Lebanon | People, Economy, Religion, & History

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data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lebanon">Lebanon</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/place/Lebanon">Introduction & Quick Facts</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref23385"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon#ref23385">Land</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23386"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon#ref23386">Relief</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23387"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon#ref23387">Drainage</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279108"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon#ref279108">Soils</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23388"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Climate">Climate</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23389"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Climate#ref23389">Plant and animal life</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref23391"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Climate#ref23391">People</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279109"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Climate#ref279109">Ethnic and linguistic composition</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23393"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Climate#ref23393">Religion</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23390"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Climate#ref23390">Settlement patterns</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23394"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Climate#ref23394">Demographic trends</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref23395"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Economy">Economy</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23397"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Economy#ref23397">Agriculture, forestry, and fishing</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23396"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Economy#ref23396">Resources and power</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23398"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Economy#ref23398">Manufacturing</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23399"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Economy#ref23399">Finance</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23400"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Trade">Trade</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279110"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Trade#ref279110">Services</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279111"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Trade#ref279111">Labor and taxation</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23402"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Trade#ref23402">Transportation</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref23403"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Government-and-society">Government and society</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279112"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Government-and-society#ref279112">Constitutional framework</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279113"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Government-and-society#ref279113">Local government</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23408"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Government-and-society#ref23408">Justice</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279114"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Government-and-society#ref279114">Political process</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23409"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Government-and-society#ref23409">Security</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279115"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Health-and-welfare">Health and welfare</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279116"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Health-and-welfare#ref279116">Housing</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23410"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Health-and-welfare#ref23410">Education</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23414"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Health-and-welfare#ref23414">Social and economic division</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref23415"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Health-and-welfare#ref23415">Cultural life</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23416"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Health-and-welfare#ref23416">Cultural milieu</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279117"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Health-and-welfare#ref279117">Daily life and social customs</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23417"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/The-arts">The arts</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279118"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/The-arts#ref279118">Cultural institutions</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279119"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/The-arts#ref279119">Sports and recreation</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23418"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/The-arts#ref23418">Media and publishing</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref214450"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/History">History</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23363"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/History#ref23363">Phoenicia</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref23364"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/History#ref23364">Origins and relations with Egypt</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref23365" class="has-children"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Phoenicia-as-a-colonial-and-commercial-power">Phoenicia as a colonial and commercial power</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref23366"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Phoenicia-as-a-colonial-and-commercial-power#ref23366">Colonies</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref23367"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Commerce">Commerce</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref23368"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Commerce#ref23368">Navigation and seafaring</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref23369"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Assyrian-and-Babylonian-domination-of-Phoenicia">Assyrian and Babylonian domination of Phoenicia</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref23370"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Assyrian-and-Babylonian-domination-of-Phoenicia#ref23370">Persian period</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref23371"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Assyrian-and-Babylonian-domination-of-Phoenicia#ref23371">Greek and Roman periods</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23372"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Lebanon-in-the-Middle-Ages">Lebanon in the Middle Ages</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23373"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Lebanon-in-the-Middle-Ages#ref23373">Ottoman period</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23374"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/French-mandate">French mandate</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23375"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Lebanon-after-independence">Lebanon after independence</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref23376"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Lebanon-after-independence#ref23376">Khuri regime, 1943–52</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref23377"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Lebanon-after-independence#ref23377">Chamoun regime and the 1958 crisis</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref23378"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Lebanon-after-independence#ref23378">Chehabism: from Chehab to Hélou, 1958–76</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref279120"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Civil-war">Civil war</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref279121" class="has-children"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Lebanons-Second-Republic-1990">Lebanon’s Second Republic (1990– )</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref279122"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Lebanons-Second-Republic-1990#ref279122">Politics and reconstruction in post-civil war Lebanon</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h5"><li data-target="#ref344127"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Lebanons-Second-Republic-1990#ref344127">Rebuilding the political and economic infrastructure</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h5"><li data-target="#ref344128"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Lebanons-Second-Republic-1990#ref344128">Resistance to the ongoing Israeli and Syrian presence in Lebanon</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref279123"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Factional-wrangling-over-Hezbollahs-role-in-Lebanon">Factional wrangling over Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref344129"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Factional-wrangling-over-Hezbollahs-role-in-Lebanon#ref344129">Regional impacts on Lebanon during and after the Arab Spring</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref341949"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Debt-crisis">Debt crisis</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h5"><li data-target="#ref345357"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Debt-crisis#ref345357">2018 election and the formation of a national unity government</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h5"><li data-target="#ref345358"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Debt-crisis#ref345358">Government mismanagement, anti-corruption protests, and the 2020 Beirut explosions</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h5"><li data-target="#ref387609"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Lebanon/Debt-crisis#ref387609">Conflict with Israel beginning in 2023</a></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lebanon/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Lebanon">Facts & Stats</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" 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Maksoud, Paul Kingston, Richard David Barnett" data-title="Lebanon" data-published-date="28 Nov. 2024" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lebanon" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=334152] .md-share-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="md-share-modal size-lg d-none qa-share-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10" data-icon="share"></em> Share </div> <div class="label my-20">Share to social media</div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex align-items-start inverted" data-value="share" title="Lebanon" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lebanon" > <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> </div> <div class="label pt-20 mt-20 mb-5 border-top">URL</div> <a class="font-serif text-truncate d-inline-block" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lebanon">https://www.britannica.com/place/Lebanon</a> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-feedback-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal=".md-feedback-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="message"></em> Feedback </button> </div> <div> <button class="qa-external-website-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=334152] .md-websites-modal"> <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 mr-5" data-icon="link"></em> External Websites </button> </div> </div> <div class="md-feedback-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom"> Feedback </div> <form method="post" action="/submission/feedback/334152"> <div class="my-20"> Corrections? 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/lebanon/overview.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Globalseurity.org - Lebanon - Overview</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/lebanon" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">globalEDGE - Lebanon</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lebanon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Lebanon</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-title">Britannica Websites</div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-subtitle">Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.</div> <ul class="list-unstyled bps-topic-web-sites lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Lebanon/345725" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lebanon - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Lebanon/275416" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lebanon - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Al-Jumhūriyyah al-Lubnāniyyah, Lubnān, Republic of Lebanon</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/Glenn-Richard-Bugh/417" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">Glenn Richard Bugh</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Associate Professor of Ancient History, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg. Author of <i>The Horsemen of Athens.</i></div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Glenn Richard Bugh</span>, <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/William-L-Ochsenwald/2177" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">William L. Ochsenwald</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Professor of History, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg. Author of <i>Religion, Society, and the State in Arabia.</i></div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> William L. Ochsenwald</span><span class="text-gray-700 mx-5">•</span><a class="see-all border-gray-700 gtm-byline" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lebanon/additional-info#contributors">All</a> </div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-11-28T00:00:00CST" >Nov 28, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lebanon/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div> How did Lebanon achieve independence? <\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Lebanon became a republic in 1926 and proclaimed its independence in 1943. After a crisis in 1945, an agreement was reached for the withdrawal of British and French troops, completed by the end of 1946, making Lebanon wholly independent." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div> What is the religious composition of Lebanon? <\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Lebanon has a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Lebanon\/Climate#ref23393\">varied religious composition<\/a>, with the two largest groups being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Shii\">Shi\u02BFi<\/a> Muslims and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Sunni\">Sunni<\/a> Muslims. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Maronite-church\">Maronite<\/a> Christians make up more than one-fifth of the population. Other Christian communities, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Druze\">Druze<\/a>, and a small Jewish minority are also present." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div> What challenges did Lebanon face after the civil war? <\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "After the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Lebanese-Civil-War\">civil war<\/a> ended in 1990, Lebanon faced challenges like external intervention, troubled confessional relations, political instability, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Lebanon\/Lebanons-Second-Republic-1990#ref279122\">reconstruction<\/a> of its socioeconomic infrastructure. Many challenges persisted into the early 21st century." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div> What is the reason behind the rise in tensions between Lebanon and Israel in 2023 and 2024? <\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Cross-border attacks between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Hezbollah\">Hezbollah<\/a> and Israel intensified after the October 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Hamas\">Hamas<\/a> and Hezbollah indicated that it would continue to attack Israel until the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Israel-Hamas-War\">Israel-Hamas War<\/a> came to an end in the Gaza Strip. In September 2024 Israeli forces <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Lebanon\/Debt-crisis#ref387609\">significantly expanded its air strikes<\/a> and in October Israeli ground forces entered Lebanon." } } ] } </script> <div class="top-questions qa-accordion d-flex flex-column module-spacing"><div class="font-weight-bold font-14 mb-5"> Top Questions </div><div id="intent-accordion" class="md-intent-accordion"><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="1"> <h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div> How did Lebanon achieve independence? </div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3> <div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Lebanon became a republic in 1926 and proclaimed its independence in 1943. After a crisis in 1945, an agreement was reached for the withdrawal of British and French troops, completed by the end of 1946, making Lebanon wholly independent.</p></div></div> </div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="2"> <h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div> What is the religious composition of Lebanon? </div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3> <div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Lebanon has a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lebanon/Climate#ref23393" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">varied religious composition</a>, with the two largest groups being <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shii" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Shiʿi</a> Muslims and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sunni" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sunni</a> Muslims. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Maronite-church" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Maronite</a> Christians make up more than one-fifth of the population. Other Christian communities, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Druze" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Druze</a>, and a small Jewish minority are also present.</p></div></div> </div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="3"> <h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div> What challenges did Lebanon face after the civil war? </div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3> <div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>After the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Lebanese-Civil-War" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">civil war</a> ended in 1990, Lebanon faced challenges like external intervention, troubled confessional relations, political instability, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lebanon/Lebanons-Second-Republic-1990#ref279122" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">reconstruction</a> of its socioeconomic infrastructure. Many challenges persisted into the early 21st century.</p></div></div> </div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="4"> <h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div> What is the reason behind the rise in tensions between Lebanon and Israel in 2023 and 2024? </div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3> <div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Cross-border attacks between <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hezbollah" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hezbollah</a> and Israel intensified after the October 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hamas" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hamas</a> and Hezbollah indicated that it would continue to attack Israel until the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Israel-Hamas-War" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Israel-Hamas War</a> came to an end in the Gaza Strip. In September 2024 Israeli forces <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lebanon/Debt-crisis#ref387609" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">significantly expanded its air strikes</a> and in October Israeli ground forces entered Lebanon.</p></div></div> </div><button class="show-more-button js-toggle-top-questions btn btn-unstyled font-14 d-flex pr-10 rounded-sm"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></button></div></div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/334152/f2c5ad31f5519f8dd368504e6634cd2f" rel="nofollow">Thousands of Lebanese return to their homes as Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire takes hold</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 28, 2024, 2:42 AM ET (AP) <button class="btn btn-link d-inline p-0 font-12 js-toggle-recent-news"> <span class="text-gray-500">...</span><span>(Show more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/334152/c86bbc47034ad517f04cf9ea63f0a145" rel="nofollow">Middle East latest: Displaced people return to south Lebanon as ceasefire appears to hold</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 27, 2024, 4:14 PM ET (AP) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/334152/c377aa342396d5fff0f3adc996a2225f" rel="nofollow">Trump team says Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal brokered by Biden is actually Trump's win</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 27, 2024, 10:54 AM ET (AP) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/334152/1a091e620e72c0fe341ff9e866237c08" rel="nofollow">The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire quiets one front but Gaza sees no end to war</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 27, 2024, 9:58 AM ET (AP) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/334152/3ed296f8317ecaa89c4e3548c75c9602" rel="nofollow">What to know about the ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 27, 2024, 4:06 AM ET (AP) </span> </div> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="61403" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/74/2074-050-7CD7B615/Lebanon.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/334152/61403"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/74/2074-050-7CD7B615/Lebanon.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/74/2074-050-7CD7B615/Lebanon.jpg?w=300" alt="Lebanon" data-width="2000" data-height="1807" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/74/2074-050-7CD7B615/Lebanon.jpg" data-href="/media/1/334152/61403">Lebanon</a><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref386601"></span>Lebanon</strong>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/nation-state" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">country</a> consisting of a narrow strip of territory on the eastern shore of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mediterranean-Sea" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mediterranean Sea</a>. It is one of the world’s smaller <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="sovereign" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sovereign" data-type="MW">sovereign</a> states. The capital is <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Beirut" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Beirut</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD11 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="208661" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/183687-050-AE29899C/World-Data-Locator-Map-Lebanon.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/334152/208661"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/183687-050-AE29899C/World-Data-Locator-Map-Lebanon.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/183687-050-AE29899C/World-Data-Locator-Map-Lebanon.jpg?w=300" alt="Lebanon" data-width="1600" data-height="1532" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/183687-050-AE29899C/World-Data-Locator-Map-Lebanon.jpg" data-href="/media/1/334152/208661">Lebanon</a><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Though Lebanon, particularly its coastal region, was the site of some of the oldest human settlements in the world—the Phoenician ports of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tyre" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tyre</a> (modern Ṣūr), <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sidon" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sidon</a> (Ṣaydā), and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Byblos" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Byblos</a> (Jubayl) were dominant centers of trade and <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="culture" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture" data-type="MW">culture</a> in the 3rd millennium <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>—it was not until 1920 that the contemporary state came into being. In that year <span id="ref386602"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/France" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">France</a>, which was administering Lebanon as a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/League-of-Nations" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">League of Nations</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/mandate-League-of-Nations" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">mandate</a>, established the state of Greater Lebanon. Lebanon then became a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/republic-government" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">republic</a> in 1926 and proclaimed its independence in 1943.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/guess-the-country-by-its-neighbors-quiz" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/38/247338-131-37776892/passport-visas-stamps-world-map.jpg" alt="Opened passport with visas, stamps, seals, world map. (travel, tourism)" class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz</div> </div> </a><span class="marker MOD11 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD12 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Lebanon shares many of the cultural characteristics of the <span id="ref386603"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Arab" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Arab</a> world, yet it has attributes that <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="differentiate" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/differentiate" data-type="MW">differentiate</a> it from many of its Arab neighbors. Its rugged, mountainous terrain has served throughout history as an <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/asylum" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">asylum</a> for <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="diverse" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diverse" data-type="MW">diverse</a> religious and ethnic groups and for political dissidents. Lebanon is one of the most densely populated countries in the Mediterranean area and has a high rate of literacy. Notwithstanding its meager natural resources, Lebanon long managed to serve as a busy commercial and cultural center for the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Middle-East" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Middle East</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD12 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD13 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">This outward image of vitality and growth nevertheless disguised serious problems. Not only did Lebanon have to grapple with internal problems of social and economic organization, but it also had to struggle to define its position in relation to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Israel" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Israel</a>, to its Arab neighbors, and to Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon. The delicate balance of Lebanese confessionalism (the proportional sharing of power between the country’s religious communities) was eroded under the pressures of this struggle; communal rivalries over political power, <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="exacerbated" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exacerbated" data-type="MW">exacerbated</a> by the complex issues that arose from the question of Palestinian presence and from a growing “state within a state,” led to the outbreak of an extremely damaging <span id="ref1007356"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Lebanese-Civil-War" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">civil war</a> in 1975 and a breakdown of the governmental system. After the end of the civil war in 1990, Lebanon gradually reclaimed a degree of relative socioeconomic and political stability; because of the continued problems of external intervention and troubled confessional relations, however, many of Lebanon’s challenges persisted into the early 21st century.</p><span class="marker MOD13 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref23385"> <h2 class="h1">Land</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD14 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="61404" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/75/2075-050-5FC2F645/Lebanon-map-features-locator.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/334152/61404"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/75/2075-050-5FC2F645/Lebanon-map-features-locator.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/75/2075-050-5FC2F645/Lebanon-map-features-locator.jpg?w=300" alt="Physical features of Lebanon" data-width="2000" data-height="1807" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/75/2075-050-5FC2F645/Lebanon-map-features-locator.jpg" data-href="/media/1/334152/61404">Physical features of Lebanon</a><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Lebanon is bounded to the north and east by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Syria" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Syria</a>, to the south by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Israel" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Israel</a>, and to the west by the Mediterranean Sea.</p><span class="marker MOD14 mod-inline"></span> <section data-level="2" id="ref23386"> <h2 class="h2">Relief</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD15 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">As in any mountainous region, the physical geography of <span id="ref386604"></span>Lebanon is extremely complex and varied. Landforms, climate, soils, and vegetation undergo some sharp and striking changes within short distances. Four distinct physiographic regions may be distinguished: a narrow coastal plain along the Mediterranean Sea, the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lebanon-Mountains" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lebanon Mountains</a> (Jabal Lubnān), <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Bekaa-valley" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bekaa</a> (Al-Biqāʿ) valley, and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Anti-Lebanon-Mountains" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Anti-Lebanon</a> and Hermon ranges running parallel to the Lebanon Mountains.</p><span class="marker MOD15 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD16 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The coastal plain is narrow and discontinuous, almost disappearing in places. It is formed of river-deposited <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/alluvium" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">alluvium</a> and marine sediments, which <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="alternate" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/alternate" data-type="EB">alternate</a> suddenly with rocky beaches and sandy bays, and is generally fertile. In the far north it expands to form the Akkar Plain.</p><span class="marker MOD16 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD17 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The snowcapped <span id="ref386605"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lebanon-Mountains" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lebanon Mountains</a> are one of the most prominent features of the country’s landscape. The range, rising steeply from the coast, forms a ridge of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/limestone" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">limestone</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/sandstone" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">sandstone</a>, cut by narrow and deep gorges. It is approximately 100 miles (160 km) long and varies in width from 6 to 35 miles (10 to 56 km). Its maximum elevation is at Qurnat al-<span id="ref386606"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Qurnat-al-Sawda" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sawdāʾ</a> (10,131 feet [3,088 meters]) in the north, where the renowned cedars of Lebanon grow in the shadow of the peak. The range then gradually slopes to the south before rising again to a second peak, <span id="ref386607"></span>Mount Sannine (8,842 feet [2,695 meters]), northeast of Beirut. To the south the range branches westward to form the Shūf Mountains and at its southern reaches gives way to the hills of Galilee, which are lower.</p><span class="marker MOD17 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD18 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><span id="ref386608"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Bekaa-valley" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bekaa</a> valley lies between the Lebanon Mountains in the west and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains in the east; its fertile soils consist of alluvial deposits from the mountains on either side. The valley, approximately 110 miles (180 km) long and from 6 to 16 miles (10 to 26 km) wide, is part of the great <span id="ref386609"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/East-African-Rift-System" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">East African Rift System</a>. In the south Bekaa becomes hilly and rugged, blending into the foothills of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Hermon" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mount Hermon</a> (<span id="ref386610"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Hermon" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jabal al-Shaykh</a>) to form the upper <span id="ref386611"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Jordan-Valley" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jordan Valley</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD18 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD19 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The <span id="ref386612"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Anti-Lebanon-Mountains" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Anti-Lebanon range</a> (Al-Jabal al-Sharqī) starts with a high peak in the north and slopes southward until it is interrupted by Mount Hermon (9,232 feet [2,814 meters]).</p><span class="marker MOD19 mod-inline"></span> </section> <section data-level="2" id="ref23387"> <h2 class="h2">Drainage</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD20 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Lebanese rivers, though numerous, are mostly winter torrents, draining the western slopes of the Lebanon Mountains. The only exception is the <span id="ref386613"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Litani-River-Lebanon" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Līṭānī</a> River (90 miles [145 km] long), which rises near the famed ruins of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Baalbeck" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Baalbek</a> (Baʿlabakk) and flows southward in Bekaa to empty into the Mediterranean near historic Tyre. The two other important rivers are the <span id="ref386614"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Orontes-River" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Orontes</a> (Nahr al-ʿĀṣī), which rises in the north of Bekaa and flows northward, and the Kabīr.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD20 mod-inline"></span> </section> <section data-level="2" id="ref279108"> <h2 class="h2">Soils</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD21 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Soil quality and makeup in Lebanon vary by region. The shallow limestone soil of the mountains provides a relatively poor topsoil. The lower and middle slopes, however, are intensively <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="cultivated" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cultivated" data-type="MW">cultivated</a>, the terraced hills standing as a scenic relic of the ingenious tillers of the past. On the coast and in the northern mountains, reddish topsoils with a high clay content retain moisture and provide fertile land for agriculture, although they are subject to considerable erosion.</p><span class="marker MOD21 mod-inline"></span> </section> </section><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":18,"pageId":334152,"pageLength":926,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"COUNTRY_PAGINATED","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Lebanon | People, Economy, Religion, & History | Britannica