Summary
Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn,_-nən ; لُبْنَان, lɪbˈneːn; Liban), officially the Republic of Lebanon (الجمهورية اللبنانية) is a Mediterranean country in the Levant Region in West Asia, located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south. Cyprus lies to its west across the Mediterranean Sea; its location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland has contributed to its rich history and shaped a cultural identity of religious diversity. It is part of the Levant region of the Near East. Lebanon is home to more than five million people and covers an area of , making it the second-smallest country in continental Asia. The capital and largest city is Beirut, followed by Tripoli and Jounieh. The official language of the state is Arabic, while French is also formally recognized; Lebanese Arabic is the country's vernacular with French and English being significantly present with Modern Standard Arabic being limited to news and government matters. The earliest evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back to 5,000 BCE. From 3200–539 BC, it was home to the flourishing Phoenician civilization before being annexed by various Near Eastern empires. In 64 BC, the Roman Empire conquered the region, and the region became a major center for Christianity under the Byzantine Empire. In the 7th century, the Muslim conquest of the Levant established caliphal rule. The 11th century saw the start of the Crusades and the establishment of Crusader states in the region only for it to be later reclaimed by the Ayyubids and Mamluks before being ceded to the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. Under Sultan Abdulmejid I, the first Lebanese protostate took form in the 19th century as the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate, created as a home for the Maronite Christians under the Tanzimat reforms. Following the Ottoman Empire's collapse after World War I, the five Ottoman provinces constituting modern-day Lebanon came under the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon, under which its French-ruled predecessor state of Greater Lebanon was established.
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