Lebanon (IPAEng: ˈlɛbənɒn or IPAEng: ˈlɛbənən Arabic: lang: لبنان Lubnān), officially the Lebanese Republic (lang: الجمهورية اللبنانية), is a country in Western Asia, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel/Palestine to the south. Lebanon established a unique political system in 1942, known as confessionalism , based on a community-based power-sharing mechanism. It was created when the ruling French mandatory powers expanded the borders of the former autonomous Ottoman Mount Lebanon district that was mostly populated by Maronite Catholics and Druze.

Lebanon was the historic home of the Phoenicians, a maritime culture which are believed to have flourished for more than 3,000 years (3700-450 BC). The Phoenicians were able to pay taxes to all invading nations in order for them to be able to keep living in the mountains on their own accord.They could live peacefully under the conditions that they cause no trouble, pay taxes and follow basic laws. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, the five provinces that comprise present-day Lebanon were mandated to France. The country gained independence in 1943, and French troops withdrew in 1946.

Before the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), the country enjoyed a period of relative calm and prosperity, driven by tourism, agriculture, and banking. It is considered one of the banking capitals of Western Asia, and during its heyday was known to some as the "Switzerland of the East" due to its financial power and diversity at the time. Lebanon also attracted large numbers of touristsAnna Johnson (2006). "Lebanon: Tourism Depends on Stability" . Retrieved 31 October 2006. to the point that the capital Beirut became widely referred to as the "self-proclaimed Paris of the East." Immediately following the end of the war, there were extensive efforts to revive the economy and rebuild national infrastructure.

Until July 2006, a considerable degree of stability had been achieved throughout much of the country, Beirut's reconstruction was almost complete, and an increasing number of foreign tourists were pouring into Lebanon's resorts. This was until the one month long 2006 Lebanon War, between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, which caused significant civilian death and serious damage to Lebanon's civil infrastructure. The conflict lasted from 12 July 2006 until a cessation of hostilities call, by the UN Security Council, went into effect on 14 August 2006. After some turbulent political times, Lebanon was again able to revive and restablize its economy and government.

Etymology

The name Lebanon ("Lubnān" in standard Arabic;) comes from the Aramaic (and common West Semitic) root "LBN", meaning "white", which could be regarded as a reference to the snow-capped Mount Lebanon. Other interpretations of the name are "Leb" (heart in Syriac) and (a)non (God) or "the Heart of God". Occurrences of the name have been found in three of the twelve tablets of the Epic of Gilgamesh (May be as early as 2100 BC), the texts of the library of Ebla (2400 BC), and 71 times in the Old Testament. The name is recorded in Ancient Egyptian as Rmnn, where R stood for Canaanite L.