Like any mountainous country, Lebanon's physical geography is complex.

Lebanon's rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity.

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.

Many battles were fought over Lebanon's ports, to gain smugglers access to the sea routes.

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.

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.

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.

Lebanon's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland has dictated its rich history, and shaped a cultural identity of religious and ethnic diversity.

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.

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.

He also stated that Lebanon's ability to establish peaceful coexistence with so many different groups may be a significant loss in the Arab world if the nation failed in creating a government.

It was aided by the Islamic Republic of Iran which, in the wake of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, strove not only to help Lebanon's Shi ' a, but to export the PanIslamic revolution to the rest of the Muslim world, something Musawi strongly supported, saying, " We are her the Islamic Republic's children.

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

In all, it is estimated that more than 100, 000 were killed, and another 100, 000 handicapped by injuries, during Lebanon's 16-year war.

In May 1991, the militias ( with the important exception of Hizballah ) were dissolved, and the Lebanese Armed Forces began to slowly rebuild themselves as Lebanon's only major non-sectarian institution.

Syria's refusal to exit Lebanon following Israel's 2000 withdrawal from south Lebanon first raised criticism among the Lebanese Maronite Christians and Druze, who were later joined by many of Lebanon's Sunni Muslims.

Though Hezbollah organized a very successful rally, opposition leaders were quick to point out that Hezbollah had active support from Lebanon's government and Syria.

In May 1991, the militias ( with the important exception of Hezbollah ) were dissolved, and the Lebanese Armed Forces began to slowly rebuild themselves as Lebanon's only major non-sectarian institution.

However, as always and due to Lebanon's open media and political society, regional tensions were used as an excuse to mount the insurrection by the excluded political bosses.

He dismantled the foundational myths which many of Lebanon's communities were attached to, and replaced them with a complex portrait of the nation as an intricate mosaic of disparate but interconnected communities, over which no one group exerted dominance.

Amal's practical objectives were to gain greater respect for Lebanon's Shi ' ite population and the allocation of a larger share of governmental resources for the Shi ' ite-dominated southern part of the country.

Reflecting Lebanon's long-standing place in the international francophone orbit, the lyrics of the country's proposed first Eurovision entry were in French, a language in which Aline is fluent.

Most significantly, the three main constitutional offices ( President, Prime Minister, and National Assembly Speaker ) were assigned to a Maronite Christian, Sunni Muslim, and Shi ' a Muslim, Lebanon's three largest confessions, respectively.

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.

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.

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.