Lebanon        Lebanon           Introduction        

Background:         Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions and regaining its national sovereignty since 1991 and the end of the devastating 16-year civil war. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese have established a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater say in the political process while institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the end of the war, the Lebanese have conducted several successful elections, most of the militias have been weakened or disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have extended central government authority over about two-thirds of the country. Hizballah, the radical Shi'a party, retains its weapons. Syria maintains about 25,000 troops in Lebanon based mainly in Beirut, North Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley. Syria's troop deployment was legitimized by the Arab League during Lebanon's civil war and in the Ta'if Accord. Damascus justifies its continued military presence in Lebanon by citing the continued weakness of the LAF, Beirut's requests, and the failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the constitutional reforms in the Ta'if Accord. Israel's withdrawal from its security zone in southern Lebanon in May of 2000, however, has emboldened some Lebanese Christians and Druze to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well.

Lebanon           Geography  

Location:         Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria

Geographic coordinates:        33 50 N, 35 50 E

Map references:         Middle East

Area: total:  10,400 sq km

land:  10,230 sq km

water:  170 sq km

Area - comparative:        about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries:         total:  454 km

border countries:  Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km

Coastline:         225 km