A small, mountainous country, Lebanon was under French mandate until independence in

1943. Its population is a mixture of Christian sects, Sunni Muslims, Shia Muslims, Druze
and others, having been a refuge for the region's persecuted minorities.
Government structures are divided between the various groups. Lebanon has also seen
several large influxes of Palestinian refugees, most of whom have limited legal status.
From 1975 until the early 1990s Lebanon suffered a bloody civil war in which regional
powers - particularly Israel, Syria and the Palestine Liberation Organisation - used the
country as a battlefield for their own conflicts.
AT-A-GLANCE
A country full of promise after civil war between
1975 and 1990, Lebanon was again hit by war in
2006
Politics: A power-sharing deal ensures political
representation for all major religious blocs; the
unity government formed in 2009 includes
ministers from across the political spectrum
International: An expanded multinational UN
peacekeeping force is being deployed to police a
ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in
southern Lebanon

Timeline

Syrian troops moved in shortly after the war started. Israeli troops invaded in 1978 and
again in 1982 before pulling back to a self-declared "security zone" in the south from
which they withdrew in May 2000.
Syria exerts considerable political clout in Lebanon, although it withdrew its troops in
2005, ending a 29-year military presence.
This followed the assassination in Beirut of former prime minister Rafik Hariri . Lebanese
groups then in opposition accused Syria of involvement; Damascus denied the charge.
Huge pro- and anti-Syria rallies were held in Beirut, triggering the government's downfall
and the Syrian pullout. The Hariri case appeared to have taken a major step forward on 1
March 2009 when an international court into the killing opened in the Hague.
By autumn 2010, the issuing of indictments over the Hariri killing was thought to be
imminent, raising fears that if the UN-led tribunal accuses the Syrian- and Iranian-backed
militant Shia group Hezbollah of involvement in his murder, this could spark off a new
round of sectarian conflict.
POLITICAL PARTIES
March 14 - Coalition that retained parliamentary
majority in June 2009 elections; pro-western
members pushed for exit of Syrian forces; named
after mass demonstrations that followed killing
of ex-premier Rafik Hariri
Hezbollah - Pro-Syrian Shia political party with
a large armed wing that resisted Israel in the war
of July 2006. The United States consider it to be
a terrorist organisation

Amal - Pro-Syrian Shia political party led by

parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri; allied with
Hezbollah
Free Patriotic Movement - Largely Christian
party led by former army chief Michel Aoun; has
ties with Hezbollah

The UN has demanded the dismantling of all armed groups in Lebanon, including
Palestinian militias and the military wing of Hezbollah, which controls much of southern
Lebanon.
When Hezbollah militia seized two Israeli soldiers in a raid in July 2006, Israel responded
with a 34-day military offensive and a blockade. Around 1,000 Lebanese, most of them
civilians, were killed. The damage to civilian infrastructure was wide-ranging.
International peacekeepers were drafted in to help police a UN-brokered ceasefire. But
Hezbollah's leader has rejected calls for the movement to disarm and political divisions in
Beirut cloud the issue of what should be done about the group's military presence in the
south.
With its high literacy rate and traditional mercantile culture, Lebanon has traditionally
been an important commercial hub for the Middle East.
FACTS

Overview

Facts

Leaders

Media

Full name: The Lebanese Republic

Population: 4.3 million (UN, 2010)

Capital: Beirut

Area: 10,452 sq km (4,036 sq miles)

Major language: Arabic

Major religions: Islam, Christianity

Life expectancy: 71 years (men), 75 years (women) (UN)

Monetary unit: 1 Lebanese pound (or lira) = 100 piastres

Main exports: Foodstuffs and tobacco

GNI per capita: US $7,970 (World Bank, 2009)

Internet domain: .lb

International dialling code: +961

LEADERS

Overview

Facts

Leaders
Media
President: Michel Suleiman
The Lebanese parliament finally elected General Michel Suleiman as president in May
2008 after six months of political stalemate that followed the departure of the previous
president, Emile Lahoud, in November 2007.

President Suleiman's refusal to take sides has

won him respect

The agreement that paved the way for his election ended some of the worst factional
violence since Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.
As mounting clashes raised fears of a renewed civil war, the Western-backed government
and the Hezbollah-led opposition agreed on General Suleiman - the head of the country's
armed forces - as a compromise candidate.
On taking office, the new president hailed the opening of a new phase in Lebanese
history, saying that his fellow countrymen had "refused to succumb to self-destruction".
General Suleiman stood unopposed for the presidency, and is widely seen as a unifying
figure, whose apparent neutrality has earned him the respect of both sides of the political
divide. He is credited with having kept the army on the sidelines in times of political
crisis.
He is a Maronite Christian, and so his election also met the requirement of Lebanon's
complex power-sharing system that the presidency should be held by a member of that
sect.
Prime minister-designate: Najib Mikati
Najib Mikati was appointed as Lebanon's prime minister-designate on 25 January 2011.
He was asked to form a new government after winning the support of a majority of
members of parliament.

Mr Mikati describes himself as a moderate

The wealthy Sunni businessman was nominated for the post by the Shia Islamist
movement Hezbollah, following the collapse of the national unity government headed by
Saad Hariri.
Hezbollah toppled Mr Hariri after he refused to end co-operation with the UN tribunal
investigating the assassination of his father, Rafik, in 2005. Hezbollah members have
reportedly been implicated in the killing.
A former prime minister, Mr Mikati is seen as a relatively neutral figure who is acceptable
to key regional power brokers like Syria and Saudi Arabia.
The 55-year-old telecoms tycoon first entered politics in 1998 and was last elected to
parliament in 2009 as an ally of Mr Hariri.
He describes himself as a moderate who is dedicated to the unity of Lebanon. In an
interview with the BBC, Mr Mikati insisted that although he needed the votes of Hezbollah
and its allies, he remained independent.
It is not known if Mr Mikati will end the government's co-operation with the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), as demanded by Hezbollah.
MEDIA

Overview

Facts

Leaders

Media
Lebanon's broadcasting scene is well-developed, lively and diverse, reflecting the
country's pluralism and divisions.
It was the first Arab country to permit private radio and television stations. But the
government has a say over who may operate stations and whether or not they can
broadcast news. Several stations are owned by leading politicians.

Courting controversy: Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV

2004: TV station put on US terror list

Press freedom body Reporters Without Borders says the media have more freedom in
Lebanon than in any other Arab country, but nevertheless face "political and judicial
machinations".
Most broadcasters were set up after the civil war by Muslim and Christian factions.
Commercial operators Future TV and LBC attract the lion's share of the viewing audience.
Take-up of satellite and cable TV is widespread.
Al-Manar TV, backed by the militant group Hezbollah, has aroused controversy. A French
court banned the station's satellite channel in 2004 on grounds of anti-Semitism, and it
has also been banned in Spain, Germany and the United States. The station was targeted
by Israeli air raids during military operations against Hezbollah in 2006.
There are dozens of private radio stations. Broadcasts from BBC Arabic and Radio France
Internationale are carried by partner stations.
Criticism of officials and policies is carried daily in dozens of newspapers and hundreds of
periodicals. While there are no censorship laws, restrictions in press laws forbid the
media from defaming the president or other heads of state and from inciting sectarian
strife.
By June 2010, Lebanon had around 1 million internet users (Internetworldstats.com).
OpenNet Initiative says Lebanon is one of very few countries in the Middle East where it
has found no evidence of technical filtering.
The press:

An-Nahar - private daily

Al-Safir - private daily

Al-Anwar - private daily

Al-Mustaqbal - pro-Hariri daily

Al-Diyar - private daily

L'Orient-Le Jour - in French

The Daily Star - in English

Television:
Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) - commercial, market leader and panregional broadcaster; channels comprise LBC Sat, LBC Europe, LBC Sat America, LBC Sat
Australia and LBC Nagham

Future TV - commercial; channels comprise Future International, Future News and

Future TV USA; owned by Hariri family

Tele-Liban - state-run

Al-Manar (The Beacon) TV - pro-Hezbollah

Radio:

Voice of Lebanon - established commercial station

Radio Liban - state-run

Sawt al-Ghad (Voice of Tomorrow) - commercial

Radio One - commercial

News agency:
Lebanese National News Agency - state-run