The most interesting facts about Lebanon, from one of the world’s oldest countries to a capital city once known as the “Paris of the East”.
Fast facts
Official name: the Lebanese Republic
Population: 5.3 million
Area: 10,400 sq km
Capital city: Beirut
Major languages: Arabic, French, English, Armenian
Major religions: Muslim, Christian, Druze
Time zone: UTC+2 (Eastern European Time) or UTC+ 3 during the summer (Eastern European Summer Time)
Interesting facts about Lebanon
1. Lebanon is a small country in the Middle East bordered by Syria, Israel, and the Mediterranean Sea.
2. Lebanon is one of the world’s oldest countries, with thousands of years of history.
3. Archaeologists discovered the earliest known settlements in Jbail (Byblos) in 5000 BC. The Fertile Crescent, a region of the Middle East that includes a number of modern-day countries such as Lebanon, was first populated c. 10,000 BCE.
4. The name Lebanon comes from the Semitic origin word “lbn” which means “white” in reference to the snow-capped Mount Lebanon.
5. Lebanon is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible – about 71 times in the Old Testment. It isn’t mentioned in the New Testament by name, but scripture also refers to other parts of the region.
6. Lebanon was ruled by a number of ancient empires including the Phoenician, Egyptian, Hittite, Babylonian, Persian Greek and Roman.
7. For over 400 years (1516-1918), Lebanon was part of the Ottoman Empire.
8. In 1920 following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Lebanon was ruled by France, which created the State of Greater Lebanon.
9. Lebanon declared independence in 1946.
10. The Lebanese flag is horizontally striped red-white-red with a green cedar tree in the center. Historically, red and white have been associated with the Kassites and the Yemenite clans that have existed for more than 1,000 years. The cedar tree, mentioned in the Bible as a symbol of strength and wealth, has long been associated with Lebanese Christians.
11. Lebanon is the third smallest country in the Middle East after Bahrain and the Palestinian Territories.
12. Despite its size, Lebanon is home to five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including four ancient cities (Anjar, Baalbek, Byblos and Tyre) and the Qadisha valley and its Christian monastic settlements.
13. The most famous is Baalbek, also known as Heliopolis or the ‘Sun City’. Baalbek is the most spectacular ancient site in Lebanon, “one of the finest examples of Imperial Roman architecture”, and is arguably the best-preserved ancient site in the Middle East.
14. Byblos, one of the oldest Phoenician cities, has been inhabited since the Neolithic period (10,000-4,500 BC). Its buildings date back 8000 years and demonstrate several millennia of construction.
15. The Phoenician city of Tyre is supposedly where purple dye was invented. According to legend, purple pigment was discovered and reproduced in Tyre, although its use was initially reserved for royalty and nobility.
16. During the 1960s, Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, was known as the “Paris of the East” due to its image as a playground for the world’s most affluent tourists.
17. According to legend, Beirut has been resurrected from its ruins seven times, earning it the nickname, the “urban phoenix of mythology.”
18. The city’s name derives from the Canaanite or Phoenician word “ber’ot,” which means “the wells” or “fountain,” referencing the area’s accessible water table.
19. In 2020, a massive explosion in Beirut killed at least 200 people, injured over 6,000, and leveled a huge area of the city. The blast – estimated at one-twentieth of that of the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima – was caused by the ignition of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been stored in a port warehouse
20. From 1975 to 1990, Lebanon was embroiled in a civil war. By the end of the conflict, over 100,000 people had died, and nearly 1,000,000 had been displaced. Both Syria and Israel also got involved in the war, with their troops occupying parts of Lebanon until 2000 (Israel) and 2005 (Syria).
21. Lebanon is one of the world’s oldest wine-producing regions. Phoenicians are believed to have transported their grapevines to the area from as early as 3000 BC. The region was reportedly known for its wine well into the Middle Ages.
22. Lebanon is part of an area known as the Fertile Crescent, also known as the “Cradle of Civilization”. The Fertile Crescent covers a roughly crescent-shaped area of fertile land that also includes parts of present-day Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Cyprus.
23. Lebanon hosts the highest number of refugees per capita and per square kilometer globally. The government estimates there are 1.5 million Syrian refugees and approximately 11,238 refugees of other nationalities.
24. Lebanon is one of the world’s worst countries for gender equality when measured by the relative gaps between women and men in health, education, economy and politics. In 2023, it ranked 132nd out of 146 countries.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. A teacher for seven years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.