| Area Total | 10,400 sq km |
| Climate | Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; the Lebanon Mountains experience heavy winter snows |
| Natural Resources | limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land |
| Imports | China 10.2%, Italy 8.9%, Greece 7%, Germany 6.6%, US 6.3%, Turkey 4.5%, Egypt 4.2% (2017) – petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals |
| Government | parliamentary republic |
| Capital | Beirut |
| Population | 6,100,075 (July 2018 est.) |
| Ethnicity | Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1% |
| Language | Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian |
| Exports | China 13%, UAE 9.9%, South Africa 7.5%, Saudi Arabia 6.5%, Syria 6.5%, Iraq 5.8%, Turkey 4.6% (2017) – jewelry, base metals, chemicals, consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper |
News about Lebanon
- Middle East crisis live: IDF carries out airstrikes in southern Lebanon ahead of funeral of Hezbollah leader Nasrallahby Daniel Lavelle (now); Yohannes Lowe and Christine Kearney (earlier) on February 23, 2025
Hezbollah’s former leader was killed in Israeli strike last September; Israel suspends release of 600 PalestiniansHezbollah leader Naim Qassem said the group would keep following the path of slain chief Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday during a televised speech broadcast at his massive funeral on the outskirts of Beirut.“We will uphold trust and walk on this […]
- Another ceasefire is under threat from Trump – the precarious deal between Lebanon and Israel | Mohamad Bazziby Mohamad Bazzi on February 21, 2025
Israel, seemingly with the US president’s blessing, has kept troops inside Lebanon. Renewed conflict with Hezbollah is loomingAs global attention remains focused on the hostage-prisoner swaps between Hamas and Israel, another ceasefire in the region hangs in the balance.The 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah, a Shia Muslim militia which has been […]
- On the ground in a new Lebanon – podcastby Presented by Michael Safi; produced by Alex Atack, Joel Cox; executive producers: Homa Khaleeli, Sami Kent on February 20, 2025
Israel’s war has left many Lebanese people contemplating what once seemed unimaginable: is Hezbollah finished? Michael Safi reports from BeirutMichael Safi was in Lebanon in the summer, when it was on the brink of war between Israel and Hezbollah, the most powerful force in the country. Months later, in October, Israeli troops invaded Lebanon amid a wave […]
- Lebanese return home and begin search for relatives as Israel withdraws – videoon February 19, 2025
Residents of south Lebanon are returning to devastated villages and searching for the bodies of relatives killed in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, as Israeli troops withdraw from most of the territory. The conflict – which began when Hezbollah opened fire in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas –displaced tens of thousands of Israelis from […]
- Hamas says it will return bodies of four Israelis on Thursday and release six living hostages on Saturday – as it happenedby Jane Clinton, Aneesa Ahmed and Yohannes Lowe on February 18, 2025
Militant group has said it will release six hostages from Gaza this week and hand over the bodies of four othersHamas says it will hand over bodies of Bibas family and free six hostagesGeneva Abdul is a reporter for the GuardianMore than 200 organisations worldwide have called on nations involved in producing F-35 fighter jets to “immediately halt all […]
- IDF making ‘offensive plans’ as Trump says US will back Israel if it restarts war – as it happenedby Daniel Lavelle (now); Hamish Mackay and Helen Livingstone (earlier) on February 15, 2025
This blog is now closed, you can read more of our Middle East coverage here:Full report: Three Israelis and 369 Palestinians released after week of ceasefire tensionsSeveral media are quoting a statement released by Hamas this morning, in which it says Israel will only be able to repatriate the remaining hostages if it implements in full all terms of the […]
- Nearly $500m of food aid at risk of spoilage after Trump USAid cutsby Marina Dunbar on February 10, 2025
US government auditors find cuts have ‘degraded USAid’s ability to distribute and safeguard humanitarian assistance’Nearly half a billion dollars of food aid is at risk of spoilage following the decision of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s “Doge” agency to make cuts to USAid, according to an inspector general (IG) report released on Monday.Following […]
- Netanyahu gives Trump ‘golden pager’ in apparent reference to Lebanon attackby Anna Betts in New York on February 6, 2025
Photos show gift, reportedly nod to Israel’s deadly attack on Hezbollah, during which devices simultaneously detonatedBenjamin Netanyahu reportedly gave Donald Trump a “golden pager” during their meeting in Washington DC this week, in an apparent reference to Israel’s deadly attack against Hezbollah in Lebanon last year.In photos circulating online, […]
- ‘How often do you see Palestinian stories in fiction?’: the film-maker trying to adjust our focusby Saeed Kamali Dehghan on February 6, 2025
After a career making documentaries, Mahdi Fleifel has created To a Land Unknown, a feature film about the refugee experiencePalestinian stories, according to Mahdi Fleifel, are always “stranger than fiction” yet too often are told only in documentaries.Now, after a career making factual films, the Danish-Palestinian’s debut feature, To a Land […]
- Israel-Gaza war live: Israeli hostages and freed Palestinians return home as Rafah crossing opensby Amy Sedghi (now); Daniel Lavelle and Adam Fulton (earlier) on February 1, 2025
Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt has opened for the first time since MayHere are images coming in of people in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square watching a screen broadcasting news footage of this morning’s hostage releases.The Guardian’s Peter Beaumont is reporting on these latest hostage releases. Continue reading...
- Middle East crisis: Protests at Rafah crossing following Trump proposal to move people from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan – as it happenedby Christy Cooney (now) and Daniel Lavelle (earlier) on January 31, 2025
Hundreds gather at Rafah crossing after Donald Trump says people from Gaza will accept being moved to Egypt and Jordan because ‘we do a lot for them’Yarden Bibas, one of the hostages announced to be released by Hamas on Saturday, was taken on 7 October, with his wife, Shiri Babas, and their two sons, four-year-old Ariel and 10-month-old Kfir - the […]
- Tulsi Gabbard grilled on Snowden, Assad and Putin in tense Senate hearingby Andrew Roth in Washington on January 30, 2025
Skeptical senators ruthlessly questioned Trump’s national intelligence director nominee ahead of confirmation voteTulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s nominee for national intelligence director, refused to call the whistleblower Edward Snowden a “traitor” but sought to rein in her unorthodox views on foreign dictators and opposition to electronic […]
- Israel’s Unrwa ban is ‘jeopardising peace’, warns agency chief – as it happenedby Christy Cooney (now) and Yohannes Lowe (earlier) on January 28, 2025
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Israel-Gaza war coverage hereIn the UK, the chair of the House of Commons international development committee has issued a statement today on Israel banning the UN’s aid agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa. As a reminder, Israel has ordered the UN agency to vacate its headquarters in East Jerusalem […]
- Residents of Lebanese border village return to bury dead as Israeli troops withdrawby William Christou in Dhayra, Lebanon on January 28, 2025
People returning to Dhayra to mourn loss of loved ones find most of settlement has been destroyedThe mosque used to announce a death in the Lebanese village of Dhayra. The mournful call would ring loud enough that relatives on the other side of the cement border wall, in the Israeli town of Arab al-Aramshe, would be able to hear it – and prepare.Two days […]
- Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians return to north Gaza as Israel opens checkpointsby Emma Graham-Harrison in Jerusalem on January 28, 2025
People begin long walk at dawn to what remains of their homes after 24-hour delay over release of Israeli hostageHundreds of thousands of Palestinians flooded back into northern Gaza on Monday after Israel opened military checkpoints that had divided the strip for more than a year, ending a forced exile from homes and loved ones that many feared could […]
- Middle East: Tens of thousands of Palestinians begin journey home to devastated northern Gaza – as it happenedby Christy Cooney (now); Yohannes Lowe, Ben Quinn and Helen Livingstone (earlier) on January 27, 2025
People begin to return to areas such as Jabalia and Beit Hanoun following hostage agreementIsraeli defence minister Israel Katz has said the country will “continue to firmly enforce the ceasefires in the north and south”, in a post on X, referring to Lebanon and Gaza. He added:Anyone who violates the rules or threatens IDF forces will bear the full […]
- Israel kills at least 22 Lebanese while they attempt to return to their homes – videoon January 27, 2025
Israeli forces have opened fire on protesters trying to reach their villages, killing at least 22 people, including a Lebanese soldier, and injuring 124, according to Lebanon’s ministry of health. Lebanese citizens gathered in Burj Al-Muluk near Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon and attempted to return to their homes, in defiance of the Israeli military which […]
- Hamas says Israel is violating ceasefire by blocking Palestinians’ return to northern Gaza – as it happenedby Maya Yang (now); Yohannes Lowe and Jamie Grierson (earlier) on January 26, 2025
Israel delays removal of troops, accusing Hamas of breaking terms of deal by failing to release civilian hostageTrump suggests Palestinians leave Gaza and ‘we just clean out’ territoryConditions are “not yet in place” for the safe return of Lebanese citizens to southern Lebanon, according to a joint statement by the UN special coordinator for […]
- Israeli troops kill more than 20 in Lebanon and one in Gaza as residents try to returnby Emma Graham-Harrison and Ruth Michaelson in Jerusalem, and William Christou in Beirut on January 26, 2025
People shot at attempting to get back to their homes, with Israel accusing Lebanese army and Hamas of violating dealsIsraeli forces have opened fire on people trying to return to their homes under ceasefire agreements for Lebanon and Gaza, killing more than 20 people in Lebanon and one Palestinian in Gaza.Israeli authorities also ordered the UN agency for […]
- ‘We don’t know what will happen’: northern Israeli town holds breath as Lebanon ceasefire to endby Bethan McKernan and Quique Kierszenbaum in Metula on January 25, 2025
With both Israel and Hezbollah having violated the agreement, people in Metula fear the fighting will resumeAt a lookout on Tsfiya mountain in Metula, Israel’s northernmost town, a reservist commander delivered a geography lecture to dozens of new army conscripts, pointing out landmarks in the Lebanese valley below.The two-month-old ceasefire between […]
