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Lebanon
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Following
the capture of Syria from the Ottoman Empire by Anglo-French forces in 1918,
France received a mandate over this territory and separated out a region of
Lebanon in 1920. France granted this area independence in 1943. A 15-year civil
war (1976-1991) devastated the country, but Lebanon has since made progress
toward rebuilding its political institutions. Under the Ta'if Accord - the
blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese established a more
equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater voice in
the political process while institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the
government. Since the end of the war, Lebanon has conducted several successful
elections, most militias have been disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF)
have extended authority over about two-thirds of the country. Hizballah, a
radical Shi'a organization listed by the US State Department as a Foreign
Terrorist Organization, retains its weapons. During Lebanon's civil war, the
Arab League legitimized in the Ta'if Accord Syria's troop deployment, numbering
about 16,000 based mainly east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Damascus
justified its continued military presence in Lebanon by citing Beirut's requests
and the failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the
constitutional reforms in the Ta'if Accord. Israel's withdrawal from southern
Lebanon in May 2000, however, encouraged some Lebanese groups to demand that
Syria withdraw its forces as well. The passage of UNSCR 1559 in early October
2004 - a resolution calling for Syria to withdraw from Lebanon and end its
interference in Lebanese affairs - further emboldened Lebanese groups opposed to
Syria's presence in Lebanon.
The assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq
HARIRI and 20 others in February 2005 led to massive demonstrations in Beirut
against the Syrian presence ("the Cedar Revolution"). Syria finally
withdrew the remainder of its military forces from Lebanon in April 2005. In
May-June 2005, Lebanon held its first legislative elections since the end of the
civil war free of foreign interference, handing a two-thirds majority to the
bloc led by Saad HARIRI, the slain prime minister's son.
Population:
3,874,050
Religions:
Muslim 59.7% (Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian
39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox,
Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean,
Assyrian, Copt, Protestant), other 1.3%
Source:
United States Department of State, CIA
Factbook,Yale Law school |
