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Lebanon is the Middle-Eastern country wedged between larger Syria and the Mediterrean Sea and Israel to the south. Lebanon has a diverse geography of sunny Mediterranean coast, rugged mountain peaks, and fertile valleys packed into a small territoty. Since the dawn of civilization, Lebanon has been a battleground for the larger more powerful nations which surround it. This began with the rise of powerful empires in the surounding lands: Anatolia, Mesopotamia and the Nile Valley. What is now modern Lebanon featuresdin the writings of Homer as well as Old Testament verses. Lebanese cities, especially the seaports were of great importance both in Phoenician and Roman times. We have a Lebanese history page. Lebanon was after World War I a French protectorate and French culture was of some importance for many years, including boys wear. We note smocks being extensive worn in Lebanese schools. I am not sure if this is still the case. The economy was largely agricultural. The El Bika Valley is a coastal are east of the mountains and was an important agricultural area. Aftr World War II, Lebanon was a rare area of stability and democracy and financial institutions became important. The Palesitinian Black September revolt in Jordan spilled over into Lebanon, destroying the fragil power sharing arangements. Syria controlled Lebanon for more than two decdes, but the country is now a tinder box of armed camps with the the Shi'a Hesbollah militia becoming increasingly important. We have begun to do some work on Lebanese schools. We also notice First Communion services. The calm depicted in these images is little in evidence in the chaotic current situation. Lebanon was once prosperous and known as the Switzerland of the Middle East. It has since degenerated into fractional fighting and dominated by Fundamentalist Islamic groups and Syria.
Lebanon is the Middle-Eastern country wedged between larger Syria and the Mediterrean Sea and Israel to the south. Lebanon has a diverse geography of sunny Mediterranean coast, rugged mountain peaks, and fertile valleys packed into a small territory. The basic geography is a coastal plann and rugged vmounaneous interior. The coastal plain varies , but in some places is very narrow. Mocing inland rise some imposing mountain ranges. The Lebanon Mountains (Jabal Lubnan or al-Jibal al-Gharbiya are 240 kilometres (km) long. They stretch across almost the whole length of Lebnon (north to south). Further imlsnd is the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. They are dominated by Qurnat al-Sawda (3,088 metres) in the northern extreme of the rnge. The magnificent cedars for which Lebanon is besk known are found on the west flank of this mountin. Mext come the Anti-Lebanon Mountains (Jibal Lubnan al-Sharqiya). These two eastern ranges are separated by the fertile Beqaa Valley--the northeasternmost extension of the Africa's Great Rift Valley. The Beqaa Valley is some 180 km long and 10 to 26 km. Through this valley flow Lebanon's most important river, the Litani. It flows west, entering the Mediterranean Sea near the city of Tyre (Sur) along the country southwestern coast. In the southeast, the Beqaa Valley becomes hilly and blends into the foothills of Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Shaykh, 2,814 metres), the highest peak of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range.
Geologically, Lebanon terrain is limestone of mostly Cretaceous origin, with Jurassic formations in the south. Ther are some Basaltic formations, especially in the north (Akkar).
There is evidence of human habitation in Lebanon from about the development of modern man (around 50,000 BC). Lebanon is part of what came to be called the Levant. Since the dawn of civilization, Lebanon has been a battleground for the larger more powerful nations which surround it. This began with the rise of powerful empires in the surounding lands: Anatolia, Mesopotamia and the Nile Valley. What is now modern Lebanon featuresdin the writings of Homer as well as Old Testament verses. Lebanese cities, especially the seaports were of great importance both in Phoenician and Roman times. Americans and Europeans will be most familar with Biblical references to locations in what is modern Lebanon. Lebanese history is most notable for the diversity of people and religious groups which have been found there. Mountaneous Lebanon has proved to be a inaccessible refuge for a diverse group of people fleeing repression and persecution experienced in other areas of the Middle East. The principal groups in modern Lebanon are: the Maronites Christians (, Greek Orthodox Christians, Shia Muslims, Sunni Muslims, and the Druze The colonial powers with occupied Lebanon (the Ottoman Turks and the for a much shorter period the French) generally permitted a degree of religious liberty which left these religious sects to themselves and permitted a substantial degree of self government. The early years as an independent nation began a tradition of tolerance and diversity under the National Pact. This gradually deteriorated with the arrival of the Palistinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the outbreak of civil war. Today Lebanon is tinderbox controlled by religious based militias.
The Lebanese economy from time immemorial has been largely agricultural. What is now known as Lebanon aooeared in the written record (around 4000 BC). A group of coastal cities rose with a heavily forested imteriir. The first population was the Canaanites, a Semitic people. The Greeks called them Phoenicians because of the desintxtive purple (phoinikies) dye they sold. The Phoenicians turned to the sea, where they engaged in trade whuch became the core of the economy. Trade and foretry were imprtant, but there was also a viatal agriculture component. There are no major mineral resources or riday oil fields. Arable land is limited, but the climate and spring fed water ebabled an intensive cultivation on the more gentle slopes and along the coast. Crops today in irrigated areas include market vegetables, bananas, and citrus crops. Inland the principal crops are olives, grapes, tobacco, figs, and almonds. Higher up (about 1,500 feet, there are orchards (apricots, cherries, peaches, and plum). Higher uo there are also apple and pear orchards. The Bika Valley is a fertile area east of the mountains. Sugar beets, cereals, and vegetables are among the majpr crops. Poultry is very important and goats, sheep, and cattle are also raised. After World War I under French tutelage, Lebanon developed as a rare area of stability and financial institutions began to develop important which really became important after oil resources were developed in the region. With independence at the ebd of World War II, democratic instititions developed which further enhanced Lebanon's status as an island of stability and increassing prosperity. The Palesitinian Black September revolt in Jordan spilled over into Lebanon, destroying the fragil power sharing arangements. The 1975-90 Lebanese civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure (1975-90). It cut national output in half. This undermined Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. Syria controlled Lebanon for more than two decdes, but the country is now a tinder box of armed camps with the the Iranian- financed Shi'a Hezbollah militia becoming increasingly important. And this has insured that Lebanon could never recover its former stability and prosperity. Today Lebanon has rising debt, spiraling inflation, increasing unemployment, plumeting foreign curency reserves, and a cratring Lebanese pound. The population can no longer count on the dependable flow of electricity and water. The hospitals are short of staff and suoplies and that was the case before the Wuhan Virus outbreak (2020). The country has stopped paymemts on a $1.2 billion Euro bond loan.
Lebanon was after World War I a French protectorate and French culture was of some importance for many years, including boys wear. We note smocks being extensive worn in Lebanese schools. I am not sure if this is still the case.
We have begun to do some work on Lebanese schools. Religion is a very important factor in Lebanese lie. We also notice First Communion services. The calm depicted in these images is little in evidence in the chaotic current situation. Lebanon was once prosperous and known as the Switzerland of the Middle East. It has since degenerated into fractional fighting and dominated by Fundamentalist Islamic groups and Syria.
Lebanon is on of the smallest Arab countries and one of the the smallese in the region. It is smaller than even Qatar anon is one of the smallest countries in the region, smaller even than Qatar. Compared to the two countries which border Lebabaon, Israel is twice as large and Syria 18 times larger. Lebanon has a 225 km Mediterranean coast and 454 km land borders, 375 km with Syria (north and east) and 79 km with Israel (south).
The country is divided into eight regions/provinces (governorates/muhafazat): 1) Beirut, 2) Mount Lebanon, 3) North Lebanon 4), South Lebanon), 5) Nabatieh), 6) the Beqaa. (Beqaa Valley), 7) Baalbek-Hermel, and 8) Akkar. Each of Lebanon's governorates is administered by a muhafiz (governor). They are further divided into districts, qadas (cazas or aqdiya). The history of these regions date back to anacient times. Some are mentioned in the Bible. In recent years it is Beirut and the Beqaa Valley that bhave been most in the news.
Lebanon is an Arab country. An estimated 95 percent of the Lebanese population is Arab which includes the Druze. The remainder is Armenian (4 percent) and the rest a variety of different groups. There are, however, no precise data. The Lebanese Government does not collect census data on ethnic background of its people because of the political sensitivities. The actual ethnic/demographic makeup is thus unknown to any level of certainty. The French Mandate government conducted the kast census (1932).
Arab is commonly used to denote ethnicity in the Middle East, but it is in reality a cultural concept, the various people conuered by invading Arab armies during the medieval era. Thus the ethnicity of Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa varies from country to country. The Arabs fired by Islan conquered the Levant from the Byzantine Empire (7th century AD). The ethnicity of the peope they conquered was a mixture of both indigenous and foreign elements. The foreign elements included both conquerors and traders. The Levant was surrounded by powerful empires that in the orocess of invasion and rule left their imprint on Lebnon. The Phoenicians were a trading people who conducted commerce throughout the MedirMediterranean and beyond. This also left its ethnic imprint on Lebanon. The bitter fighting during the Civil War (1970-82) has caused many Christians in Lebanon to reassess the term Arab. More Christians now reject the term Arab as to associated with Islam and prefer to descibe their etnicity as Phoenicians, descendents of ancient Canaanites. ctually this is also the actual thnicity of most Muslim Lebanese. Christians throughout the Arab world are under asault by Muslim fundamentalists. Lebanon has the highest percentage of Christians of all the different Arab countries.
Lebanon is tradutunally a multi-relgious county with Christians, Jews and Muslims making jup the primary faiths. The rekative make u has varied iver tine. . Thereare also Druze a religion largeky assiciated with Shi'a Islam. There are also ethic asiciations with the various religions. The region was largely Cghristianized during theRoman/Byzantine era. This was followed by the Islamic conquest of the Levant. Islam initually was tolerant if other religions which allowed a multi-religious climate to flourish in the Levant. The Ottoman Conquest also meant a degree of toleration, in part to ensure that the Muslim arabs did not dominate and threaten Ottoman rule. The Druze complicated the religious pucture. The Europeans intervened to protect Marionite Christians. Jews largely fled after World War II and Arab attacks in Jews. As in other Arab countries, the Chrustians have come under increaing pressure with the growth of fudamentalist Islam.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[The 1880s]
[The 1890s]
[The 1900s]
[The 1910s]
[The 1920s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Long pants suits]
[Knicker suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Socks]
[Eton suits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer]
[School sandals]
[School smocks]
[Sailor suits]
[Pinafores]
[Long stockings]
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