Anti-Lebanon ancient Anti-Libanus, Arabic Jabal al Sharqi, mountain range between Syria and Lebanon, rising to Mt. Hermon, 9,232 ft (2,814 m) high. Once noted for its forests of oak, pine, cypress, and juniper, the range is largely barren and stony. Its name also appears as Anti-Liban.

Syria

area:	185,180sq km (71,498sq mi)
population:	17,826,000
capital (population):	Damascus (1,394,322)
government:	Multiparty republic
ethnic groups:	Arab 89%, Kurd 6%
languages:	Arabic (official)
religions:	Islam 90%, Christianity 9%
currency:	Syrian pound = 100 piastres

Arab republic in the n Middle East. The Arab Republic of Syria divides into two regions. The smaller, densely populated w region comprises a narrow coastal plain and several mountain ranges. The Jabal an Nusayriyah range drops sharply to the Great Rift Valley in the e. In the sw the Anti-Lebanon range contains Syria's highest peak, Mount Hermon, at 2184m (9232ft). The capital, Damascus, and Aleppo lie in fertile valleys. Eastern Syria is mainly grassy plain, and contains the valley of the River Euphrates. In the se lies the Syrian Desert.

Climate and Vegetation

The coast has a Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. To the e, the land becomes drier. Only 4% of Syria is forested. Farmland covers c.30% of Syria, grassland makes up 44%.

History and Politics

Syria's location on the trade routes between Europe, Africa, and Asia made it a desired possession of many rulers. The area, including what is now Lebanon and some of modern-day Jordan, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, was ruled by the Hittites and by Egypt during the 15th–13th centuries bc. Under the rule of Phoenicia (13th–10th centuries bc), trading cities flourished on the Mediterranean coast. From the 10th century bc, Syria suffered invasions from Assyria and Egypt. The Achaemenid Empire provided stability. From the 3rd century bc, the Seleucids controlled Syria, often challenged by Egypt. Palmyra flourished as a city-state. In ad 63, the Romans conquered the region. Christianity was introduced via Palestine.

When the Roman Empire split in the 4th century, Syria came under Byzantine rule. In 637, Arabs invaded and most of the population converted to Islam. The Umayyads and Abbasid dynasties followed. In the 11th century, Syria was a target of the Crusades but, at the end of the 12th century, Saladin triumphed. Mongol and Mamluk rule followed Saladin's death. In 1516, the area became part of the Ottoman Empire. European interest intensified in the 19th century. During World War I, Syrian nationalists revolted and helped Britain defeat the Turks. After the war, Syria, now roughly its present size, became a French mandated territory.

In 1944, Syria gained independence. It supported the Arab cause in the Middle East, and has been involved in the Arab-Israeli Wars. In 1967, it lost the Golan Heights to Israel, and in 1973 tried unsuccessfully to reclaim them. A UN-patrolled buffer zone was established. The Golan remains a source of tension. In 1958, Syria joined the United Arab Republic with Egypt and North Yemen. Egypt's growing power led to Syrian withdrawal from the UAR, and the formation of a Syrian Arab Republic in 1961. The Ba'ath Party has ruled since 1963.

In 1970, Hafez al-Assad seized power in a coup, and he was elected in 1971. A new constitution (1973) declared Syria to be a democratic, socialist state. Assad's stable but repressive regime attracted international criticism. In the Gulf War (1991), Syria supported the coalition against Iraq. In 1994, Syria and Israel held talks about the Golan Heights. The talks stalled after Binyamin Netanyahu won the 1996 Israeli elections. The election of Ehud Barak in Israel (1999) saw the withdrawal of Israeli troops in s Lebanon, and Syria came under pressure to control Hezbollah forces. In 2000, Assad died and was succeeded by his son, Bashar al-Assad. In 2001, Syrian troops withdrew from Beirut.

Economy

Syria is a lower-middle-income developing country (2000 GDP per capita, US$3100). Its main resources are oil, hydroelectricity, and its fertile agricultural land. In 1990, crude oil accounted for 45% of exports, but Syria also exports farm products, textiles, and phosphates. Agriculture employs 23% of the workforce. The chief crops are cotton and wheat. Syria is rapidly diversifying its industrial base.

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Websites

http://www.syrianembassy.ca; http://www.syriagate.com

Lebanon

area:	10,400sq km (4015sq mi)
population:	4,003,600
capital (population):	Beirut (1,147,800)
government:	Multiparty republic
ethnic groups:	Arab (Lebanese 80%, Palestinian 12%), Armenian 5%, Syrian, Kurdish
languages:	Arabic (official)
religions:	Islam 58%, Christianity 27%, Druse
currency:	Lebanese pound = 100 piastres

Republic in sw Asia. The Republic of Lebanon lies on the e shores of the Mediterranean Sea. A narrow coastal plain contains the capital, Beirut, and the second-largest city of Tripoli. Behind the plain are the rugged Lebanese Mountains, which rise to 3088m (10,131ft). The Anti-Lebanon Mountains form the e border with Syria. Between the two ranges is the Bekaa Valley, a fertile farming area and site of the ancient city of Baalbek.

Climate and Vegetation

Coastal regions have a typical Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Onshore winds bring heavy winter rain to the w slopes of the mountains. Lebanon was famous in ancient times for its cedar forests, but these have largely disappeared. Forests now cover only 8% of the land.

History

In c.3000 bc, Canaanites founded the city of Tyre and established what became known as Phoenicia. In 332 bc, Alexander the Great conquered the territory. In 64 bc, the region fell to the Romans. Christianity arrived in ad 325. Arab conquest in the 7th century saw the introduction of Islam, but Christian Maronites predominated. Lebanon was one of the main battlefields of the Crusades (1100–1300).

In 1516, Lebanon became part of the Ottoman Empire, and Turkish rule continued until World War I. After the war, Lebanon and Syria were mandated to France. In 1926, Lebanon gained a republican constitution. In 1945, it became fully independent. During the 1950s, Lebanon's economy grew rapidly and it pursued a pro-Western foreign policy. This infuriated the Arab population and US troops were called in to crush a 1958 rebellion. Lebanon did not participate in the 1967 or 1973 Arab-Israeli Wars. In the late-1960s, Lebanon came under increasing military pressure from Israel to act against Palestinian guerrillas operating in s Lebanon.

In 1975, civil war broke out between Maronite, Sunni, Shi'ite, and Druse militias. The war claimed c.50,000 Lebanese lives and devastated the economy. In 1976, Syrian troops imposed a fragile cease-fire. In 1978, Israel invaded s Lebanon to destroy Palestinian bases. UN peace-keeping forces were called in to separate the factions. In 1982, Israel launched a full-scale attack on Lebanon. Phalangist militia massacred Palestinians in Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in West Beirut. In 1983 a terrorist bombing campaign accompanied the deployment of US and European troops in Beirut. Multinational forces left in 1984, and Israeli troops withdrew to a buffer zone in s Lebanon. In 1987, Syrian troops moved into Beirut to quell disturbances.

In 1990, a fragile truce ensued and the government began to disarm the militias. Elias Hrawi's presidency (1989–98) saw the start of reconstruction in Beirut. Syria maintained troops in West Beirut and the Bekaa Valley. In 1996 and 1998, Israel attacked Hizbollah bases in s Lebanon, in retaliation for terrorist strikes in Israel. In 1998, General Emile Lahoud succeeded Hrawi as president. In 2000, Israel withdrew its forces from s Lebanon and the Syrian-backed Hizbollah moved in. In 2001, Israel attacked Syrian radar sites in central Lebanon. Syrian troops withdrew from Beirut in June 2001.

Economy

The civil war devastated Lebanon's valuable tourism, trade, and financial sectors (2000 GDP per capita, US$5000). Manufacturing was also badly damaged. Manufactures include chemicals, electrical goods and textiles. Farm products include fruits, vegetables and sugar beet.

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Physical map

Websites

http://www.lebanonembassyus.org; http://www.lebanon-tourism.gov.lb