Date of independence, or formation date: 1941
Date when current borders were established: 1941
National day: Nov 22
Vehicle country identifying code: RL
Time zone (hours plus or minus from GMT): +2
International telephone dialling code: +961
Internet country identifying code: .lb

Lebanon lives in the shadow of its powerful neighbors, Syria and Israel. The coastal strip is fertile and the hinterland mountainous. The minority Maronite Christians have traditionally dominated the government. Civil war between Muslim and Christian factions from 1975, complicated by an Israeli invasion in 1982, threatened a breakup of the state, until Saudi Arabia brokered a peace deal in 1989. Greater political stability and reconstruction have ensued.

From "The Financial Times World Desk Reference" © Dorling Kindersley 2004