🇱🇧Facts about Lebanon

Byblos, Sidon and Tyre were important Phoenician city-states connected by maritime trade. Phoenician culture extended beyond the boundaries of present-day Lebanon. Its alphabet helped shape later writing systems, but alphabetic writing had earlier predecessors. Successive Persian, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods changed the region. Baalbek’s monumental temples belong largely to its Roman-era development, while Anjar preserves a very different early Islamic urban plan.

After centuries under Ottoman rule, Greater Lebanon was proclaimed in 1920 under French authority. Independence is commemorated on 22 November 1943; the final French troops left in 1946. The civil war of 1975–1990 involved Lebanese factions and outside powers and displaced many families. The 1989 Taif Agreement provided a framework for political reform and ending the war. Later conflicts and the Beirut port explosion of 4 August 2020 have also left deep marks on the country.

Zajal is recited or sung vernacular poetry, sometimes performed as an exchange between poets at social gatherings. UNESCO recognises it as living heritage. Dabke, a line dance associated with celebrations, belongs to traditions shared across the Levant. The photograph here shows Palestinian children dancing in Burj el-Shemali camp in Lebanon; it records one community’s cultural life rather than standing for every Lebanese celebration.

Fairuz’s singing and the work of the Rahbani brothers have reached audiences across the Arab world. Kahlil Gibran, born in Bsharri, wrote in Arabic and English and became widely known for The Prophet. Beirut has long supported publishing, theatre and visual arts, while festivals and craft traditions also develop outside the capital. These activities depend on working artists, venues and audiences, whose lives have been disrupted by economic crisis and conflict.

Lebanon is a parliamentary republic. Its Chamber of Deputies has 128 seats, divided equally between Christian and Muslim representatives under the current framework and allocated further among communities and constituencies. Parliament elects the president. By longstanding political convention, the president is Maronite Christian, the prime minister Sunni Muslim and the parliamentary speaker Shia Muslim. This distribution of senior offices is not a description of every citizen’s political views.

The constitution and the Taif settlement shape institutions, while political parties, civil society and competing armed actors influence public life. Hezbollah is both a political organisation and an armed actor; it is distinct from the Lebanese Armed Forces. Lebanon’s nine governorates include Akkar, Baalbek-Hermel and Keserwan-Jbeil, which older maps can omit as separate units. Administrative boundaries do not show religious communities, current military control or safe routes through a conflict.

Man’oushe is a flatbread often topped with za’atar and olive oil or cheese; manakish is a familiar plural form. Its preparation and social traditions are recognised by UNESCO. Mezze brings several small dishes to the table, such as hummus, labneh and vegetable dishes. Tabbouleh is rich in chopped parsley, with tomatoes, mint and bulgur, while fattoush includes pieces of bread. These foods also have histories shared with neighbouring cuisines.

Kibbeh describes a family of dishes commonly using bulgur and finely ground meat, with baked, fried and raw versions as well as meat-free regional variations. Kibbeh nayyeh names the raw preparation specifically. Toum is a garlic sauce; knafeh combines a pastry or semolina layer with a filling, often cheese, and syrup. Arak is an anise-flavoured spirit, but drinking practices vary. Family recipes and religious calendars shape meals, and no single dish represents every household.

Lebanon’s people include Muslim, Christian, Druze and other communities, with varied religious practice and many secular outlooks. Armenian communities maintain schools, churches and cultural organisations. Nationality, religion, language and family background are distinct parts of identity. Beirut and its surrounding urban area concentrate institutions and employment, while ties to villages and towns remain important for many families. A governorate’s name does not describe a single community.

Palestinian and Syrian refugees, migrant workers and other residents have their own histories and legal circumstances. Registration totals, resident population estimates and citizen counts measure different groups and should not be substituted for one another. Lebanese communities abroad maintain family, cultural and economic ties across the Americas, Africa, Europe, the Gulf and Australia. Estimates of people with Lebanese ancestry are not counts of current Lebanese citizens living overseas, so simple diaspora rankings can mislead.