Lebanon's long and often turbulent history reaches back to the dawn of civilization. Its earliest
settlers were the Phoenicians who came from the Arabian Peninsula around 3,500 BC. They
established cities at Beirut, Byblos, Tyre, Sidon, and Baalbek and spread their 22-letter Phoenician
alphabet throughout the region.
After a succession of different rulers, they became part of the Roman Empire in 64 BC when Pomey
the Great conquered the territory that comprises modern Lebanon and governed it as part of the
province of Syria.
Aramaic replaced Phoenician as the main language and by the 4th century Christianity was firmly
established. During the early years of the Christian era, when theological differences bred numerous
break-away sects, Lebanon became a refuge for religious minorities fleeing persecution.
In the 7th century, the Christian sect that was later to become the Maronite church settled in the
northern districts of the Lebanese Mountains to avoid conversion to Islam. The Arabs, inspired by
the teachings of the Holy Prophet Mohammed, had converted most of the region to Islam. The
geographical inaccessibility that made Lebanon attractive as a religious refuge also appealed to
Muslims; the Shiites found a haven there during the 9th century and the Druzes in the 11th century.
The mosaic of differing beliefs in Lebanon gave each religious group a certain amount of autonomy in
specific areas, but hampered unity for the region as a whole.
For a while after the independence of 1943, independent Lebanon was a model ecumenical society. Its strategic
Middle Eastern location and relatively stable government made it a major trade and financial centre. But two fatal
flaws marred the country's chance for lasting peace.
The first cause for conflict was the unbalanced power-sharing arrangement. Control rested with the right-wing
Christian part of the population while the Muslims, who comprised 50% of the population felt excluded from real
government.
A second problem arose as Lebanon was gradually drawn in to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Although the country
did not actively participate militarily, displaced Palestinian Muslim refugees flooded into the country and
continued their attacks on Israel from Lebanese bases.
In 1958 a Muslim rebellion ended when American marines landed in Beirut, but in the summer of 1975 all-out
civil war broke out between the Muslim coalition allied with Palestinian groups and the Christian-dominated
militias.
In April 1976, an uneasy cease-fire was forced upon the two sides when Syrian military forces intervened at the
request of the Lebanese president, Suleiman Franjieh and with the approval of the Arab League of States.
Nevertheless sporadic violence continued, and in 1978 Israel invaded southern Lebanon in an attempt to
eliminate Palestinian bases.
Withdrawing three months later after a United nations peacekeeping force was sent to the area, they reinvaded in
1982, occupying Beirut and forcing the PLO to evacuate its head quarters. For seven weeks the Israelis
relentlessly bombed the Muslim half of Beirut by air, sea and land. The USA arranged for the evacuation of PLO
fighters to other Arab Countries, and a multinational Force of US and West European troops was deployed to
Beirut to protect Palestinian and Muslim civilians.
After the assassination of president-elect Bashir Gemayel, Israeli-backed Christian militias massacred Palestinian
civilians in the Chatila and Sabra camps in West Beirut. A year later Israeli troops withdrew to southern
Lebanon. No sooner had they left when fighting broke out between Lebanon's Christian and Druze militias, and
terrorist attacks on the multinational force including the US marine headquarters at Beirut airport resulted in
hundreds of casualties.
After 300 US and French troops were killed on October 23, 1983, the Western forces pulled out. Factional
fighting persisted and Westerners in Beirut became the targets of radical Shiite Muslims with an allegiance to
Iran.
In 1988 a parliamentary power struggle led to the formation of rival Christian and Muslim governments. In 1989
the Lebanese parliament accepted an Arab-brokered peace accord for national reconciliation. MPs elected
Maronite Rene Mooed as president who was assassinated 17 days later.
With the help of the Syrians, the Lebanese army took control of Beirut and by 1992 under pressure from Iran
and the US, all the foreign hostages captured several years earlier were released.
Things have calmed down in Lebanon, and there is hope that the situation will continue to improve as the chance
of lasting peace in the Middle East gains momentum.
But, with the recent cold-blooded murder of hundreds of innoncent Lebanese civilians in the April bombings by the
Israeli army, it looks as though our wonderful country will have to wait even longer for that peace we so desire.
Israel bombs us without explanation to us, or the rest of the world, and not one soul does one thing to stop them.
Why do they treat us like the nazi (may all nazi's burn in eternal hellfire) oppressors treated them? I cannot say. But I would assume that a people who had
seen so much suffering, death, and destruction would NEVER put that same kind of horrible oppression on ANY other people.
Perhaps one day, we shall see total peace. But until that day, the Lebanese spirit will NEVER be broken.
3,439,000 (1992)
3,620,395 (1994)
3,695,921 (1995)
Age 0-14: 37.0 %
Age 15-59: 55.1 %
Age 60+: 7.9 %
Population Density: 856 per sq mi (1993)
936 per sq mi (1995)
Urban: 86%
1 Telephone per 8.3 people
1 TV per 2.6 people
1 Radion per 1.3 people
1 physician per 701 people (1992)
407 people (1995)
27.89 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
total population: 68.50 years (1993)
69.35 years (1994)
69.50 years (1995)
male: 66.00 years (1993)
66.92 years (1994)
67.00 years (1995)
female: 71.00 years (1993)
71.90 years (1994)
72.00 years (1995)
noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Lebanese
Ethnic divisions: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
Islam: 50%
(5 legally recognized Islamic groups)
Alawite or Nusayri
Druze
Isma'ilite
Shi'a
Sunni
Christian: 50%
(11 legally recognized Christian groups)
4 Orthodox Christian
6 Catholic
1 Protestant
Judaism: NEGL
age 15 and over can read and
write (1990 est.)
total population: 80%
male: 88%
female: 73%
Labor force: 650,000
by occupation(1985):
industry, commerce, and services: 79%
agriculture: 11%
government: 10%
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