Portal:Lebanon

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A view of Byblos, Lebanon

WP:Lebanon

Lebanon (/ˈlɛbənɒn, -nən/ ^ⓘ LEB-ə-non, -⁠nən; Arabic: لُبْنَان, romanized: Lubnān, local pronunciation: [lɪbˈneːn]), officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, by Israel to the south, and by the Mediterranean Sea to the west; Cyprus lies a short distance away from the country's coastline. Lebanon's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterlands has contributed to the country's rich history and shaped a unique cultural identity shaped by religious diversity. Lebanon has a population of more than five million people and covers an area of 10,452 square kilometres (4,036 sq mi). Lebanon's capital and largest city is Beirut, followed by Tripoli and Jounieh. While Arabic is the official language, French is also recognized in a formal capacity; Lebanese Arabic is the country's vernacular, though French and English play a relatively significant role in everyday life, with Modern Standard Arabic being limited to news and government matters.

The earliest evidence of human civilization in Lebanon dates back to 5000 BCE. From 3200 to 539 BC, what was to become Lebanon was part of Phoenicia, a maritime empire that stretched the Mediterranean Basin. In 64 BC, the Roman Empire conquered the region, and Lebanon soon became a major center for Christianity under the aegis of the Byzantine Empire. In the 7th century, the Muslim conquest of the Levant brought the region under the control of the Rashidun Caliphate. The 11th century saw the beginning of the Crusades and the establishment of Crusader states, which later fell to the Ayyubids and the Mamluks, who in turn ceded the territory to the Ottoman Turks in the aftermath of the Ottoman–Mamluk War of 1516–1517. Under Ottoman ruler Abdulmejid I, the first Lebanese proto-state was established in the form of the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate, created in the 19th century as a home for Maronite Christians under the Ottoman "Tanzimat" period.

Lebanon is a developing country, ranked 112th on the Human Development Index. It has been classified as an upper-middle-income state. The Lebanese liquidity crisis, coupled with nationwide corruption and recent disasters such as the 2020 Beirut explosion, have precipitated the collapse of Lebanon's currency and fomented political instability, widespread resource shortages, and high unemployment and poverty. The World Bank has defined Lebanon's economic crisis as one of the world's worst since the 19th century. Despite the country's small size, Lebanese culture is renowned both in the Arab world and globally, powered primarily by the Lebanese diaspora. Lebanon is a founding member of the United Nations and of the Arab League, and is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, and the Group of 77, among others. (Full article...)

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The Maccabiah Stadium (pictured in 1935), where the match was held

The 1940 association football match between the national teams of Mandatory Palestine and Lebanon was the latter's first official international match, and the former's last before they became the Israel national team after 1948. The match took place on 27 April 1940 at the Maccabiah Stadium in Tel Aviv. Officiated by John Blackwell of the British Army, the game was watched by 10,000 spectators and ended in a 5–1 victory for the home side.

Mandatory Palestine scored in the second minute of the game, doubling their lead 10 minutes later with a penalty kick. Two more goals by the home side meant the first half ended 4–0. Mandatory Palestine's forced substitution at half-time due to injury hampered their control of the game and in the fifth minute of the second half, Lebanese forward Camille Cordahi scored to become Lebanon's first official international goalscorer. Werner Kaspi scored his second goal of the game in the 60th minute, with the match ending 5–1.

Lebanon's next official games were all friendlies against Syria, one in 1942 and two in 1947. In 1948 the Mandatory Palestine national team formally became the Israel national team, with the establishment of the State of Israel. They played their next official game in a friendly against Cyprus in 1949. Out of Lebanon's 11 players, six went on to play at least one more international game. Shalom Shalomzon was the only Mandatory Palestine player to make another international appearance. (Full article...)

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... that Albert Bahhuth fled the Lebanese Civil War and owned a Subway franchise before being named an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles?
... that the Southern Lebanese villages of Safad El Battikh, Kafra and Ayta al-Jabal were mentioned in 1596 Ottoman tax records?
... that Lebanese LGBT rights activist Sandra Melhem, one of the foremost promoters of drag culture in Beirut, was given an award for her humanitarian relief work after the 2020 Beirut explosion?
... that the first day of filming of the psychological thriller Farah coincided with the beginning of the 2019 Lebanese protests?
... that Lebanese actress Takla Chamoun refused to cancel a play's performance after being informed that her mother had died?
... that Lebanese academic Zahia Kaddoura was the first woman to be appointed a dean at the Lebanese University?

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Maatouk with Ansar in 2019

Hassan Ali Maatouk (Arabic: حسن علي معتوق, Lebanese Arabic pronunciation: [ˈħasan ˈʕali maʕˈtuːʔ]; born 10 August 1987) is a Lebanese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Lebanese Premier League club Ansar and captains the Lebanon national team. Known for his pace and technical skills, Maatouk is Lebanon's all-time top goalscorer and most-capped player; he became a key part of the national team as their captain since 2016.

Maatouk began his senior career at age 17 in 2004 at Ahed in Lebanon. He won a total of 12 trophies with his team, including three Lebanese Premier League titles and three Lebanese FA Cups in his seven-year stay. Maatouk moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2011 to Ajman; after a short spell at Emirates, he signed for Al-Shaab in 2012. Between 2013 and 2017 Maatouk played for Fujairah, scoring 56 goals for the team and becoming their all-time top goalscorer. In 2017, Maatouk returned to his home country and signed with Nejmeh: he won two Lebanese Elite Cups, and was named Best Player of the league in both seasons at the club. In 2019, he joined cross-city rivals Ansar on a free transfer, helping them win their first league title in 14 years in 2021 as the league top scorer.

In 2006, Maatouk debuted with the national team aged 19, in a match against Saudi Arabia; his first goal came in 2011 against Bangladesh. In 2016, he succeeded Roda Antar as captain of the team. With five goals in six matches in the third round of qualification for the 2019 Asian Cup, Maatouk helped an unbeaten Lebanon qualify for their first Asian Cup through qualification. As of March 2024, Maatouk has scored 23 goals in 121 games, becoming his country's all-time top goalscorer and most-capped player. He also became the first player to reach 100 international caps for his nation in 2022. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various Lebanon-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Bashir Shihab II (from History of Lebanon)
Image 2A building in Ghazieh, near Sidon, bombed by the Israeli Air Force (IAF), 20 July 2006 (from History of Lebanon)
Image 3Beirut in 1950 (from History of Lebanon)
Image 4Map of the Shebaa farms (from History of Lebanon)
Image 5Portrait of Elie Hobeika (from History of Lebanon)
Image 6Anti-Syrian protesters heading to Martyrs' Square in Beirut on foot and in vehicles, 13 March 2005 (from History of Lebanon)
Image 7A selection of Lebanese dishes from Cafe Nouf Restaurant in London (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 8Fairuz playing guitar (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 9Rue Maarad is a main street in the central district (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 10Portrait of Fakhreddine while he was in Tuscany, stating "Faccardino grand emir dei Drusi" translated as "Fakhreddine: great emir of the Druze" (from History of Lebanon)
Image 11Beiteddine Palace, venue of the Beiteddine Festival (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 12Aftermath of the 4 August 2020 Beirut explosion (from History of Lebanon)
Image 13Protesters in Beirut. Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, 20 October 2019 (from History of Lebanon)
Image 14Khalil Gibran (April 1913) (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 15Fakhreddine II (from History of Lebanon)
Image 16The Grand Serail also known as the Government Palace is the headquarters of the prime minister of Lebanon (from Politics of Lebanon)
Image 17Flag as drawn and approved by the members of the Lebanese parliament during the declaration of independence in 1943 (from History of Lebanon)
Image 18Map showing power balance in Lebanon, 1976:
Dark Green – controlled by Syria;
Purple – controlled by Maronite groups;
Light Green – controlled by Palestinian militias (from History of Lebanon)
Image 19Gibran Khalil Gibran Garden and surroundings in Beirut Central District, Majidiye, Beirut (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 20An array of Lebanese cuisine. (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 21Map showing power balance in Lebanon, 1983: Green – controlled by Syria, purple – controlled by Christian groups, yellow – controlled by Israel, blue – controlled by the United Nations (from History of Lebanon)
Image 22Sidewalk Cafes are a trademark of the BCD (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 23Aerial photo of Beirut, Lebanon's capital (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 24Lebanon Parliament 2018 (from Politics of Lebanon)
Image 25Christian Church and Druze Khalwa in Shuf Mountains: Historically; the Druzes and the Christians in the Shuf Mountains lived in complete harmony. (from History of Lebanon)
Image 26The Green Line that separated West and East Beirut, 1982 (from History of Lebanon)
Image 27City of Zahlé at the eastern edge of the Mount Lebanon Range in eastern Lebanon (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 28Palm trees at the seafront in Corniche Beirut (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 29A map of Mount Lebanon c. AD 1180 (from History of Lebanon)
Image 30Csontváry Kosztka, Tivadar - Pilgrimage to the Cedars of Lebanon (from Culture of Lebanon)