Liibanon

Liibanon, officially the Lebanese Republic, is a country in the Levant region of Western Asia. It lies on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, bordered by Syria to the north and east and by Israel to the south. The area is about 10,452 square kilometers, and its terrain ranges from the Mount Lebanon range to the Bekaa Valley, with a short Mediterranean coast. The capital and largest city is Beirut.

The population is diverse and contains Muslims (Sunni and Shia), Christians (Maronite, Orthodox, Catholic and other), Druze, and smaller communities, along with a large diaspora and Palestinian and Syrian refugees. The official language is Arabic; French and English are widely used in education and commerce. The country operates as a parliamentary republic with a power-sharing framework rooted in the National Pact of 1943: the president is traditionally a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of parliament a Shia Muslim.

Lebanon has a service-based economy centered on banking, finance, tourism, and commerce, but it has faced severe fiscal and currency crises since 2019, with widespread unemployment and import dependency. The Lebanese pound has experienced rapid devaluation, and the economy remains strained by public debt and political instability. Lebanon’s history includes ancient Phoenician civilizations, long rule under the Ottoman Empire, French Mandate administration, and independence in 1943, followed by a prolonged civil conflict (1975–1990) and postwar reconstruction.

Culturally, Lebanon is known for its cuisine, music, and literature, and for UNESCO-listed sites such as Byblos, Baalbek, and Tyre. The country also hosts a notable Lebanese diaspora and a history of regional influence.