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The Lebanese Republic or Lebanon is a country in Southwest Asia, and in the Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It is considered to be one of the fifteen lands that comprise the so-called "Cradle of Humanity". Lebanon is bordered by Syria and Israel. The border with Israel has been approved by the United Nations, although a small piece of land called "Shebaa farms" is still occupied by Israel, who claims that it is actually Syrian land. The Lebanese resistance claims "Shebaa farms" as Lebanese land and occasionally launches attacks against Israeli positions within it. In addition, Syria maintains an army of over 26,000 troops in Lebanon. Lebanese supporters of Syria claim this is a legitimate presence as it was requested by the Lebanese government at the outset of the civil war in 1975. Opponents of Syria claim the Syrian presence is a quasi occupation by a foreign power.
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| National motto: | |||||
| Official language | Arabic | ||||
| Capital | Beirut | ||||
| President | Émile Lahoud | ||||
| Prime Minister | Rafiq Hariri | ||||
| Area - Total - % water | Ranked 160th 10,452 km² 1.6% | ||||
| Population
- Density | Ranked 123rd
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| Independence | 22 November 1943 | ||||
| Currency | Lebanese pound (LBP) | ||||
| Time zone | UTC +2 (DST +3) | ||||
| National anthem | Koullouna Lilouataan Lil Oula Lil Alam | ||||
| Internet TLD | .LB | ||||
| Calling Code | 961 | ||||
Main article: History of Lebanon
Main article: Politics of Lebanon
Main article: Governorates of Lebanon
Main article: Geography of Lebanon
Main article: Economy of Lebanon
Main article: Demographics of Lebanon
Main article: Culture of Lebanon
| Countries and Territories in Southwest Asia | ||
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Afghanistan | Armenia | Azerbaijan | Bahrain | Cyprus | Egypt | Gaza Strip | Georgia | Iran | Iraq | Israel | Jordan | Kuwait | Lebanon | Oman | Qatar | Saudi Arabia | Syria | Turkey | United Arab Emirates | West Bank | Yemen | ||