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Arab Culture & Civilization
Explore this exemplary library of articles and resources on Arab societies and culture. This site was originally created by the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education (NITLE).
Lebanon has been plagued by political and economic unrest for over three decades. The civil war between 1975 and 1990 devastated the country. Lebanon then spent the next decade trying to rebuild its political structures along with its physical and economic infrastructure, with some success. But the country was again thrown into turmoil by the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in February 2005. Many believe Hariri’s assassination was engineered by the government of Syria, which had enormous political influence in Lebanon in the period after the civil war . Further damage to both the political system and the infrastructure was caused by the 34-day conflict between Israel and Hizbullah in the summer of 2006. Lebanese politicians were unable to agree on a successor to President Emile LaHoud when he stepped down in 2007. It wasn’t until May of 2008 that Army Commander Michel Sulayman was eventually elected president.
The decades of civil war have ended Lebanon’s position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. And the recent conflict with Israel resulted in over $3.5 billon worth of damage to the country’s infrastructure. Although international donors have pledged almost $9 billion of aid, Lebanon’s internal political struggles have hampered economic activity, particularly in the tourism and retail sectors.
Education: Primary education in Lebanon is mandatory, and private education is prevalent. Lebanon's university system is also highly developed.
Ethnic Groups: Ethnic mixtures dating back to various periods of immigration and invasion are represented, as are peoples of almost all Middle Eastern countries. A confusing factor is the religious basis of ethnic differentiation. Thus, while most Lebanese are Arabs, they are divided into Muslims and Christians, each in turn subdivided into a number of faiths or sects, most of them formed by historical development into separate ethnic groups. The Muslims are divided into Sunnis and Shi'is. The Druzes, whose religion derives from Islam, are a significant minority. The Christians are divided mainly among Maronites, Greek Orthodox, and Greek Catholics. All the major groups have their own political organizations, paramilitary units, and territorial strongholds. Other ethnic groups include Armenians (most of them Armenian Orthodox, with some Armenian Catholics) and small numbers of Jews, Syrians, Kurds, and others. The number of Palestinians is estimated at 450,000–500,000. In addition there are about 180,000 stateless undocumented persons. Some of these are inhabitants of disputed border areas. As of 1999, population statistics stood at 95% Arab, 4% Armenian, and 1% other. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Lebanon-ETHNIC-GROUPS.html
Religion: As of 2002, it has been estimated that about 70% of the population practice Islam (5 legally recognized groups—Alawite or Nusayri, Druze, Isma'ilite, Shi'a, and Sunni). Christians made up 23% of the population (11 legally recognized groups—4 Orthodox Christian, 6 Catholic, and 1 Protestant). The Maronites are the largest Christian group with Greek Orthodox being the second largest. There was also a small number practicing Judaism. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Lebanon-RELIGIONS.html
Population The population of Lebanon is estimated at 4,017,095 (July 2009 est.). In 2000, Lebanon's birth rate stood at 20.26 per 1,000, while the death rate was reported at 6.42 per 1,000. With a projected growth rate of 1.2 percent between 2000 and 2015, the population is expected to reach 6 million by the year 2029.
Lebanon's population is highly divided along both religious and confessional lines (the presence of groups of different faiths within the same religion). Muslims in 2001 were believed to have accounted for 60 percent of the population. Christians form the second largest group in the country. Lebanon is also home to some 200,000 Palestinian refugees, mostly Sunni Muslims, many of whom have lived in refugee camps since arriving in the country in 1948. For political reasons, no official census has been conducted since 1932. Muslim and Christian factions in Lebanon were engaged in a devastating civil war that began in 1975 and ended in 1990, when stability was restored to the country.
As in many developing countries, a majority of Lebanese (around 90 percent) live in urban areas. The population is unevenly distributed, with the vast majority of the population concentrated in the coastal cities of Beirut, Sidon, and Tyre, while other parts of the country, namely the Bekáa Valley, remain sparsely populated. The uneven population distribution has given rise to regional disparities. The coastal cities continue to receive much government attention, while the rest of the country has remained largely neglected. The population of urban areas has grown significantly since the 1960s, mostly because the cities have received more government funding and attention. In 2000, the capital Beirut and its suburbs was home to 1.3 million people. The northern city of Tripoli is the second largest in the country, with an estimated population of 450,000.
This page on Lebanon from the Al-Bab website provides several pages with information about Lebanese culture, food, politics, economics, history, news, and travel.
This website provides information on the Lebanese culture. Topics include history, urbanism, food, economy, social structure, gender roles, government, marriage, arts, medicine, and religion.
