User:George/Sandbox

اَلْجُمْهُورِيَّة اَللُّبْنَانِيَّة - transliteration from the BGN

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Lebanon (English pronunciation: /ˈlɛbənɒn/ or /ˈlɛbənən/; Arabic: لُبْنَان Lubnān; French: Liban), officially the Republic of Lebanon (Arabic: اَلْجُمْهُورِيَّة اَللُّبْنَانِيَّة al-Jumhūrīyah al-Lubnānīyah; French: République libanaise), is a country in Western Asia, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south. Lebanon's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland has dictated its rich history, and shaped a cultural identity of religious and ethnic diversity.

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The area comprising modern day Lebanon has been both a battleground and melting pot of various civilizations and cultures for thousands of years.

The area comprising modern day Lebanon has been a battleground for various civilizations and melting pot of different cultures for millennia. The earliest evidence of civilization in the area can be found in Byblos, and dates back more than 7,000 years — predating recorded history.

With evidence of civilization predating recorded history... The earliest evidence of civilization dates back more than 7,000 years, predating recorded history.

Archaeological evidence of civilization has been found in Byblos, and dates back more the 7,000 years — predating recorded history. Evidence of civilization in Lebanon predates recorded history.

Evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back more than 7,000 years — predating recorded history. Archaeological evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back more than 7,000 years — predating recorded history.

The archaeological record shows...

The earliest evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back more than 7,000 years — predating recorded history.

Starting with the rise of the ancient maritime civilization of Phoenicia in the third millennium BC

-Can talk about the mountainous terrains strategic advantage, as a way to transition to geography.

Evidence for ... civilization ... predates history

Originally home to the Phoenicians,

Lebanon is centrally located between the continents of Europe, Africa, and Asia, at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arab hinterland, serving as the European gateway to the Middle East, as well as the Arab gateway to the Western World.

This was on the talk page by someone --> "The area including modern Lebanon has been for thousands of years a melting pot of various civilizations and cultures. Originally home to the Phoenicians/Canaanites, and then subsequently conquered and occupied by the Assyrians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs, the Ottoman Turks and most recently the French, Lebanese culture has over the millennia evolved by borrowing from all of these groups. Lebanon's diverse population comprising of different ethnic and religious groups has further contributed to the countries lively festivals, highly successful musical styles and literature as well as there rich cuisine. When compared to the rest of the Middle East, Lebanese society as a whole is well educated, and as of 2003 87.4% of the population was literate. Lebanese society is very modern and similar to certain cultures of Mediterranean Europe. Not only is Lebanon a distinctive fusion of Christian and Muslim traditions unequivocal in the rest of the region, it also serves as the European gateway to the Middle East as well as the Arab gateway to the Western World."

10,452 km²

Lebanon's historical legacy dates back more than 7,000 years...

Lebanon's historical legacy dates back more than 7,000 years, predating recorded history. It includes the rise of the ancient maritime civilization of Phoenica in the third millennium BC, and subsequent conquests by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Armenians, Romans, Arabs, Ottoman, and French.

dates back more than 7,000 years with the rise of ancient Phoenica in the third millennium BC.

Lebanon's historical legacy dates back more than 7,000 years, and includes the rise of ancient Phoenica in the third millennium BC.

Lebanon's historical legacy predates recorded history, dating back more than 7,000 years, and includes the rise of the ancient maritime civilization of Phoenica in the third millennium BC.

Lebanon was home to ancient civilization of Phoenica, known for its maritime commerce and colonization, as well as developing the first alphabet.

Lebanon was home to ancient civilization of Phoenica, known for its maritime commerce and colonization, as well as developing the first alphabet.

In the third millennium BC, the area gave rise to Phoenicia, an ancient civilization, whose borders roughly matched those of modern Lebanon, known for its maritime commerce and colonization, as well as developing the first alphabet.

In the third millennium BC, the area gave rise to Phoenicia, an ancient civilization of city-states known for maritime commerce and colonization, as well as developing the first alphabet.

Around the third millennium BC, the area gave rise to ancient Canaan, which the Greeks called Phoenicia because of the purple dye (Greek: Φοινίκη, Phoiníkē) they produced and sold. Phoenicia was comprised of several city-states - the most notable being Tyre, Sidon, Byblos, and Beirut - and had borders roughly matching those of modern Lebanon. The Phoenicians were known for their maritime commerce and colonization, as well as developing the first alphabet.

Around the third millennium BC, the area gave rise to the Canaanites, whom the Greeks called Phoenicians because of the purple dye (Greek: Φοινίκη, Phoiníkē) they produced and sold. Phoenicia was an ancient civilization made up of city-states whose borders roughly matched those of modern Lebanon

In the third millennium BC, the area gave rise to Phoenicia, an ancient civilization named after the purple dye (Greek: Φοινίκη, Phoiníkē) they produced and sold. Made up of several city-states, and with borders roughly matching those of modern Lebanon, Phoenicia was known for its maritime commerce and colonization, as well as developing the first alphabet. Phoenicia eventually fell to the Achaemenid Empire in 539 BC.

In the third millennium BC, the area gave rise to Phoenicia, an ancient civilization made up of city-states whose borders roughly matched those of modern Lebanon. Known for its maritime commerce and colonization, and developing the first alphabet, Phoenicia eventually fell to the Achaemenid Empire in 539 BC.

In the third millennium BC, the area gave rise to Phoenicia, an ancient civilization of city-states with borders roughly matching those of modern Lebanon. The Phoenicians were known for their maritime commerce and colonization, as well as developing the first alphabet. Phoenicia eventually fell to the Achaemenid Empire in 539 BC.

In the third millennium BC, the area gave rise to Phoenicia, an ancient civilization of city-states whose borders roughly matched those of modern Lebanon. The Phoenicians were known for their maritime commerce and colonization, as well as developing the first alphabet. Phoenicia eventually fell to the Achaemenid Empire in 539 BC, the first in a long line of conquests which included the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, etc. thalassocracy

• In the 3rd millennium BC, the area gave rise to Phoenicia, an ancient civilization of city-states known for maritime trade and colonization, and credited with developing the first alphabet. Phoenicia fell to the Achaemenid Empire in 539 BC, becoming the first in a long line of conquests...

Phoenicia eventually fell to the Persian Empire in 539 BC, and was subsequently conquered by the Greeks... Arabs... French, etc.

The area gave rise to the ancient civilization of Phoenicia around the third millennium BC. Phoenicia was made up of several city states, and had borders roughly matching those of modern day Lebanon.

...each of which left its indelible mark on Lebanon...

The area gave rise to Phoenicia

The area gave rise to Phoenicia in the third millennium BC

The area gave rise to Phoenicia in the third millennium BC, an ancient civilization whose borders roughly matched the modern border of Lebanon, known for its maritime commerce and colonization, and developing the first alphabet.

an ancient civilization with borders roughly coinciding with modern Lebanon

• The area gave rise to Phoenicia in the 3rd millennium BC, an ancient civilization of city-states known for maritime trade and colonization, and credited with developing the first alphabet. Phoenicia fell to the Achaemenid Empire in 539 BC, becoming the first in a long line of conquests including ... each successive conqueror left its own indelible mark on Lebanon's culture/architecture/language/religion...

http://www.mideasti.org/countries/countries.php?name=lebanon http://www.lebanonembassyus.org/country_lebanon/history.html

Other

( Its geographic location has shaped modern Lebanon's unique cultural identity, its diverse religious and ethnic groups, and its rich, sometimes violent, history.)

(Its geographic location has shaped Lebanon's rich, sometimes violent history.)

(Lebanon's geographic location at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and Asia, has shaped its rich, sometimes violent, history, for thousands of years.)

(complex history, intricate history) (has shaped Lebanon's... rich, sometimes violent, history...) (has shaped Lebanon's... long, and sometimes violent, history...)

It is centrally located at the crossroads of the continents of Europe, Africa, and Asia...

(situated vs. located) (Its location at the crossroads of the continents of Europe, Africa, and Asia...)

• has carved its unique history
• has greatly influenced its history
• is a key factor in its history
• has shaped much of its history
• has shaped its history for thousands of years. (history, culture, religion, people)
• sculpted

...

• of conquest, rebellion, and freedom?
• which dates back thousands of years.
• dating back thousands of years.

... (Its location makes it unique, as the crossroads between...)

• I don't think we should go into any political depth here, but rather explain Lebanon's diversity and how it has shaped the country into something unique. Think "East meets West", Arab and French intermixed, Christians and Muslims, etc.
• Next we have a paragraph that talks about Lebanon prior to the civil war, but only by 20-30 years(?). Personally I'd rather see some older historic background on Lebanon, that shaped the nation we see today. The Pheonicians, Greeks, Persians, Greco-Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, and Ottomans mentioned later in the article. Nothing too deep or specific, but maybe some discussion regarding how some of these influcened the architecture (Baalbek, Byblos, etc.), art, literature, language (French and Turkish flavors on top of the Arabic base I would think). Then maybe finish with something alluding to the periods of violence Lebanon has seen as a result of the diversity that shapes it as a nation.
• I'd make the third paragraph dicuss the civil war. Mostly an overview of its complexity, and the toll it took on the nation and the people. Finish by maybe mentioning the Cedar revolution and the war in 2006, but only briefly (one good sentence each maybe). I don't think I'd even mention the current protests/sit-ins until we have a better idea of where it ends up going (avoiding recentism).

The flag of Lebanon features a cedar in green against a white backdrop, bounded by two horizontal red stripes along the top and bottom. Due to its sectarian diversity, Lebanon follows a special political system, known as confessionalism, meant to distribute power as evenly as possible among different sects.

Until the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), the country enjoyed relative calm and prosperity, driven by the tourism, agriculture, and banking sectors of the economy. It was considered the banking capital of the Arab world and was widely known as the "Switzerland of the Middle East" due to its financial power. Lebanon also attracted large numbers of tourists, to the point that the capital Beirut became widely referred to as the "Paris of the Middle East."

Immediately following the end of the war, there were extensive efforts to revive the economy and rebuild national infrastructure. By early 2006, a considerable degree of stability had been achieved throughout much of the country, Beirut's reconstruction was almost complete, and an increasing number of foreign tourists were pouring into Lebanon's resorts. However, the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict brought mounting civilian and military casualties, extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, and massive population displacement from July 12, 2006 until a ceasefire went into effect on August 14, 2006. As of September 2006, the Lebanese government has been implementing an early recovery plan aimed at reconstructing property destroyed by Israeli attacks in Beirut, Tyre, and other villages in southern Lebanon.