The Lebanese republican

The capital:             Beirut

The inhabitants enumerated:             3,677,780 breath of air (estimate of July 2002)

The language:             Arabic (the official language)

The sweat:             The Arab (93%), Armenian (5%), the Kurd and Assyrian and last (2%). Between the Arab obstacles

                                    12% their Palestinian

The climate:             Hot in the summer and cold in the winter

Regime of the governing:             The republican

The economy                        

- the currency:             Lira

- the resources:             Limestone and some resources of metallic last 

The religion:             The Islam (70%), Christ (30%)

History

(The) Lebanon was an important centre of the Phoenician civilization in the third millenium BC. It formed 5 districts of the Turkish Ottoman Empire from 1516 until 1919. It was administered under French mandate from September 1920 until 1941. Independence was declared on 26 November 1941. Lebanon was made a republic in 1943. Under the National Covenant of 1943, all public positions were divided among the various religious communities, with Christians in the majority. By the 1970's, Moslems formed the majority and demanded a greater political and economic role. This led to instability, and a state of civil war between the religious factions has existed since the mid-70's. Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions and regaining its national sovereignty since the end of the devastating 16-year civil war, which began in 1975. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese have established a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater say in the political process. Since the end of the civil war, the Lebanese have formed five cabinets and conducted two legislative elections. Most of the militias have been weakened or disbanded. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has seized vast quantities of weapons used by the militias during the war and extended central government authority over about one-half of the country. Hizballah, the radical Shi'a party, retains most of its weapons. Foreign forces still occupy areas of Lebanon. Israel maintained troops in southern Lebanon and supported a proxy militia, the Army of South Lebanon (ASL), along a narrow stretch of territory contiguous to its border until the beginnign of 2000. Syria maintains about 30,000 troops in Lebanon. These troops are based mainly in Beirut, North Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley. Syria's deployment was legitimized by the Arab League during Lebanon's civil war and in the Ta'if accord. Citing the continued weakness of the LAF, Beirut's requests, and failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the constitutional reforms in the Ta'if accord, Damascus has so far refused to withdraw its troops from Lebanon.