Lebanon

[ leb-uh-nuhn -non ]

noun

1. a republic at the E end of the Mediterranean, N of Israel. 3,927 sq. mi. (10,170 sq. km). : Beirut.
2. a city in SE Pennsylvania.
3. a city in N central Tennessee.
4. a town in central Indiana.
5. a town in W New Hampshire.
6. a town in W Oregon.

Lebanon

/ ˈlɛbənən /

noun

1. the Lebanon
   a republic in W Asia, on the Mediterranean: an important centre of the Phoenician civilization in the third millennium bc ; part of the Ottoman Empire from 1516 until 1919; gained independence in 1941 (effective by 1945). Official language: Arabic; French and English are also widely spoken. Religion: Muslim and Christian. Currency: Lebanese pound. Capital: Beirut. Pop: 4 131 583 (2013est). Area: 10 400 sq km (4015 sq miles)

Lebanon

1. Republic in the Middle East , located on the Mediterranean Sea , bordered to the north and east by Syria and to the south by Israel . Its capital and largest city is Beirut .

Notes

Lebanon was established in 1920 from remnants of the Ottoman Empire . Its mixed Christian and Muslim population generally lived peacefully under a weak central government until the 1970s. Israel invaded in 1978 to challenge the Palestine Liberation Organization 's (PLO) influence in Lebanon and to stop PLO raids on Israel. During the 1980s Lebanon became the scene of intense fighting between PLO, Syrian, and Israeli forces, as well as indigenous Christian and Muslim factions. Terrorist bombings and the taking of foreign nationals (including American citizens) as hostages became common events. By 1992, Syria had emerged as the dominant influence in Lebanon. Democratic elections were held in the mid-1990s.