Social Issues- Lebanon

Introduction

Beirut is the capital city of Lebanon. Lebanon is about the size of Yorkshire, yet its people come from an amazing mixture of backgrounds and religious groups. Lebanon was a very important country in history. It was called in the bible “the land of milk and honey”. “Paris of the east” was the nickname for Beirut. Shakira who’s a famous singer is half Lebanese. There are five countries which surround Lebanon which are: Syria, Jordan, Israel, Turkey and Cyprus.

Modern History

There were tensions between Muslims and Christians from independence in 1943 as Christians held the balance of power and Lebanese Muslim had little say. In 1948 after the Arab Israel war there was an influx of Muslim refugees into Lebanon. In 1975 members of a radical Christian group attached and killed a bus full of Palestinians in downtown Beirut. The result of the tensions were revenge killings and violence had begun to spiral out of control when Syria sent 20000 troops to quash radical Muslims 2000 Palestinians were killed only in one massacre. In 1982 the Israel army invaded the city with the aim of removing the Palestinian liberation Organization. A peace deal reached in 1989 in spite of these invasions the cost of the conflict of the human and economic was 150000_ 200000 killed, 300000 were wounded and economy was paralyzed.

Lebanon Now

There are four signs of social and economic recovery in Beirut which are: newly built highways that carry high-speed traffic, building cranes are every where, US style shopping malls have sprouted up across the city and on the Corniche and you can see business men in western suits. Also there are some current problems in the country For example electricity life necessities are too expensive. Another problem is 300000 young people have left and foreigners are getting the benefit from this country without taking care of it.

Bibliography

"Eye on Lebanon." Global Eye. Spring 2006. Royal Geographic Society. 8 Apr. 2008 .