The
Culture of Lebanon is varied, depending widely on the differing
ethnic groupAn ethnic group is a group of humans whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage that is real or presumed.Ethnic identity is further marked by the researcher Seng Yang in the recognition from others of a group's distinctiveness and the recognition of common cultural,...
s that live in
LebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of Lebanon
[Republic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies...]
.
Arabism vs Phoenicianism
Lebanese nationals, particularly some
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
s, tend to emphasize aspects of Lebanon's non-
ArabArab people or Arabs are an ethnic group whose members identify along linguistic, cultural or genealogical grounds...
history as a mark of respect to encompass all of Lebanon's historical makeup instead of only that which began during the Arab conquests, an attitude that prevails in the rest of the Arab world.
In this respect, it would be wrong to dismiss Lebanon's mosaic culture as merely Arab when it is clear that it is a blend of indigenous and invading or foreign cultures that have given it the title of the crossroads between east and west for centuries. This picture is seen most clearly in Lebanon, a land of complete contrasts, and a land that cannot be defined by one culture alone, except if one were to bring them altogether and classify them as 'Lebanese'.
Over the centuries, Maronites formed a bond with the
PopeThe pope is the Bishop of Rome and, as such, is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church...
and in the French period Maronites eagerly took part in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
's
mission civilisatrice. There is also an old Maronite standard, dating from the early 19th century writings of Tannus al Shidyaq, that the Maronites are the direct descendants of the Phoenicians. In the 1920s
Michel ChihaMichel Chiha is a Lebanese thinker . He was a banker, a politician, writer and journalist. Along with Petro Trad and Omar Daouk, he is considered one of the fathers of the Lebanese Constitution...
expanded this idea of
PhoenicianismPhoenicianism is a form of Lebanese nationalism that promotes the concept that Lebanese people are not Arabs and the Lebanese speak their own language and have their own culture, separate from the surrounding Middle Eastern countries. Followers maintain that Lebanese are descended from Phoenician...
.
In a concession to Lebanon's Arab and
indigenousThe term indigenous peoples can be used to describe any ethnic group of people who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest known historical connection, alongside more recent immigrants who have populated the region and may be greater in number...
pre-Arab heritage, some Lebanese prefer to see Lebanon and its culture as part of a "
MediterraneanThe Mediterranean race was one of the three sub-categories into which the Caucasian race and the people of Europe were divided by anthropologists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, following the publication of William Z. Ripley's book "The Races of Europe"...
" or "Levantine" civilization. Arab influence, nevertheless, applies to virtually all aspects of the modern Lebanese culture.
Practically everyone born and raised in Lebanon, communicate and have the Lebanese language as their mother tongue, to the exception of the Kurdish and Armenian minority, though even these use it as a
lingua francaA lingua franca is a language systematically used to communicate between persons not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both persons' mother tongues.Lingua franca is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic history or...
when to communicate with those outside their ethnic groups. This universality of the Lebanese language applies to all Lebanese, be they
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
, Christian,
DruzeThe Druze are a religious community found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, whose traditional religion is said to have begun as an offshoot of Islam, but is unique in its incorporation of Gnostic, neo-Platonic and other philosophies, similar to other followers of Ismaili Shi'a...
, Jews or other religious groups. Some words in use are
TurkishTurkish is spoken as a first language by over 63 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Cyprus, with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and other...
remnants of the
OttomanThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
rule which lasted up until
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
. Some Christian chanting in a few churches, and on
EasterEaster is the most important annual religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to Christian scripture, Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day from his crucifixion...
and
ChristmasChristmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days. The nativity of Jesus, which is the basis for the anno Domini...
holidays, is performed in the liturgically reserved Syriac, but even this is also a largely dying practice.
As mentioned, some minorities like Kurds (most of whom are Muslims) and Armenians (all of whom are Christians) retain the use of their traditional languages (
KurdishKurdish is the language spoken by Kurds in western Asia. Unlike many other languages it does not have a single standardized linguistic entity with the status of an official or state language...
and
ArmenianThe Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
) in everyday speak and cultural interactions. Though, as would be expected, they also communicate in Lebanese when conversing with those outside their communities. These minorities are estimated at around 2-3%.
Language, food, music, arts and various cultural facets are local Lebanese and performed practically all in Arabic. In the globalized world today, Lebanese youth of all faiths are quite westernized in outlook, breaking away with traditions like most other people of larger cities around the world who previously adhered to their traditional cultures in areas such as dating, music, food, etc.
Compared to most other larger cities of the
Arab WorldThe Arab World refers to Arabic-speaking countries stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean in the southeast...
, Lebanese cities, particularly
BeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon with a population of over 2.1 million as of 2007. Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's coastline with the Mediterranean sea, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan Area, which...
, are more westernized and tolerant. Against
DamascusDamascus is the capital and largest city of Syria. It is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and its current population is estimated at about 1,669,000...
,
CairoCairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab World. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life...
, and
BaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is coterminous. Having a municipal population estimated at 6.5 million, it is the largest city in Iraq and the second largest in the Arab World....
, and especially in contrast to cities such as
RiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Nejd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 1,444,500 people, and the urban center of a...
, the views of the Lebanese tend to be more lax towards men-women relations, and even an opening tolerance towards homosexuality.
Food and music overlap greatly with those of
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
,
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....
,
SyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest....
,
PalestinePalestine is a conventional name used, among others, to describe a geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands.As a geographical term, Palestine can also refer to 'ancient Palestine,' an area...
and
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
, since all were Ottoman provinces for some 521 years. Dress was historically similar to the Ottoman's, but remains only as part of the
folkThe English word Folk is derived from a Germanic noun *fulka meaning "people" or "army"...
culture. Today, everyday dress has been replaced by western standards, an occurrence that has been seen in other countries around the world, such as Japan.
Language
Lebanon's official languages are
ArabicArabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. In terms of speakers, the Arabic macrolanguage is the largest member of the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million people as...
and
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
.
GreekGreek , an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, is the language of the Greeks. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. In its ancient form, it is the language of classical...
,
ArmenianThe Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
and
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
are also widely spoken and understood. Many Lebanese in fact speak a
patoisPatois is any language that is considered nonstandard, although the term is not formally defined in linguistics. It can refer to pidgins, creoles, dialects, and other forms of native or local speech, but not commonly to jargon or slang, which are vocabulary-based forms of cant...
of some combination of these five languages, most commonly an Arabic-French mixture. Virtually all Lebanese are at least trilingual, with Lebanese, Arabic, and English or French.
Spoken Arabic is one part of a grouping of dialects called
Levantine ArabicLevantine Arabic is a group of Arabic varieties spoken in the 100 km-wide eastern-Mediterranean coastal strip known as the Levant, i.e. in western Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Palestine, Israel, and western Jordan...
, differing greatly from the literary
Modern Standard ArabicThe term Fusha may refer to:* Fus'ha is the Arabic name for what is known in English as Literary, Modern Standard, or Classical Arabic.* Fusha, Guangdong , a town in the city of Zhongshan, Guangdong Province of China...
and owes its historical blend to the Syriac dialect of Aramaic and Arabic. It is a fusion between Syriac and Arabic, as well as some Turkish. In fact, about 40% of its vocabulary is derived from other languages, and thus, in this respect, can be more correctly classified as a
language from Arabic, albeit very similar due to its relationship on the tree of
Semitic languagesThe Semitic languages are a group of related languages whose living representatives are spoken by more than 467 million people across much of the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa...
.
Regional influences and occupations throughout the centuries could possibly explain the reason why Lebanese people speak so many languages, even incorporating them into their own.
Due to the importance of the Lebanese diaspora and business interests of Lebanese worldwide, it has always been important to master languages other than Arabic.
Many of Lebanon's best educational institutions have primary instruction in French, or English depending on whether the school, university, or college follows the French or American education systems. These have strict rules that the students are taught in the language of the school's origin.
In the Christian communities, until the
Lebanese Civil WarThe Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in the nation of Lebanon in the Middle East. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 130,000 to 250,000 civilian fatalities...
, it was seen as a mark of status to not speak Arabic. The reason for this could possibly be that Christians generally were educated in many of the French educational institutions and so a general Francophonic class emerged in their communities. In some places French still is preferred to Arabic, and English has been making significant headway in the past 15-20 years. However, as the Muslim population increased in previously Christian areas, Arabic in public is omnipresent, not merely commonplace.
Creative Arts
Lebanese music is known around the world for its soothing rhythms and wild beats. Traditional and folk music are extremely popular as are western rhythms.
Perhaps the best-known and listened to Lebanese singer is
FairuzNouhad Haddad , famously known as Fairuz is a Lebanese diva." "A cultural icon of the Arab world," her songs are constantly heard throughout the region, and still spark Lebanese national pride..She was born in Jabal al Arz to a Maronite Christian family, and converted to Greek Orthodoxy...
. Her songs are broadcast every morning on most radio stations and many TV channels, both in Lebanon and other countries in the Middle East and the Arab world in general.
Other artists are also well known and loved like
Majida El RoumiMajida El-Roumi was born in Kfarshima, Lebanon on December 13 1956. She is a Lebanese singer and a soprano who started her musical career in the early 1970s when she participated in the talent show, Studio El Fan on Télé Liban and won the gold medal for best female singer...
,
Marcel KhalifeMarcel Khalife is a Lebanese composer, singer and oud player, considered a Palestinian among the Palestinians, a Southerner among the South Lebanese and most commonly an Arab musician. From 1970 to 1975, he taught at the conservatory in Beirut...
who is also a composer,
oudThe oud is a pear-shaped, stringed instrument, which is often seen as the predecessor of the western lute, distinguished primarily by being without frets, commonly used in Middle Eastern music.-Name:The words "lute" and "oud" are both suspected to be derived from the...
player, and
Julia BoutrosJulia Boutros is a Lebanese singer that rose to stardom in the 1980s with a series of nationalistic songs like "Ghabet Shams El Haq" . She is also the sister of Lebanese songwriter Ziad Boutros.- Biography :...
.
Some Lebanese artists like
Najwa KaramNajwa Karam is a Lebanese singer. Her singing career began in the late 1980s with moderate success, but her major successes began in the mid-1990s....
and Assi Hellani remain loyal to a traditional type of music known as 'Jabali' (from the mountains), while many other artists incorporate western style into their songs. Lebanese artists are perhaps the most popular in the Middle East alongside Egyptian performers, and the star scene includes prominent figures like
Najwa KaramNajwa Karam is a Lebanese singer. Her singing career began in the late 1980s with moderate success, but her major successes began in the mid-1990s....
,
Nancy AjramNancy Nabil Ajram is a multi-platinum Lebanese singer. By 2007, Ajram had sold over 30 million records ranking 3rd best selling female artist in Lebanese history. She has released seven studio albums to date and appeared in numerous music videos and commercials...
,
Elissa (singer)Elissar Zakaria Khoury , known as Elissa is a Lebanese singer with multiple Arabic and International awards...
,
Haifa WehbeHaifa Wehbe is a Lebanese model, actress, and singer who rose to fame in the Arab world as runner up for Miss Lebanon and later through the release of her debut album Houwa El-Zaman .-Biography:...
, Ragheb Alame,
Myriam FaresMyriam Fares is a Lebanese musician and entertainer from South Lebanon.-Biography:Fares was born in Kfar Shlil, a small village in Southern Lebanon, near Kafarhatta village....
,
Wael KfouryMichel Emile Kfoury known by his stage name Wael Kfoury and born on 14 September 1974 in Zahle , Lebanon is a well-known Lebanese pan-Arab singer, musician and songwriter.-Beginnings:...
, Nawal al Zoghbi,
Carole SamahaCarole Samaha is a Lebanese musician and actress. She has released three studio albums. Carole has a masters degree in acting and directing, which she has earned in 1999...
,
Julia BoutrosJulia Boutros is a Lebanese singer that rose to stardom in the 1980s with a series of nationalistic songs like "Ghabet Shams El Haq" . She is also the sister of Lebanese songwriter Ziad Boutros.- Biography :...
, Marwan Khouri, Waleed Tawfeek,
Amal HijaziAmal Hijazi or Amal Higazi is a Lebanese singer, model and pop icon. She is currently one of the most active Lebanese singers and has given a number of concerts throughout the world and has made countless TV appearances...
and
Majida El RoumiMajida El-Roumi was born in Kfarshima, Lebanon on December 13 1956. She is a Lebanese singer and a soprano who started her musical career in the early 1970s when she participated in the talent show, Studio El Fan on Télé Liban and won the gold medal for best female singer...
.
The Non-Arabness previously cited allows a perfect tolerance for foreign or western music too . One could easily experience any kind of music in downtown Beirut or peripherals; for example: rock fans could visit "Nova" pub ; for blues and jazz fans , "the blue note" ; techno and trance fans , "basement" and " B.O. 18" .... Lebanese artist and Lebanese music is sometimes influenced by foreign music too ... For instance , "Lebanese rock" (Ghassan rahbani) or "Lebanese rap"(Aaks El seir") and "French rap" (Ramez).
Cuisine
Lebanese cuisine is shared by many countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, namely Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Greece and Cyprus.
The Lebanese
national dishA national dish is a dish, food or a drink that represents a particular country, nation or region. It is usually something that is naturally made or popular in that country.-Overview:...
is the kibbe, a meat pie made from finely minced lamb and burghul wheat. The national drink is arak, a strong
aniseis a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and southwest Asia known for its flavor that resembles liquorice, fennel, and tarragon.- Biology :Anise is an herbaceous annual plant growing to tall...
-flavored liquor made from fermented grape juice. It is usually drunk with water and ice, which turns the clear liquid milky-white, and always accompanies food.
Traditional Lebanese meals begin with a wide array of mezze-- small savoury dishes, such as dips, salads, pastries, and vegetables. The mezze are typically followed by a selection of grilled meats and fish. In general, meals are finished with Arabic coffee and fresh fruit, though sometimes a selection of sweets will be offered as well.
M'JuhdaraM'Juhdara is an Arab dish typically made of rice, lentils, onions and chicken stock; it is often seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked with butter or olive oil. It is considered a "poor man's food" as it is often a substitute for more expensive sources of protein, such as lamb or beef. ...
, a thick stew of onions, rice and lentils, is often considered a poor man's food and is eaten around
LentLent, in Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter.The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus,...
by Lebanese immigrants to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Foreign cuisines -- especially
FrenchFrench cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of France. It evolved from centuries of social and political change. The Middle Ages brought Guillaume Tirel, better known as Taillevent...
,
ItalianItalian cuisine as a national cuisine known today has evolved through centuries of social and political changes, with its roots traced back to 4th century BC...
,
AmericanAmerican cuisine can refer to the cuisine of several regions:*Latin American cuisine*North American cuisine*Cuisine of the United States...
, and East Asian -- are all easily available at restaurants of internationally-renowned
wineriesA winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries...
, which are mostly located in the fertile Bekaa Valley. These include
Chateau Ksara,
Chateau Kefraya,
Chateau Musar, and many others. The most common Lebanese
beerBeer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cereal grains—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize , and rice are widely...
is Almaza, which is often enjoyed at the beach on a hot summer day.
Sports
Because of Lebanon's unique geography, both summer and winter sports thrive in the country. In fact, in fall and spring it is sometimes possible to engage in both in one day, skiing in the morning and swimming in the
MediterraneanThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it...
during the afternoon.
Lebanon boasts six
skiSkiing is a group of sports using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
resorts, with slopes suitable for skiers and
snowboardersSnowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is either partially or fully covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set into a mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, surfing and skiing...
of all ages and levels of experience. Off-slope, there are many opportunities for
cross-country skiingCross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles. It is popular in many countries with large snowfields, primarily Northern Europe, Canada, Alaska and the upper midwest United States...
, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.
In the summer, skilifts can be used to access some of Lebanon's best
hikingHiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking have been confirmed in studies...
trails, with panoramic views stretching as far as
CyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean, south of Turkey and west of Syria and Lebanon....
to the west and
SyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest....
to the east on clear days.
CanoeingCanoeing is the activity of paddling a canoe for the purpose of recreation , sport, or transportation. It usually refers exclusively to using a paddle to propel a canoe with only human muscle power...
,
cyclingCycling is an activity most commonly performed on a bicycle - when it is it is also referred to as bicycling or simply biking. It is the use of the bicycle, unicycle , tricycles , quadracycles , and other similar wheeled human-powered vehicles for the purpose of transport, as a form of...
,
raftingRafting or whitewater rafting is a challenging recreational activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers...
,
climbingClimbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...
, swimming,
sailingSailing is the art of controlling a boat with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to change the direction and speed of a boat...
and spelunking are among the other common leisure sports in Lebanon. Adventure and extreme sports are also possible throughout the country.
At the competitive level,
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
and
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
are among Lebanon's most popular sports. In recent years, Lebanon has hosted the Asian Cup and the Pan-Arab Games. The Lebanese Basketball team also participated in the Olympic games twice. To meet the needs of these international competitions, Lebanon maintains state-of-the-art athletic facilities, which in turn encourage local sporting activities. Lebanon sends athletes to both the winter and summer games of the
OlympicsThe Olympic Games are a major international event of summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in...
and
Special OlympicsSpecial Olympics is an international organization created to two years, alternating between Summer and Winter Games. There are also local, national and regional competitons in over 150 countries worldwide.-History:...
.
Lebanon has a
national rugby league teamThe Lebanon National Rugby League Team represent Lebanon in international rugby league tournaments. They are nicknamed "The Cedars" after the Lebanon Cedar tree, which is also on the nation's flag. The team has been participating in international competition since 1998 and has quickly became one of...
that competed in the
2000 World CupThe 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the tournament and was held during October and November in Great Britain, Ireland and France. Building on the previous successful competition, it was decided to expand the format further, with the number of teams rising from 10 to 16...
but was knocked out in the group stage. They are currently in the process of qualifying for the
2008 World CupThe 2008 Rugby League World Cup tournament was held in Australia from 26 October, culminating in the final between Australia and New Zealand on 22 November. It was the 13th staging of the World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, but the first since the 2000 event. It was the...
. The national team also competes in the annual
Mediterranean CupThe Mediterranean Cup was an annual rugby league tournament that was held in Lebanon although it also has been held in France. It was contested by Lebanon, France, Serbia and Morocco with the competition first conceived as a qualifying tournament for the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, and in 1999 was...
where it has been quite successful. The Lebanese Rugby League has its headquarters in Biakout in Lebanon. They are associate members of the
Rugby League European FederationThe Rugby League European Federation is the governing body for the sport of rugby league across Europe, and the Mediterranean area. They are responsible, amongst other things, for spreading the game of rugby league across the continent and organising various competitions involving European...
and run a domestic competition comprising five clubs, who play in two seasons a year - spring and winter.
The most famous Lebanese rugby league player is
Hazem El MasriHazem El Masri is a Lebanese-Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He played for the Bulldogs in the National Rugby League. An Australia and Lebanon international, and New South Wales State of Origin representative winger, he has played his entire club football career at the...
who currently plays in Australia with the
National Rugby LeagueThe National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL competition is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
and holds the point scoring record in a season. He is highly respected in Australia for his social work. Additionally, he currently holds the record for the amount of points scored by one player.
The Beirut International Marathon is held every fall, drawing top runners from Lebanon and abroad. Shorter races are also held for youth and less serious competitors. Race day is promoted as a fun, family event, and it has become a tradition for many to participate in costumes or outlandish clothing.
Religion
Lebanon’s primary religious groups, very roughly, are Shia Muslim,
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
, Sunni Muslim and
DruzeThe Druze are a religious community found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, whose traditional religion is said to have begun as an offshoot of Islam, but is unique in its incorporation of Gnostic, neo-Platonic and other philosophies, similar to other followers of Ismaili Shi'a...
. Muslims represent roughly 60% of the total population, while Christians make up the other 40%. Of the Muslims, there are roughly equal numbers of Sunni and Shi'a; Druze and Alawis are minorities.
The division of power between the religious groups is an interesting problem. The Lebanese have solved this by making different high ranking government positions represented by the different religious groups, as per the Taif accord (1989). The President must be Maronite, the Prime Minister must be Sunni, and the Speaker of the Parliament must be Shi'a.
External links
See also
- Demographics of Lebanon
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Lebanon, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
- Lebanon football
- Music of Lebanon
The music of Lebanon has a long history. Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, has long been known, especially in a period immediately following World War II, for its art and intellectualism. Several singers emerged in this period, among the most famous Fairuz, Sabah, Wadih El Safi, Majida El...
- Lebanese cuisine
Lebanese cuisine includes an abundance of starches, fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and seafood; animal fats are consumed sparingly. Poultry is eaten more often than red meat, and when red meat is eaten it is usually lamb on the coast and goat meat in the mountain regions...
'