Lebanon
The population of Lebanon comprises various Christian and Muslim
sects as well as Druze. No official census has been taken since
1932, reflecting the political sensitivity in Lebanon over
confessional (religious) balance. While there is no consensus over
the confessional breakdown of the population for this reason, it is
safe to say that the Muslim sects as a whole make up a majority, and
that Shi'ites, Sunnis, and Maronites are the three largest groups.
About 400,000 Palestinian refugees, some in Lebanon since 1948, are
registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
They are not accorded the legal rights enjoyed by the rest of the
population.
With no official figures available, it is estimated that
600,000-900,000 persons fled the country during the initial years of
civil war (1975-76). Although some returned, continuing conflict
through 1990 as well as after the 2006 war sparked further waves of
emigration, casting even more doubt on population figures. As much
as 7% of the population was killed during the civil war between 1975
and 1990. Approximately 17,000-20,000 people are still "missing" or
unaccounted for from the civil war period.
Many Lebanese still derive their living from agriculture. The urban
population, concentrated mainly in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, is
noted for its commercial enterprise. A century and a half of
migration and return have produced Lebanese commercial networks
around the globe--from North and South America to Europe, the Gulf,
and Africa. Lebanon has a high proportion of skilled labor compared
with many other Arab countries. |
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Lebanon is the historic home of the Phoenicians, Semitic traders
whose maritime culture flourished there for more than 2,000 years
(c.2700-450 B.C.). In later centuries, Lebanon's mountains were a
refuge for Christians, and Crusaders established several strongholds
there. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War
I, the League of Nations mandated the five provinces that comprise
present-day Lebanon to France. Modern Lebanon's constitution, drawn
up in 1926, specified a balance of political power among the various
religious groups. The country gained independence in 1943, and
French troops withdrew in 1946. Lebanon participated in the 1948
Arab-Israeli War and signed an armistice with Israel on March 23,
1949.
Lebanon's history since independence has been marked by periods of
political turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on Beirut's
position as a regional center for finance and trade. In 1958, during
the last months of President Camille Chamoun's term, an insurrection
broke out, and U.S. forces were briefly dispatched to Lebanon in
response to an appeal by the government. During the 1960s, Lebanon
enjoyed a period of relative calm and Beirut-focused tourism and
banking sector-driven prosperity. Other areas of the country,
however, notably the South, North, and Bekaa Valley, remained poor
in comparison.
In the early 1970s, difficulties arose over the presence of
Palestinian refugees, many of whom arrived after the 1967
Arab-Israeli war, the secret 1969 Cairo Agreement permitting the
establishment of Palestinian camps in Lebanon, and 1970 "Black
September" hostilities in Jordan. Among the 1970 arrivals were
Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).
Coupled with the Palestinian problem, Muslim and Christian
differences grew more intense. |
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