control.

During Ottoman Sultan Abdulmejid I’s rule, Lebanon reached a major turning point toward sovereignty. The Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate was founded in the 19th century during Tanzimat era reforms. Conceived as a homeland for Maronite Christians, this proto-state framework laid the foundation for the intricate sectarian system that would define Lebanese politics.

A turning event in Lebanon’s history was the end of World War I and the Ottoman Empire’s following fall apart. Under France’s mandate over Syria and the Lebanon, the area came under Greater Lebanon emerged during this time, therefore preparing the ground for the contemporary nation-state. But with the German invasion of France in 1940, during World War II, French authority over the area started to fade.

Once Lebanon acquired sovereignty from Free France in 1943, its road to freedom came to pass. Adopting a distinctive confessionalist style of administration that distributed political authority among the several religious communities of the nation, the recently independent state sought to preserve a careful equilibrium in a country marked by its religious and cultural variety.

Though relative stability defined the early years of independence, this time of peace was too brief. Lebanon sank into a terrible civil war in 1975 that would rip at the fabric of the country and change its political terrain and last for fifteen years. Two overlapping military occupations—Israel’s involvement from 1985 to 2000 and Syria’s from 1976 to 2005—complicated the conflict even further. These outside activities changed Lebanon’s internal dynamics and sovereignty, therefore adding layers of complexity to an already complicated war.

The end of the civil war in 1990 brought in a time for healing and reconstruction. After years of fighting had seriously harmed the country’s infrastructure, great efforts were made to reconstruct it. The economy was also being revived. But recovery has not been easy as Lebanon is still adjusting to the long-term effects of its turbulent history.

Recent years have seen a number of crises that have tested Lebanon’s institutions’ and people’s fortitude. Widespread corruption and incompetence aggravating the Lebanese liquidity problem have caused the national currency to drastically fall. Recent events—most notably the disastrous explosion in Beirut’s port in 2020—have aggravated this economic crisis. These events have set off political unrest, severe shortages of resources, and shockingly high rates of poverty and unemployment.

With the World Bank rating Lebanon’s economic crisis as among the worst since the 19th century, its degree cannot be understated. This multifarious crisis has had far-reaching effects on every sphere of life in Lebanon and seriously jeopardizes the future growth and stability of the nation.

Notwithstanding these great obstacles, Lebanon is nonetheless well-known for its rich culture, which has had a lasting impression on the Arab world as well as outside. The Lebanese diaspora, evidence of the resiliency and flexibility of the Lebanese people, drives most of this cultural impact.

Globally, Lebanon actively participates in a number of international organizations. Being a founding member of the Arab League and the United Nations emphasizes its dedication to regional unity and world collaboration. Furthermore reflecting Lebanon’s involvement with many international venues and its attempts to negotiate the convoluted terrain of global politics are its membership in the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Organization internationale de la Francophonie, and the Group of 77.