lebanese family club

Glances over the History and geography of Lebanon
From the book “History of Lebanon” by Fr Charbel Habchi
The Geography of Lebanon
T h e t e r m “ L e b a n o n ” a c c o r d i n g t o s o m e h i s t o r i a n s , b o t h a n c i e n t a n d m o d e r n , m e a n s “ a m o u n t a i n o f p e r f u m e ” r e f e r r i n g o f
c o u r s e t o t h e t r e e c a l l e d “ l u b a n ” o r “ l u b n a ” w h i c h i s f o u n d i n a b u n d a n c e t h r o u g h o u t L e b a n o n a n d w h i c h g i v e s a d e l i c i o u s
p e r f u m e . A c c o r d i n g t o o t h e r h i s t o r i a n s “ L e b a n o n ” i s t h e n a m e o f a d i v i n e h e r o . O t h e r s a g a i n s a y t h a t t h e t e r m s i g n i f i e s
a “ w h i t e m o u n t a i n ” . T h i s l a t t e r s e e m s t o b e t h e m o s t p r o b a b l e b e c a u s e i t a l l u d e s t o s o m e t h i n g t h a t i s d i s t i n c t i v e o f t h e
L e b a n o n , n a m e l y t h e h i g h m o u n t a i n s c o v e r e d i n s n o w d u r i n g t h e g r e a t e r p a r t o f t h e y e a r. T h i s s e t s L e b a n o n a p a r t f r o m
the other countries of the Near East.
Satellite and areal pictures showing the two ranges of Lebanese
mountains covered with snow
Simply because of destiny, this small Mediterranean
country enjoys a very important geographical location. It is
t h e p o i n t a t w h i c h t h r e e c o n t i n e n t s m e e t a n d b e c a u s e i t f i n d s
i t s e l f a t t h e c e n t r e o f t h e p r i n c i p a l c i v i l i z a t i o n s b o t h
a n c i e n t a n d m o d e r n w i t h a l l t h e i r l i m i t a t i o n s .
The location of Lebanon, particularly privileged as it is,
o n t h e o t h e r h a n d , l e d t o o t h e r c o u n t r i e s a n d p o w e r s t o b e
d e s i r o u s o f p o s s e s s i n g i t , e s p e c i a l l y i t s n e a r e s t n e i g h b o r s .
L e b a n o n d i d n o t a l w a y s h a v e t h e s a m e l a n d m a s s . I t g r e w
larger but also grew smaller depending on the era and the
i n f l u e n c e s o f t h e s u p e r p o w e r s o f t h e e a s t . I t a t t a i n e d i t s
greatest dimensions in the seventeenth century during the
time of the Emir Fakhreddin (1598-1635). Commenting on
the death of this famous Emir, Jean-Pierre Alam says “the
a d m i n i s t r a t i v e b o u n d a r i e s o f t h e s t a t e w h i c h h e f o u n d e d
d i s a p p e a r e d o f t h e m a p . B u t L e b a n o n f r o m t h a t m o m e n t
never ceased to be a real living reality”.
L e b a n o n , t h e l a n d o f t h e t h o u s a n d - y e a r - o l d c e d a r s , h a l f
c o a s t a n d h a l f m o u n t a i n , n e s t l i n g o n t h e w e s t e r n s i d e o f
c e n t r a l S y r i a i s “ a m i c r o c o s m i n s i z e b u t a m a c r o c o s m
because of its influence”.