Lebanon

Hend Darwish
Mr. Sparks
8A

Where Lebanon is located

Lebanon is a small
mountainous country
on the Mediterranean
coast . It is located
in the Middle East,
bordering the
Mediterranean Sea,
between Syria and
Israel. Its
geographic coordinates are 33 50 N
and 35 50 E.

Geographic Features of Lebanon

There are many popular river and
streams in Lebanon.
The Beqaa Valley is watered by
two rivers that rise near
Baalbeck and the Litani flowing
south into the hill region of
the southern Beqaa Valley,
where it makes a quick turn to
the west and is afterward
called the Al Qasmiyah River.
The only permanent lake is
Buhayrat al Qirawn, about ten
kilometers east of Jazzine.
Another major feature of
Lebanese geography is the
alternation of low lands and
high lands that run parallel
with a north-to-south
direction. There are four
strips running lengthwise
between the Mediterranean Sea
and Syria: the coastal strip,
western Lebanon, the central
plateau, and eastern Lebanon.

Topography of
Lebanon

Why are Physical Features

important?
Beqaa Valley is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. It is
Lebanons most important farming region, and a major Shia
population center in Lebanon. The valley is important
because it makes up 40 percent of Lebanon's arable land.
The northern end of the valley, with its light rainfall
and less fertile soils, is used as cropping land by rural
nomads but mostly migrants from the Syrian Desert.
Farther south, more fertile soils support crops such as
wheat, corn, cotton, and vegetables, with vineyards and
orchards centered around Zahle. Also, because the Beqaa
Valley has such a big history, it has become extremely
popular and has gained Lebanon's tourism.
Topography in Lebanon has greatly affected the country's
history in that virtually the whole landscape is a series
of superb natural fortresses from which revolutionary
activities can cause the maintenance of control by a
national government an intermittent and costly affair.

Climate of Lebanon

Lebanon has a Mediterranean

climate characterized by a long,
hot, and dry summer, and cool,
rainy winter. Fall is a
transitional season with a
gradual lowering of temperature
and little rain; spring occurs
when the winter rains cause the
vegetation to revive.
Topographical difference creates
narrow adjustments of the basic
climatic pattern. Along the
coast, summers are hot and humid,
with little or no rain. Heavy
dews form, which are beneficial
to agriculture. The daily range
of temperature is not wide,
although temperatures may reach
above 38 C in the daytime and
below 16 C at night. Winter is
the rainy season, with major rain
falling after December. The
amount of rainfall varies greatly
from one year to another.
Occasionally, there are frosts
during the winter, and about once
every fifteen years a light
powdering of snow falls as far
South of Beirut.

Environment of Lebanon
Plants:
Lebanon was heavily forested in
ancient and medieval times, and its
timber was exported for building
and shipbuilding. The natural
plants, however, has been grazed,
burned, and cut for so long that
little of it is redeveloped. What
survives is a wild Mediterranean
vegetation of brush and low trees,
mostly oaks, pines, cypresses,
firs, junipers, and carobs.
Animals:
Few large wild animals survive in
Lebanon, though bears are
occasionally seen in the mountains.
Among the smaller animals, deer,
wildcats, hedgehogs, squirrels,
martens, dormice, and hares are
found. Numerous migrant birds from
Africa and Europe visit Lebanon.
Flamingos, pelicans, cormorants,
ducks, herons, and snipes frequent
the marshes; eagles, buzzards,
kites, falcons, and hawks inhabit
the mountains; and owls,
kingfishers, cuckoos, and
woodpeckers are common.

A Fir Tree in
Lebanon

History of Lebanon
Discovery of
Byblos

French
Mandate

Independence

Arab-Israeli
War

Lebanese Civil War

Rafiq Hariri

5000 BC

1918

1941

1948

1975-1990

2005

Archaeologis
ts have
discovered in
Byblos,
which is
considered to
be the oldest
continuously
-inhabited
city in the
world.

Lebanon
was part
of the
Ottoman
Empire for
over 400
years, in
a region
known as
Greater
Syria,
until 1918
when the
area
became a
part of
the French
Mandate of
Syria
following
World War
I.

On
November
26, 1941
General
Georges
Catroux
announced
that
Lebanon
would
become
independen
t under
the
authority
of the
Free
French
government
.

Lebanon
joined
its
fellow
Arab
states
and
invaded
Israel
during
the 1948
ArabIsraeli
War. The
LebaneseIsraeli
border
remained
closed,
but
quiet,
until
after the
Six Day
War in
1967.

The Lebanese
Civil War lasted
fifteen years. It
ended in 1990
with the signing of
the Taif Agreement
and parts of
Lebanon were left
in ruins. During
the civil war, the
Palestine
Liberation
Organization used
Lebanon to launch
attacks against
Israel. Lebanon
was twice invaded
and occupied by
the Israel Defense
Forces.

On
February
14, 2005
former
Prime
Minister
Rafiq
Hariri was
assassinat
ed in a
car bomb
explosion
near the
Saint
George Bay
in Beirut.

Demonstrations

Lebanon-Israel
War

2005, groups
of people
gathered in
Martyrs'
Square in
Lebanon.
Protesters
marched
demanding
the truth
about Hariri's
murder and
independence
from Syrian
presence in

War, was a 34-day

military conflict in
Lebanon and
northern Israel. The
principal parties
were Hezbollah
paramilitary forces
and the Israeli
military. The
conflict started on
12 July 2006, and
continued until a
United Nationsbrokered ceasefire
went into effect on
14 August
2006.

Lebanese
Civil
2005
2006
War14, The 2006 Lebanon
On March

Lebanon.

Customs and Traditions

Lebanon celebrate many traditions
and celebrations, such as:
Christmas: Lebanon is the only
mid eastern country that
celebrates Christmas as an
official holiday. Lebanese
Christmas takes place on the
25th of December. Most people
spend the morning visiting
friends and entertaining them in
their turn. For the Christmas
meal, entire families often
gather together, usually at the
home of the eldest male
relative.
Saint Barbara: It is celebrated
on the 3rd of December. As a
preparation to the memory of
Saint Barbara the next day, and
in the evening kids dress up in
different costumes and go from
house to house singing
traditional songs of this
occasion. This celebrations is
mostly enjoyed by young
children.

What Most
Lebanese eat at
Christmas lunch.
Shawirma
Chicken

Mask worn
on Saint
Barbara

Government of Lebanon

Lebanon joined the League of

Arab States as a charter
member in 1945. Nature and
Structure of Government:
Capital: Beirut
Type: Republic

The constitution grants the

people the right to change their
government. However, from the
mid-1970s until the
parliamentary elections in 1992,
civil war precluded the exercise
of political rights. According
to the constitution, direct
elections must be held for the
parliament every 4 years. The
last parliament election was in
2005. The Parliament, in turn,
elects a President every 6 years
to a single term. The President
is not eligible for re-election.

Leaders: Chief of State:

President Ilyas Harawi (since
24 November1989); Head of
Government: Prime Minister
Rafiq Al Hariri, but sadly was
recently assassinated on the
fourth of February.

Rafiq Al Hariri

Why is Lebanons Politics

Important?
Lebanon's need on foreign powers is
quite a normal situation in the
country's history, where the
neighbor, Syria, now has the upper
hand. Inside the country,
Christians have relatively more
power than their percentage of the
Lebanese population should allow
them. But the Muslims are awakening
politically, and have increased
their turnout in national elections
after the civil war.
The constitution of Lebanon is
dividing power between what it has
defined as the country's three
religious groups, the Shiias, the
Sunnas and the Maronite Christians.
The president is always a Maronite
Christian, the prime minister a
Sunni Muslim, while the speaker of
the National Assembly a Shii
Muslim. This has left the
Christians the most powerful group
politically, with the Shiis as the
least influential.
Lebanons Politics play an important
part in keep Lebanon together.
After the major war in 1993, Hariri
began Horizon 2000 which ended up
being an $18 million program to
help rebuild Lebanon.

With the return of Prime

Minister Hariri to office in
August 2000, the government
once more focused on
resuming reconstruction
efforts by securing foreign
aid, mainly from European
and Arab countries. In 2000,
the Kuwaiti government
agreed to deposit $100
million at the Lebanese
Central Bank to help
stabilize the Lebanese
pound. Hariri is also
expected to proceed with
economic reforms, especially
the privatization of stateowned enterprises.

Economy of Lebanon
Lebanons economy has many important economic factors such as:
Trade: The Port of Beirut plays an important role in Lebanon's
commercial activities. After World War II, Beirut became the
most important Arab port on the Eastern Mediterranean serving
the Arab world. During a conflict, the Port of Beirut almost
closed down. Work has been completed on the reconstruction of
the Duty Free Zone at the Port of Beirut to restore its pre-war
facility and a project for the healing and expansion of the Port
of Beirut is happening.
Industry: In 1995, the industrial sector (mainly production of
cement, furniture, paper, detergents, cosmetics,
pharmaceuticals, batteries, garments and processed foods)
accounted for 29.17 per cent. of GDP, an increase from 15.9 per
cent. of GDP in 1972. Virtually all industry is privately owned.
Agriculture: Approximately one third of the Republic is arable.
The most fertile areas are located along the coastal strip and
in the Bekaa valley. The diversity of the Republic's countryside
and climate allows farming of a wide variety of vegetables,
fruits and industrial crops. Agriculture contributes
approximately 26% to the Republic's GDP.

A farm in
Lebanon

Why Trade, Agriculture and Industry

important in Lebanons Economy?
In the previous slide, I chose to write about trade, industry and
agriculture because those three are an the most important aspect of
Lebanons economy. The economy in Lebanon includes:
Services
Trade
Tourism
Financial Services
Constructions
Industry
Energy
Agriculture
After reading how important each economic factor is to Lebanon, I have
noticed that the three I have chose were the most important because
they all have the largest GDP. Also, I chose to write about trade
because it had a long history and background and it has caused many
countries around the world to communicate with Lebanon especially the
Arab countries.
For Industry, I chose it because it was the most important economic
factor in 1972. I thought this was important because it was one of the
reasons why Lebanon has become what it is today.
The last topic I chose was agriculture because of my personal experience.
I have been going to Lebanon for every holiday and while you driving
after every three minutes, you will see a man with a store selling
fruits and vegetables store. Many poor or unfortunate people rely on
agriculture to live or get money so I new that agriculture played a
big role in their life.

Tourism in Lebanon
The location of Lebanon has many
benefits such as, its mild
climate and natural beauty,
consisting of snow-capped
mountains, valleys and the
Mediterranean Sea. Apart from
its privileged geographical
and natural situation, Lebanon
benefits from qualified and
experienced human resources in
the tourism industry. Lebanon
joins its natural beauty, and
its historical sites.
While you are in Lebanon you can
see remains from Phoenicians,
Canaanite, and Egyptians era,
as you can see the mountains,
the cedars.
Lebanese cities are among the
famous names in ancient
history, such as Saidon, Sour,
Jbeil and Trablus. Until the
current days, ruins are still
resisting the ages, and are
standing still to show the
greatness of the people that
lived in this holy land.

A General View of
Lebanons Mountains

Global Awareness in Lebanon

Society: Lebanon does not have a joyful or good society. For many years now,
many Lebanese do not respect different cultures and religions. For example the
Sinnas and Shiia's are always against each other. Also, Muslims and
Christians are always protesting about their own opinions. This has caused
arguments and war in the country.
Places: Many houses and building in Lebanon are still destroyed when they were
bombed in 1980s. Also, there are a lot of demonstrations going on because the
Lebanese are putting bombs which causes many houses or areas to burn.
Environment: From all the bombs, smoke has come out which has harmed the
environment in Lebanon. Territories are still full of smoke and ashes from
previous wars and people have still not cleaned it up. On the other hand, some
areas are full with grass and greenery which help the environment and animals.
IMPROVE LEBANONS GLOBAL AWARENES:
To improve their society, people have to make mixed communities which can help
unite them together
To improve Lebanons places, they have to have more army men around to make
sure no bombs or harmful weapons. Also, the government can rebuild all of the
burnt houses to make sure that the unfortunate Lebanese live in a safer
environment.
To improve Lebanons environment, the government can build more trees and
plants. Another option is that they make a special group that cleans out the
ashes and dirt. This can help clean up the country and make a it a much more
beautiful place.

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