LEBANON

The country lies on the east coast of the Mediterranean. Lebanon used to be part of the Phoenician Empire. The Phoenicians arrived about 3000 BC.

They were invaded by Amorites, Hyksos, Egyptians, Achaemenians and a few others.

7th century AD the Maronites, a Christian tribe from Syria, established themselves as a community on Mount Lebanon and took refuge there for religious reason. 

At that time Arabs settled in the southern Lebanon.

400 years later these groups of Arabs merged their beliefs with the Druze faith. Druze is a close knit religious and political sect.

At the end of the 18th century the Maronites moved further into southern Lebanon which threatened the peace with the Druze.

1842 the Ottoman Turks invaded Lebanon and crushed the power of the Druze princes.

1860 The Druze ordered a massacre of Maronites. France intervened for the sake of the Maronites and forced the Ottoman Sultan to give land to the Maronites for a Christian provinces.  

After the second World War a National Pact was signed which led to equal representation of all religions. It created prosperity and Beirut, the capital, became a financial hub of the Middle East. 

However, War Lords do not like peace and prosperity and soon found a reason to stir-up trouble. 1000s of Palestinians refugees from the Arab-Israeli Wars started the new confrontations between Arabs and Maronites.

1975 a civil war broke out leading to military intervention by Syria.

1978 Israel illegally invaded Lebanon and occupied an area in southern Lebanon. They gave the reason, they were provoked by the activities of the Palestine Liberation Organisation. 

1982 Israel launched a full-scale invasion and they did not withdraw their troops till 1985. When they left the country was in ruins and it cost 1000s of lives and the conflict was left unresolved.

1987 The Syrian invaded again and marched into Beirut and most of the country. Peace attempts failed.

1989 in March the Maronite Christian General Aoun started an all-out war against Syria.

Six months later, negotiation by the Arab League reduced the Maronites political domination and achieved a fragile peace treaty.

1991 although the treaty was accepted but it didn't ease Lebanon's instability.

1992 the first general election for 20 years was boycotted by the Maronites which gave the Muslim parties control.

1993 Attacks and bombing did not end till 1995 when Israel 'agreed' to establish an 'autonomous Palestine'.