Lebanese Christians belong to different Christian groups like Protestants, Orthodox, Melkites, and Maronites. The Anti-Lebanon range (Al-Jabal al-Sharqī) starts with a high peak in the north and slopes southward until it is interrupted by Mount Hermon (9,232 feet [2,814 metres]). Last modified July 4, 2020. The range, rising steeply from the coast, forms a ridge of limestone and sandstone, cut by narrow and deep gorges. Islam in Lebanon (Arabic: الإسلام في لبنان ) is followed by nearly 61.1% , excluding the Druze, of the country's total population: Sunnis make up also 30.6%, with the Shafi'i madhhab being the predominant Sunni group with pockets of Hanafi and Hanbali. Early reports relate the possibility that Saint Peter himself was the one who evangelized the Phoenicians whom he affiliated to the ancient patriarchate of Antioch. Official Site of the Embassy of Lebanon in Washington, D.C. Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Lebanon, Official Site of the Embassy of Australia in Lebanon, Lebanon - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Lebanon - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Lebanon, country located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea; it consists of a narrow strip of territory and is one of the world’s smaller sovereign states. Shiites are found in larger concentrations in Southern Lebanon and south Beirut. They are described as an esoteric ethnoreligious group who identify themselves as Muwahhideen or Unitarians. Landforms, climate, soils, and vegetation undergo some sharp and striking changes within short distances. Notwithstanding its meagre natural resources, Lebanon long managed to serve as a busy commercial and cultural centre for the Middle East. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. The capital is Beirut. Former Professor of Sociology, American University of Beirut. Soil quality and makeup in Lebanon vary by region. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? Al-Biqāʿ valley lies between the Lebanon Mountains in the west and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains in the east; its fertile soils consist of alluvial deposits from the mountains on either side. Lebanese rivers, though numerous, are mostly winter torrents, draining the western slopes of the Lebanon Mountains. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Both Sunni and Shia Islam is practiced in Lebanon. The lower and middle slopes, however, are intensively cultivated, the terraced hills standing as a scenic relic of the ingenious tillers of the past. Lebanon became independent in … Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Even though Christianit… The Druze is the religion of a small percentage of the Lebanese people. Lebanon is the most religiously diverse country in the Middle East region. It is a secular state where freedom of religion is provided to the citizens of the country. It is approximately 100 miles (160 km) long and varies in width from 6 to 35 miles (10 to 56 km). 54% of the population is represented by followers of Islam. Lebanon, country consisting of a narrow strip of territory on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon is also the Middle-East country with the highest proportion of Christians in the population. It governs the laws governing privacy, such as engagement, marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption. Not only did Lebanon have to grapple with internal problems of social and economic organization, but it also had to struggle to define its position in relation to Israel, to its Arab neighbours, and to Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon. Its rugged, mountainous terrain has served throughout history as an asylum for diverse religious and ethnic groups and for political dissidents. The remaining population adheres to the Druze religion or other religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, the Baha’i faith, etc. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. In the far north it expands to form the ʿAkkār Plain. It is formed of river-deposited alluvium and marine sediments, which alternate suddenly with rocky beaches and sandy bays, and is generally fertile. Islam is the dominant religion in Lebanon. The northern portion of Mount Lebanon was ruled by Druze feudal families to the early 14th century which was then brought to an end by the Mamluk invasion. The snowcapped Lebanon Mountains are one of the most prominent features of the country’s landscape. Twelvers, Ismailis, and Alawites are the Shia groups with a significant number of adherents in the country. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2020 worldatlas.com, Religious Beliefs In The United Kingdom (Great Britain), Towns With The Lowest Violent Crime Rates In The US, Countries With The Biggest Population Decline. They also live in some rural areas and the western section of the Beqaa Valley. This outward image of vitality and growth nevertheless disguised serious problems. Thus, the people have the right to select and practice a religion of their choice. Lebanon then became a republic in 1926 and achieved independence in 1943. In that year France, which administered Lebanon as a League of Nations mandate, established the state of Greater Lebanon. As in any mountainous region, the physical geography of Lebanon is extremely complex and varied. Lebanon is bounded to the north and east by Syria, to the south by Israel, and to the west by the Mediterranean Sea. The country’s strategic location on the Mediterranean Sea coast has influenced its religious demographics and culture since the ancient times. The shallow limestone soil of the mountains provides a relatively poor topsoil. Religious affiliation is the basis for a division of society where each group has its own political culture, affiliation and leaders. Lebanese Sunnites are primarily found in the larger cities of the country like Tripoli and the capital city of Beirut. In the Lebanese society, the religious authorities representing an individual's faith, often handle family matters like marriages and divorces. The Western Asian country of Lebanon occupies an area of 10,452 square km and hosts a population of 6,006,668 people. After the end of the civil war in 1990, Lebanon gradually reclaimed a degree of relative socioeconomic and political stability; because of the continued problems of external intervention and troubled confessional relations, however, many of Lebanon’s challenges persisted into the early 21st century. Twelvers, Ismailis, and Alawites are the Shia groups with a significant number of adherents in the country. To the south the range branches westward to form the Shūf Mountains and at its southern reaches gives way to the hills of Galilee, which are lower. A comprehensive introduction to religion in Lebanon. In the south Al-Biqāʿ becomes hilly and rugged, blending into the foothills of Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Shaykh) to form the upper Jordan Valley. The range then gradually slopes to the south, rising again to a second peak, Jabal Ṣannīn (8,842 feet [2,695 metres]), northeast of Beirut. The only exception is the Līṭānī River (90 miles [145 km] long), which rises near the famed ruins of Baalbek (Baʿlabakk) and flows southward in Al-Biqāʿ to empty into the Mediterranean near historic Tyre. Lebanon shares many of the cultural characteristics of the Arab world, yet it has attributes that differentiate it from many of its Arab neighbours. The Sunnites and Shiites represent nearly an equal proportion of the Muslim population of the country. Its maximum elevation is at Qurnat al-Sawdāʾ (10,131 feet [3,088 metres]) in the north, where the renowned cedars of Lebanon grow in the shadow of the peak. The Sunnites and Shiites represent nearly an equal proportion of the Muslim population of the country. Shias make up 30.5%, with Twelvers being the predominant Shia group, followed by Alawites and Ismailis. Christianity in Lebanon is almost as old as gentile Christian faith itself. The adherents of this faith trace their origins to the Near East. The new religion gained followers in the southern portion of Mount Lebanon. They are also found in large numbers in the Hermel and Baalbek districts of the country. By Oishimaya Sen Nag on April 26 2018 in Society. The coastal plain is narrow and discontinuous, almost disappearing in places. Coauthor of. Sufism also has an influence on the Islam practiced in the nation. Updates? Druze Founded in Egypt in the 10th and 11th centuries as a splinter group from Shi’ite Islam, the Druze have eliminated all elements of ritual and ceremony; they reject the five pillars of the Islam, do not visit mosques and have no defined holy days. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It was home to ancient Phoenician settlements at sites that continued to be important centers of trade into the modern era. Phoenicia as a colonial and commercial power, Assyrian and Babylonian domination of Phoenicia, Politics and reconstruction in post-civil war Lebanon, Rebuilding the political and economic infrastructure, Resistance to the ongoing Israeli and Syrian presence in Lebanon, Factional wrangling over Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon, Regional impacts on Lebanon during and after the Arab Spring, 2018 election and the formation of a national unity government, Government mismanagement, anti-corruption protests, and the 2020 Beirut explosions. Omissions? Paul also preached in Lebanon, having lingered with the early Christians in Tyre and Sidon. Lebanese Sunnites are primarily found in the larger cities of the country like Tripoli and the capital city of Beirut. Lebanon’s Druze community primarily resides in the mountainous regions near Beirut. Before the Christian faith reached the territory of Lebanon, Jesus had traveled to its southern parts near Tyre where the scripture tells that he cured a possessed Canaanite child. The two other important rivers are the Orontes (Nahr al-ʿĀṣī), which rises in the north of Al-Biqāʿ and flows northward, and the Kabīr. All Rights Reserved. Lebanon is one of the most densely populated countries in the Mediterranean area and has a high rate of literacy. Asia in Land © 2020. Sufism also has an influence on the Islam practiced in the nation. Christianity is the second largest religion, accounting for about 40.5% of the total population of Lebanon.
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