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    Facts About Lebanon 
 

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History, Government, and Politics

    The site of the ancient maritime city-state of Phoenicia, the area later fell to successive Middle Eastern powers. Christianity was introduced under the Roman Empire and persisted even after the coming of Islam with the Arab conquest (7th cent.). In the late 11th cent. Lebanese Christians aided the Crusaders in the region. The area came under the Ottoman Turks in the 16th cent., and after the Turkish defeat in World War I it became part of a French mandate known as Greater Lebanon.

    Since independence in 1945, Lebanon has been plagued by civil strife and problems with its neighbors. A member of the Arab League, it took little part in the Arab-Israeli Wars that followed Israel's independence in 1948, but the stage was set for future problems when many Palestinians fled Israel and settled in S Lebanon. Meanwhile, Lebanon's internal equilibrium was shaken (1958) by a rebellion against pro-Western policies, and U.S. forces were called in briefly.

    In 1975 civil war erupted between leftist Muslims, aided by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and conservative Christians. In 1976 Syrian troops intervened, and a cease-fire was declared, but Israel and the PLO engaged in a sporadic border war in S Lebanon. In 1978, following a limited Israeli invasion, a UN peacekeeping force was placed in S Lebanon. Fighting continued, however, and in 1982 Israel invaded Lebanon, forcing out many members of the PLO and causing widespread devastation. A massacre of Palestinians by Lebanese Christians during the Israeli occupation of Beirut led to worldwide criticism of Israel and the establishment of a multinational peacekeeping force in Beirut. In Oct. 1983 terrorist bombings killed over 230 U.S. Marines and French troops in their respective compounds, and both nations subsequently withdrew their remaining forces.
When the Lebanese parliament in 1988 proved unable to elect a successor to the Christian president, Amin Gemayel. Gemayel, on the expiration of his term, appointed a Christian general, Michel Aoun, as interim president, but Muslims challenged his legitimacy. In 1989 Arab governments brokered a peace agreement that produced a new constitution that increased the political power of the Muslim majority. Elias Hrawi, a Christian, was elected president, but Aoun refused to step down and fighting between Christian factions for and against Aoun broke out. In 1990, at Hrawi's request, Syrian troops attacked Aoun's position. Aoun took refuge in the French embassy and later fled to France, ending the civil war. Hrawi signed (1991) a treaty of friendship and cooperation with Syria that essentially guaranteed Syrian domination of Lebanon's foreign relations.

    By the mid-1990s, neither the Israeli nor the Syrian forces had quit the country, and clashes between Palestinian units and Israeli troops, as well as among the existing Lebanese militias, continued. Intense fighting erupted between Shiite Hezbollah (Party of God) guerrillas and Israel in S Lebanon in early 1996, as the guerrillas fired rockets into Israel and Israel retaliated with shelling and bombing. A tentative cease-fire was reached in late April; the episode generated a heavy flow of refugees from areas of S Lebanon. The many years of heavy fighting in Lebanon crippled the nation’s infrastructure and economy, and devastated tourism, but a major rebuilding effort was undertaken in the 1990s.

    In 1995, President Hrawi’s term in office was extended by three years by a constitutional amendment. Gen. Emile Lahoud was elected president in 1998. Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas erupted again in June, 1999, following an announcement by Israel’s new prime minister, Ehud Barak, that he would withdraw Israeli troops stationed in S Lebanon within a year. In May, 2000, Israeli troops engaged in a gradual withdrawal from S Lebanon, turning over its position to its Lebanese Christian ally, the South Lebanon Army (SLA), but the SLA collapsed, leading Israel to accelerate its withdrawal, which was completed by late May. The 2000 parliamentary elections brought the opposition back into power, and Rafiq Hariri became prime minister; he had previously held the office from 1992 to 1998.
 
 

                                                                                                

         The ancient city of Tyre                                             The awesome site of Baalabak

                                                                                               The unique Castle of Saida
 
 

THE LEBANON: 6000 YEARS THROUGH HISTORY -a huge website which provides detailed information regarding all aspects of Lebanese history.

How it all began - A concise history of Lebanon -a website which gives a short summary of Lebanese history.

The Maronite Research Institute (MARI) -this website contains information regarding the Maronite Christian faith.

Lebanese Embassy in Washington D.C. -the website for the Lebanese Embassy in the United States.

American Embassy Beirut -the United States Embassy located in Beirut, Lebanon.

USCFL- U.S Committee for a Free Lebanon HomePage - a pro-Lebanese/American website dedicated to the idea of a liberated Lebanon.
 
 
 

    Lebanon, a small country with big hopes is a ‘geographical nation’ coming out of 15 years of war that have caused the decline in the educational and vocational training levels. Presently, it is Lebanon’s higher priority to invest in these vital factors because they are the roots of a stable and competitive country.

    The Lebanese population in 1998 was estimated at 3,505,794. Of these 86.4% are literate, leaving 476,788 people (13.6%) who cannot read or right. The general budget the government puts into education makes up 12.96% of the total budget involved in developing Lebanon. With this, the country can reconstruct the private and public educational and vocational systems, therefor increasing possibilities for employment of school and university graduates. [Internet]

    The educational level of poor men and women, in Lebanon, is low due to the lack of high school education in the adult family members. But a high percentage of the youngsters are enrolled in the public schools. However, many drop out sooner or later for reasons such as, higher education costs on poor families, low occupational and economical return of education, and the insufficient number of government schools in poor neighborhoods. Many major programs have been devised to try and solve such problems. One important project is the ministry the Hariri government set up. Its purpose is to improve vocational training and allow the poor to be employed in productive jobs. Also, it aims to increase the number of students enrolled in public vocational education because 13% of the total number of students remained, when this number should not fall below 20%. [Internet]

    In the beginning of history, Lebanon was one of the pioneers of the alphabet letters and off its shores, the alphabet emerged to spread throughout the world. The first two ministries to be established for education are the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and the Ministry of Vocational and Technical Training, to enrich the Lebanese educational system. [History book]

    In 1946, after independence (26 November, 1941) the Lebanese government replaced the old curriculum program, coming from the French mandate, by new ones and the Arabic language was imposed upon all schools as a primary language, mandatory in the different phases of education. The government also left students the freedom to choose a second language or more (French, English, etc…). Then 1968 and 1971 the curriculum was changed again. Each step of the educational phases was specified with a defined goal and the contents of the public examinations were also particularized.

    Before the war, in 1975, Lebanon held one of the highest literacy rates in the Arab world. 80% of the Lebanese could read and write. But ever since then, Lebanon has been in a state of chaos that has consumed its people, all due to the civil war and foreign intervention that took place. When the war was declared ‘over’, the Lebanese took a start on rebuilding their cultural society in the educational domain and encouraging education through free and facilitated methods.

    Today, Lebanon has one of the most educated and technically prepared populations in the Middle East. In 1995, 92 percent of Lebanese aged 15 and older were literate. Primary education in Lebanon is free and compulsory for five years; school attendance is near universal for primary school-aged children. Beirut is home to six universities: the well-known American University of Beirut; the Jesuit-sponsored Saint Joseph University; the government-supported Lebanese University; the Egyptian-sponsored Beirut Arab University; the Lebanese American University; and the Armenian Hagazian College. Lebanon also has more than 100 technical, vocational, and other specialized schools.
 

American University of Beirut Home Page -the premier university of Lebanon.

Centre for Arab Unity Studies -website dedicated to the unification of the Arab World.

American Lebanese Medical Association (ALMA) -website for this non-profit organization.

AMERICAN - LEBANESE ENGINEERING SOCIETY Home Page -website for American-Lebanese engineering professionals.

The LDA is the professional association for the Lebanese dentists -website for Lebanese dentists.
 

    Beirut is Lebanon’s capital, principal port, and largest city.

    Saida, also Sidon, is the largest city and seaport in southwestern Lebanon, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is a center for the export of olive oil, oranges, and lemons and also for the cultivation of silk, tobacco, and figs.

    Baalbek, town, eastern Lebanon, between the Lîþânî and Asi rivers. The name, which means “City of Baal,” is derived from the early association of the town with the worship of Baal, a local sun deity whom the ancient Greeks identified with their sun god, Helios; the Greeks and Romans called the town Heliopolis, “City of the Sun.” Once a splendid city, it is famous now for the imposing ruins of ancient temples.

    Tripoli the main city in northwestern Lebanon, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is a rail and highway center and is the terminal of an oil pipeline. Founded after 700BC, Tripoli was the capital of a Phoenician federation.

    Zahleh, also Zahle, city in east central Lebanon. Zahleh is located about 37 km (about 23 mi) east of Beirut. It is also the largest city of the fertile Bekáa Valley (Al Biqâ‘) and is an administrative, commercial, banking, and farming center.
 

Arab American Resources and Commentary -website created by journalist Ray Hanania.

Lebanon News - - latest news and top stories from Beirut and Lebanon.

Beirut News @ Lubnan.com - First Lebanese Cyber Newspaper

Al Anwar Online - Daily Lebanese News Paper

Arabic Language Resources -website aiding students learning Arabic.

The City of Saida -website for city of Saida.

City of Jounieh -website for the city of Jounieh.

Tripoli-Lebanon.com -website for the city of Tripoli.
 

   Lebanon’s rich history has been shaped by many cultural traditions, including Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Islamic (including Mameluke), Crusader, Ottoman Turkish, French, and recently American. The resulting culture is distinctively Lebanese, a combination of East and West, past and present. Folk music and dancing have a long tradition and are very popular. Influential Lebanese writers emerged in the early 20th century and greatly influenced the Arabic language. Painters, sculptors, and performers and producers in theater, film, and television have recently distinguished themselves.

    Lebanon’s coastal plain is divided into several isolated sections by gorges, which are cut by streams that pour down the mountains in winter and spring. In ancient times, north-south movement along the plain was nearly impossible. Villages developed on larger sections of the plain, and those with good harbors and better agricultural areas evolved into the city-states of Phoenicia. These cities then used the Mediterranean Sea to communicate and trade with one another and beyond the coastal plain. Due to geographical and other barriers, however, Phoenicia never unified politically. Later, mountainous areas provided protection for groups seeking refuge, but these groups, too, were isolated and did not form a unified nation. The modern nation of Lebanon was formed after World War I (1914-1918), when the defeated Ottoman Empire, which had controlled the area, was divided. When France received a mandate from the League of Nations to rule Lebanon after the war, the region’s people were aligned along religious and cultural lines, but felt little unity based on a Lebanese nationality.

    The Lebanese value individualism, which contributes to their creativity and inventiveness. Close family relations, loyalty to family and friends, and honor are also important. People strive to gain influence and to accumulate and display wealth, which are signs of success that win respect. Men and women mix freely and attend schools in equal numbers. In their leisure time, Lebanese people enjoy lively conversations over Turkish coffee, participating in outdoor activities, and eating good food. Traditional foods include kebbe, a dish of lamb and crushed wheat, and tabbouleh, a salad made of parsley, mint, tomatoes, and crushed wheat. People enjoy a variety of foods, however, and restaurants serve everything from French, Arabic, Turkish, Persian, and Greek specialties to hamburgers and pizza.
 

The Middle Eastern Cook Book -website containing delicious recipes for Lebanese cuisine.

Arabic Names -website containg a list of male and female Arabic names and their meanings in English.

Abu El Abed Jokes -website containing Lebanese  jokes and comedy.

Khalil Gibran -website dedicated to the Lebanese-American poet and writer.

Lebanon Geneology Web Project -trace your Lebanese heritage or find a long lost friend with this website.

The Official Site of the Lebanese Basketball -website for Lebanese basketball fans.

Hookah On The Net -website containing information, links, and merchandise concerning shisha/nargila pipes.