Lebanon

Extracted Attributes

• Area

  10,452 square kilometers (Total land area)

• Capital

  Beirut, Lebanon

• Currency

  Lebanese pound (LBP)

• Population

  6,100,075 people (Total population)

• Public Debt

  195.2% of GDP (Public debt ratio in 2023)

• Head of State

  President Joseph Aoun

• Official Name

  Lebanese Republic

• Official Language

  Arabic

• Head of Government

  Prime Minister Nawaf Salam

• Human Development Index Rank

  112th (Developing country status)

Timeline

• Lebanon gains independence from Free France and establishes a confessional government. (Source: Wikidata)

  1943-11-22

• Outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War, a 15-year conflict driven by sectarian divisions. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1975-04-13

• Start of the Syrian military occupation of Lebanon, which lasted until 2005. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1976-01-01

• Start of the Israeli military occupation of southern Lebanon, which lasted until 2000. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1985-01-01

• A massive explosion at the Port of Beirut causes widespread destruction and exacerbates the economic crisis. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2020-08-04

• Hezbollah begins firing rockets into Israel, escalating regional tensions. (Source: Al Jazeera)

  2026-03-02

• Israel conducts a massive bombing campaign in Lebanon, including strikes on Tyre, resulting in over 1,000 deaths and 1 million displaced. (Source: Document fccfeb90-332d-499c-b8d7-0026207a2740)

  2026-03-24

Lebanon

Lebanon, officially the Lebanese Republic, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west; Cyprus lies a short distance from the coastline. Lebanon has a population of more than five million and an area of 10,452 square kilometres (4,036 sq mi). Beirut is the country's capital and largest city. Human habitation in Lebanon dates to 5000 BC. From 3200 to 539 BC, it was part of Phoenicia, a maritime civilization that spanned the Mediterranean Basin. In 64 BC, the region became part of the Roman Empire and the subsequent Byzantine Empire. After the seventh century, it came under the rule of different Arab Islamic caliphates, including the Rashidun, Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates. The 11th century saw the establishment of Christian Crusader states, which fell to the Ayyubids and the Mamluks. Lebanon came under Ottoman rule in the early 16th century. Under Ottoman sultan Abdulmejid I, the first Lebanese proto-state, the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate, was established as a home for Maronite Christians, as part of the Tanzimat reforms. After the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire following World War I, Lebanon came under the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon, administered by France, which established Greater Lebanon. By 1943, Lebanon had gained independence from Free France and established a distinct form of confessional government, with the state's major religious groups being apportioned specific political powers. The new Lebanese state was relatively stable, but this was ultimately shattered by the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990). Lebanon was also subjugated by two military occupations: Syria from 1976 to 2005 and Israel from 1985 to 2000. It has been the scene of several conflicts with Israel, of which the ongoing war marks the fourth Israeli invasion since 1978. Lebanon is a developing country, ranked 112th on the Human Development Index. It has been classified as a lower-middle-income country. The Lebanese liquidity crisis, coupled with nationwide corruption and disasters such as the 2020 Beirut explosion, precipitated the collapse of Lebanon's currency and fomented political instability, widespread resource shortages, and high unemployment and poverty. The World Bank has defined Lebanon's economic crisis as one of the world's worst since the 19th century. Despite the country's small size, Lebanese culture is renowned both in the Arab world and globally, powered primarily by the large and influential Lebanese diaspora. Lebanon is a founding member of the United Nations and the Arab League, and a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, and the Group of 77.

Web Search Results

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

  Lebanon, country consisting of a narrow strip of territory on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea with its capital in Beirut. Its rugged, mountainous terrain has served throughout history as an asylum for communities that were elsewhere marginalized and has given modern Lebanon a uniquely diverse religious landscape. Upon its founding it comprised a roughly equal number of Christian and Muslim inhabitants. It had long been home to the small sects of Maronite Christianity and the Druze faith as well as the most sizable Shiʿi Muslim community in the Levant. The formation of militias along sectarian lines during the Lebanese Civil War (1975–90) entrenched divisions that continue to shape and polarize Lebanese society. Hezbollah, a Shiʿi militia based in southern Lebanon, was permitted [...] Though Lebanon as a contemporary state did not come into being until 1920, when France established the state of Greater Lebanon as part of its League of Nations mandate, its coastal region was the site of some of the oldest human settlements in the world. The ports of Tyre (modern Ṣūr), Sidon (Ṣaydā), and Byblos (Jubayl) played a prominent role during the Bronze Age as crossroads for trade and cultural exchange, linking major regional networks through their strategic location and maritime activity. Later called Phoenicians by the Greeks, the inhabitants spoke mutually intelligible Canaanite dialects (Phoenician) and participated in extensive cultural exchange between cities, although identity remained primarily local, centered on individual city-states rather than shared cultural norms. [...] Quick Facts Lebanon See article: flag of Lebanon Audio File: National anthem of Lebanon Head Of Government: : Prime Minister: Nawaf Salam Capital: : Beirut Population: : (2026 est.) 5,821,000 Head Of State: : President: Joseph Aoun Form Of Government: : unitary multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly ) Official Language: : Arabic2 Official Religion: : none Official Name: : Al-Jumhūriyyah al-Lubnāniyyah (Lebanese Republic) Total Area (Sq Km): : 10,452 Total Area (Sq Mi): : 4,036 Monetary Unit: : Lebanese pound (LBP) Population Rank: : (2026) 117 Population Projection 2030: : 5,938,000 Density: Persons Per Sq Mi: : (2026) 1,442.3 Density: Persons Per Sq Km: : (2026) 556.9

• Lebanon: Introduction >> globalEDGE: Your source for Global Business Knowledge

  Connect on Twitter Facebook LinkedIn PDF It is not uncommon to see displays of anger and frustration in public. The economy is service-oriented; main growth sectors include banking and tourism. # Lebanon: Introduction Lebanon is a country located in the Middle East on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Syria and Israel. Lebanon's rugged terrain and location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland has helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups within the country. The government system is a republic; the chief of state is the president, and the head of government is the prime minister. Lebanon is a member of the League of Arab States (Arab League). ## Country Comparator [...] ## Country Comparator Select variable and countries to compare in table format. ## Country Rankings Rank ordering and interactive map. Show how this country compares to others. ## Quick Links Lebanon: U.S. Commercial Service - Country Commercial Guide open\_in\_new Lebanon: World Bank - Doing Business Indicators open\_in\_new Lebanon: BBC - Country Profile open\_in\_new Lebanon: U.S. Department of State - Country Travel Information open\_in\_new Lebanon Flag Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1% Muslim 67.8% (31.9% Sunni, 31.2% Shia, smaller percentages of Alawites and Ismailis), Christian 32.4% (Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group), Druze 4.5%, very small numbers of Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, and Hindus #### Key Facts

• Lebanon Country Report 2026 - bti-project.org

  Lebanon is a member of numerous international trade bodies including the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) and the Agadir Agreement. It has a strong history of liberalized trade and adheres to trade conditions and stipulations. For example, because the country is a signatory to the European Mediterranean Association Agreement and a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), many products from Europe are exempt from customs fees. A similar situation exists for goods from fellow GAFTA members. The Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) is the central authority responsible for promoting both foreign direct investment (FDI) and domestic investment. Its focus areas have been tourism, agriculture and agroindustry, and technology. [...] No interference of religious dogmas Basic administrative structures exist on paper but show shortcomings in practice. Lebanon is divided into four formal administrative levels: the central government, the governorates (Beirut, Mount Lebanon, North Lebanon, Beqaa, South Lebanon and Nabatieh), the kaza (districts) and the municipalities. The public sector, whose competencies are distributed across all four administrative levels, is responsible for taxation, justice and law enforcement, education, and utilities such as water and electricity, among other functions. However, there are significant regional differences between citizens’ experience of these services, especially due to corruption and the activities of powerful non-state actors. [...] Lebanon’s fiscal situation remains fragile, and some formal data is outdated. Nevertheless, the figures suggest substantial structural issues must be resolved if sustainable improvement is to materialize. In 2023 the current account showed a deficit of $5.6 billion, and public debt amounted to almost 200% of GDP, at 195.2%. The country’s external debt of $67.1 billion remains high given immediate potential government revenues, with total debt service in 2022 reaching $4.27 billion. Net lending had improved slightly at the beginning of the decade, however. The most recent data from 2021 records that lending reached 0.5% of GDP, up from -3.6% in 2020 and -11.1% in 2019. Government consumption meanwhile amounted to 3.6% of GDP in 2022, and total reserves reached $15.79 billion.

• Lebanon | OCHA

  Lebanon is at the same time one of the countries hosting the largest number of refugees per capita and per square kilometer in the world, according to UNHCR. The UN and partners have appealed for US$308.3 million to fund a government-led response and rapidly scale up aid for a three-month period – from March to May 2026. The appeal prioritizes people with the most severe needs, aims to support up to 1 million people, including affected vulnerable Lebanese, displaced Syrians, Palestine refugees in Lebanon, Palestinian refugees from Syria, and migrants. ## Overview of the humanitarian response in Lebanon Lebanon Flash Appeal Funding update Total Population : 5.3M People in need : 1.3 M People to be covered by assistance : 1M Lebanon + 2 more [...] ## Search form Middle East and North Africa # Lebanon Partners with support from the OCHA-managed Lebanon Humanitarian Fund provide displaced people with mobility aids in shelters in Beirut on 10 March 2026. Partners with support from the OCHA-managed Lebanon Humanitarian Fund provide displaced people with mobility aids in shelters in North Lebanon on 10 March 2026. Photo: OCHA/ADJI-Alia Mikati Support our work Overview Projected situation Response priorities [...] Prior to the crisis, an estimated 3 million people in Lebanon already required assistance, including refugees and vulnerable Lebanese communities due to conflict-related incidents, spillovers from Syria, socioeconomic vulnerability, and/or other drivers, including water scarcity and drought-like conditions. Approximately 961,000 people were facing acute food insecurity, while health, water, and social protection systems were already operating under significant strain.

• Lebanon | Lebanon | Today's latest from Al Jazeera

  A plume of smoke and a fragment of concrete rise from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the eastern outskirts of Tyre, in southern Lebanon, on March 24, 2026. Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war when Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on March 2 to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader. Israel has since launched strikes across Lebanon, killing at least 1,039 people and displacing more than a million others, and sent ground troops into the country's south. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP) ## Palestinian refugees in Lebanon face another forced displacement ## Arms manufacturer thrives amid US-Israel war on Iran Elbit Systems ## Iranian missiles cause injuries and major damage across Israel [...] ## Smotrich urges Israel to annex southern Lebanon as assault intensifies Israel’s far-right finance minister says Litani River must be ‘the new Israeli border’, as attacks on Lebanon ramp up. SHAATH, LEBANON - MARCH 23: Aftermath of an IDF airstrike is seen on March 23, 2026 in Shaath, Lebanon. Israel has continued its aerial and ground assault in Lebanon after Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon, launched missiles at Israel in what it said was retaliation for the joint U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. (Photo by Adri Salido/Getty Images) ## About ## Connect ## Our Channels ## Our Network Follow Al Jazeera English: Al Jazeera Media Network logo [...] # Lebanon ## Hezbollah chief urges unity, no talks with Israel amid Lebanon attacks Naim Qassem says negotiating with Israel ‘under fire amounts to imposing surrender’ on Lebanon. Hezbollah's deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Kassem, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Beirut's southern suburbs, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) ## Spain’s PM says Israel to inflict on Lebanon same destruction as in Gaza Smoke rises from the debris of a building. ## Canada tells Israel that Lebanon’s sovereignty ‘must not be violated’

• Image

  

• Country

  Lebanon

• Instance Of

  Q6256

• Population

  6,100,075

• Coordinates

  Lat: 33.833333, Lon: 35.766667

• Inception Date

  11/22/1943