Lebanon's mountainous terrain, proximity to the sea, and strategic location at a crossroads of the world were decisive factors in shaping its history.

The strategic location was also attractive ; it was used either as a defensive position against enemies approaching the Arab hinterland or as a stepping-stone toward Lebanon's neighbors.

Sunni parties have not been the standard vehicle for launching political candidates, and tend to focus across Lebanon's borders on issues that are important to the community at large.

Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coast, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport.

Later in July, Fuad Chehab was to be elected Lebanon's new president and he met Nasser at the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Syria has at times supported Lebanon's claim that the Shebaa Farms are part of Lebanon and not Syrian territory, at the UN and in official government press releases.

In other systems the cable is slowed down intermittently to allow passengers to disembark and embark the cabins at stations, and to allow people in the cars along the route to take photographs, such as Lebanon's Téléférique which offers an exceptional view to the Mediterranean, the historical Jounieh Bay and the pine forest at the 80 % slope which this gondola lift goes over.

In a TV interview aired on Lebanon's New TV station, Sunday, 27 August 2006, Nasrallah said that he would not have ordered the capture of two Israeli soldiers if he had known it would lead to such a war: " We do not think, even one percent, that the capture led to a war at this time and of this magnitude.

Syria enjoyed an electoral system like Lebanon's, at least for the parliamentary elections, up to 1949, when the subdivisions among each religion were suppressed, then there were only reserved seats for Christians up to 1963, when the Baathist regime suppressed free elections.

However, although Syria, at the time occupying much of Lebanon, supported Al-Hoss, and although Al-Hoss's government was already established and in operation, most of the international community dealt with administrations on both sides of the Green Line and recognized both as Lebanon's prime ministers even though, constitutionally speaking, Aoun was the lawfully appointed prime minister and acting president of Lebanon.

When the project is completed in 2014 it will be Lebanon's tallest project, standing at.

These clashes follow a tense three weeks in Lebanon's north, where the Lebanese Army has been battling militant group Fatah al-Islam at a Palestinian refugee camp.

Fleihan played a major role in the development of Lebanon's economic reform program, which was presented by Hariri to international donors at a Paris conference in November 2002.

Morad scored Team Lebanon's first ever points in four years in the series at the first weekend of the season at Zandvoort, finishing in 8th place in the Feature Race.

He then joined the audit committee at Lebanon's Central Bank in 1977.

On top of the highest mountain in Saidnaya is the Cherubim Monastery at 2000 metres ( 1. 25 miles ) above sea level, overlooking Damascus ' fertile plains and Lebanon's mountains.

The mountain structure forms the first barrier to communication between the Mediterranean and Lebanon's eastern hinterland.

It has been active as a paramilitary organization representing Lebanon's Catholic Maronites since 1936, played a major role in the Lebanese civil war of 1975-1990, perpetrated the Sabra and Shatila massacre of 1982 and held the presidency of Lebanon from 1982-1988.

Lebanon's history from independence has been marked by alternating periods of political stability and turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on Beirut's position as a freely trading regional center for finance and trade.

) Lebanon's Shiites, on the other hand, have long supported the Syrian presence, as has the Hezbollah militia group and political party.

The IMF forecast a growth of 7 % for Lebanon's real GDP in 2010 and 2011 following 9 % growth in 2009 and 8. 5 % in 2008 it has 54th richest GDP per capita in the world it is forecasted that Lebanon per capita will be 19, 100 by 2015 which makes it one of the strongest in the region.

Lebanon's economy has made impressive gains since the launch of " Horizon 2000 ," the government's $ 20 billion reconstruction program in 1993.

Progress also has been made in rebuilding Lebanon's war-torn physical and financial infrastructure.

The addition of the new IMEWE underwater cable during the summer of 2011 has dramatically increased Lebanon's international bandwidth capacity, allowing for increased speeds and larger data caps.

The use of this term has persisted since then in Egyptian newspapers, the state-controlled press of Syria, Lebanon's Al-Manar, and the Jordanian media.

It has been argued that the antecedents of the war can be traced back to the conflicts and political compromises reached after the end of Lebanon's administration by the Ottoman Empire.

It has caused huge damage to Lebanon's

Lebanon's diverse population, composed of different ethnic and religious groups, has further contributed to the country's festivals, musical styles and literature as well as cuisine.

Lebanon's press became a huge industry despite the country's small size and has remained a haven for Arabic publishing.

Israel has lodged multiple complaints regarding Lebanon's conduct.

Lebanon's claim that Israel has not fully withdrawn ( see Shebaa Farms ) was explicitly rejected by the UN's Secretary-General's report which led to Resolution 1583.

Despite a June 2008 certification by the United Nations that Israel had withdrawn from all Lebanese territory, in August, Lebanon's new Cabinet unanimously approved a draft policy statement which secures Hezbollah's existence as an armed organization and guarantees its right to " liberate or recover occupied lands ".

In 2010, Iran's parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani said takes " pride in Lebanon's Islamic resistance movement for its steadfast Islamic stance.

On the basis of this agreement, Hezbollah and its opposition allies were effectively granted veto power in Lebanon's parliament.

He also strengthened Lebanon's strategic position by expanding its territory, building forts as far away as Palmyra in Syria, and gaining control of Palestine.

Modern Lebanon's constitution, drawn up in 1926, specified a balance of power between the various religious groups, but France designed it to guarantee the political dominance of its Christian allies.

The Lebanese Civil War had its origin in the conflicts and political compromises of Lebanon's colonial period and was exacerbated by the nation's changing demographic trends, inter-religious strife, and proximity to Syria, the Palestine Liberation Organization, and Israel.

Only Hezbollah retained its weapons, and was supported by Lebanon's parliament in doing so, because it officially for defending Lebanon against the Israeli occupation.

The Syrian military and intelligence presence in Lebanon was criticised by some on Lebanon's right-wing inside and outside of the country, others believed it helped to prevent renewed civil war and discourage Israeli aggression, and others believed its presence and influence was helpful for Lebanese stability and peace but should be scaled back.

Beirut is Lebanon's seat of government and plays a central role in the Lebanese economy, with many banks and corporations based in its city centre, Hamra Street, Rue Verdun and Ashrafieh.

He believed Lebanon's Christian community had an important role to play in building a Lebanon distinct from its Islamic ambiance, but did not share the fanaticism about Lebanon's Christian nature shown by many of his Maronite colleagues.

Aflaq's Arab Ba ' ath Movement's next major political action was its support of Lebanon's war of independence from France in 1943.

Despite a June 2008 certification by the United Nations that Israel had withdrawn from all Lebanese territory, in August, Lebanon's new Cabinet unanimously approved a draft policy statement which secures Hezbollah's existence as an armed organization and guarantees its right to " liberate or recover occupied lands.

In the Pact, Christians accepted Lebanon's affiliation with the Arab League and agreed not to seek French protection, which Muslims agreed to accept the Lebanese state in its present boundaries and promised not to seek unification with neighbouring Syria.

The DLM won its first parliamentary seat in Lebanon's 2005 elections representing the Tripoli district.