Eye on Lebanon

Introduction:
Lebanon is one of the most beautiful countries in the Middle East. It was called in the bible “The land of milk and honey” and it was mention 76 times in the bible book. The capital is called Beirut. Whose nickname Paris of the east. Famous singer who is called Shakira is half Lebanonese. There are five countries surrounding Lebanon which are Jordan, Syria, Israel, Cyprus and Turkey.

Modren history:
The circumstances between Muslims and Christians weren’t good especially between 1943 and 1948. There were so many factors that increased the tensions between them. For example when Lebanon gain of independence, the power was held by the Christians and so the Muslims had little say in the country. Also an other reasons of increase tensions were the influx of Sunni Palestine refugees that fuelled resentment amongst Lebanonese Christians. The result of the tensions was Syria sent 20000 troops to quash radical Muslims and 2000 Palestine were killed only in one massacre. In 1982 the Israeli army invaded the city to remove the Palestinian Liberation Organization. while the fighting was going on, in 1989 a peace deal was singed between Muslims and Christians offering an equal balance in power for both of them. On that conflict there were a lot of human and economic costs. As result of that, between 150000-200000 were killed in the civil war, 300000 people were wounded and nearly quarter of the population left the country.

Lebanon now:
These days if we go there, we will find sings of social and economic recovery in Beirut. For example building cranes are everywhere, US style shopping mall are being bult, teenage girls on roller blades share the wide walkway and we will see Syrian man who sell thick Arabic coffee. Currently there are some problems. For example the life is too expensive especially the electricity and phone bills. Moreover the foreign people don’t want to develop the country, the only want to get quick money from them.

Bibliography:
"Eye on Lebanon." Globale Eye.25 Spring 2006. Royal Geograghic Society. 8 Apr. 2008 .