Factbook
History of Lebanon — Timeline
Key dates in the history of Lebanon, from the Magna Factbook and the Universal Encyclopedia.
1920From it the French demarcated the region of Lebanon in 1920, and it gained independence in 1943.
1943Independence: 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration).
1975The country's 1975-90 civil war, which resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities, was followed by years of social and political instability, and sectarianism remains a key element of Lebanese political life.
1976Neighboring Syria influenced Lebanon's foreign and domestic policies while its military occupied Lebanon from 1976 until 2005, but its influence diminished significantly after 2005.
2000The Israeli defense forces, which occupied parts of Lebanon during the civil war, did not completely withdraw until 2000.
2006Hizballah -- a major Lebanese political party, militia, and US-designated foreign terrorist organization -- and Israel continued attacks and counterattacks against each other after Syria's withdrawal and fought a brief war in 2006.
2011Over 1.5 million Syrian refugees fled to Lebanon after the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011.
2019Lebanon's prosperity has significantly diminished since the beginning of the country's economic crisis in 2019, which has crippled its economy, shut down its previously lucrative banking sector, reduced the value of its currency, and caused many Lebanese to emigrate in search of better prospects.
2020Languages: Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian Religions: Muslim 67.8% (31.9% Sunni, 31.2% Shia, smaller percentages of Alawites and Ismailis), Christian 32.4% (Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group), Druze 4.5%, very small numbers of Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, and Hindus (2020 est.) Urban population: 89.4% of total population (2023).
2022Military spending: 2.9% of GDP (2022 est.).
2023After HAMAS attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, the intensity and frequency of these cross-border attacks increased substantially into a cycle of hostilities, mostly limited to the border areas as of January 2024.
2023Generation mix — fossil fuels: 52.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 31% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 15.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) Energy use: 43.105 million Btu/person (2023 est.).
2023Industries: banking, tourism, real estate and construction, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating Agriculture: potatoes, milk, tomatoes, apples, oranges, olives, cucumbers/gherkins, chicken, lemons/limes, wheat (2023) Electricity access: 100% (2022 est.).
2023Major urban areas: 2.421 million BEIRUT (capital) (2023) lower middle-income Middle Eastern economy; hyperinflation and sharp poverty increases; banks have ceased lending; economic contraction, destroyed infrastructure, and reduced consumer demand resulting from Israel-Hezbollah conflict Inflation: 45.2% (2024 est.).
