Being located on the coast provided an important component as a trade hub for in and out bound shipments. From the days of the Bronze Age going back to 4000BC, the Phoenicians who ruled Egypt, developed an important trade colony there. For much of history the passing of many subsequent civilizations found purpose in choosing this land as a settlement. Many of the remains from old civilizations have been discovered including tombs from early Egyptian time, bath houses of the Romans, and the walled remains left from the Medieval Christian Crusaders.

French colonial influence exerted pressure to transform socioeconomic condition in the country during the late eighteenth until the mid twentieth century. For more than a century, Beirut became a coastal metropolis that served as a haven of modern influence with avant garde attractions, restaurants, and a strikingly French personality. The impression that this left upon Lebanon for much of the time was positive as the relationship with the French governing officials was well maintained due to prosperity that the people were able to achieve during good times.

The entire region of the upper Arab Peninsula was referred to as French Leviathan exemplifying the influence that the foreign occupier held over the area during imperialism. Imposing French curriculum into the schools and engaging components of the culture in everyday life complemented the Lebanese environment. Situated along the breathtaking coastline lined with new architectural residences, businesses, avante gard attractions and French language was typical for the culture that had become the most modern of the Middle East.

What lacked in terms of manufacturing opportunities was offset by tourism and construction. As glorious standards of life for many Lebanese persisted into the post WWI era, the incentive for surrounding populations to arrive and search for work quickly spurred a huge immigration trend. An influx of mostly Syrians suddenly took place that offered cheap for labor in construction and local services. It wasn't long before the market was over saturated and poverty became an issue for those failing to find work. A result was the development of a social divide consisting of resentful foreigners who objected to the non- Muslim character that had emerged from French rule. On the contrary, the Lebanese who had benefited and respected the Christian/Muslim tolerance weren't interested in relinquishing the achievements that they saw themselves a part of.

Sensing the onset of a brewing conflict at the same time that anti-colonial movements had taken their toll on other occupied nations such as Egypt and Libya, France granted Lebanon independence in 1943 and withdrew all troops in 1946.

From then on, most of the conditions shaping the future of Lebanon were contingent on the regional issues affecting the contested areas in the Middle East, particularly with Israel. The first war in Israel erupted after it was granted statehood by the UN in 1948. The hostilities caused many Muslim Lebanese to join in with the other Arab nations in the armed conflict. Israel's victory in defeating the aggressor nations caused greater upheaval throughout the region. Religious turmoil as well as souring economic conditions in Lebanon forced the resignation of the first democratic president, Sheikh Bishara el-Khoury(1943-1952).

At the same time, the United States began making a stronger presence in response to the Egypt's nationalization of the Suez canal in 1952. The situation ordered under Egyptian President Nasser provoked massive outcry from European shareholders and engineers who had beeing overseeing much of the Suez's operations for nearly two centuries since it's opening in 1869. The US involvement in the area was increasing under President Eisenhower prompting a shift of influence from French to American as English became the international language and capitalism helped drive Lebanon's economy despite the setbacks.

A new Lebanese president Camille Chamoun agreed to US aid in return for conducting responsible governance with the sensitive issues involving Israel, Egyptian nationalization and mandating a decree against the 'Red' Communist scare that was threatening it's mark around the world.

By 1958 internal tensions became more heated over the exacerbating conditions of migrant Muslims not only failing to find a piece of the vitality in Lebanon but of the displaced refugees forced out of Israel. Frustration also flared due to President Chamoun agreement with the United States that was a sore point for the Muslim population that largely surpassed the number of Lebanese Christians who had once been the majority.

A change in presidential leadership occurred after a force of 10,000 US troops were called into Beirut to quell the situation. Fouad Chehab, the former military commander, was named president, whose government quickly dispelled the christian party officials, thereby ending the model of cooperative government that had shown promise in less complicated times. Strife would wage between the two religions for authority over the next several decades along with the height of the Israeli conflict in the region.

Just several miles to the south of the Lebanese border the Israel situation was playing it's part in Arab opposition to the Jewish statehood. Yet despite these instances of upheaval during the 1960's, conditions had not reached a point of devastation like what was soon to come. In 1970, Sulayman Franjiya was elected president whose rule would occur during one of the worst era's that Lebanon would experience made worse by the corruption that his office became known.

The expulsion of the Palestinian Liberation Organization in 1971 by the country of Jordan forced the group's leaders to relocate it's headquarters to Beirut. Upon the PLO's shift in location, Israeli defense forces took action against Palestinian threats that targeted incidental attacks in Beirut against combatants. The apprxomitely 250,000 refugees who were living in camps in the south were subjected to these attacks also and the situation grew more severe during the Arab-Israeli War in 1973.

Hostilities caused further deterioration in the balance of power for Christians who perceived the presence of Palestinians in the country as the root of chaos. A large group of support from Christian moderates was cast behind a right wing political party led by Peirre Gemayal. Private militias began increasing armed services to take on the PLO threat that was occupying an ever growing presence in the nation. Rift was then picking up speed not only on the regional Israeli issues but on the embattled internal divide over the shape of political authority in Lebanon.

The Shi'ite population threw their support behind the PLO, in protest to the bi-partisan government stance held by the then President Sulayman Franjiya. Fearing the challenges of Gemayal's Christian armed alliance, a leftist Muslim militia called Amal was created. The leader of this counter movement was Kamal Joumblatt who quickly formed the National Lebanese Front, a socialist party that defied the Lebanese National Movement faction of Christians and moderate Muslims.

The two sides erupted into a bloody civil war in April of 1975 as continued fighting lasted for over a year.

A territorial boundary called the green line was created that separated the affluent business section of Beirut with the more densely populated reformist Muslim district. Citizens of their respective religious faiths who were found on the wrong side of the line were often brutally assaulted. The militia's of the Lebanese Front covertly began receiving some support from Israel to quell the violence but the Lebanese National Movement assisted by PLO was the larger force that decisively held the upper hand.

The Syrian government intervened in 1976 to suppress the conflict that left approximately 60,000 citizens dead. For a time Syria had a peace keeping effect that forcefully dispersed all Palestinians out of Beirut, concentrating the supporters of the Lebanese Front in East Beirut and the Maronite town of Moroan. A cease fire was announced and truce signed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where the Syrian President led discussions calling for Elias Sarkis as Lebanon's new leader. But soon the Syrian presence became resented by both sides and the assassination of the pro-Muslim governing leader Kamal Joumblatt was carried out purportedly by Syrian forces who feared a reprisal of the pro PLO movement would spill into it's own borders.

As Israel had intervened in the civil war, their presence grew deeper into the southern parts of Lebanon having what would become long term effects of aggression with the Palestinian forces. Syrian alliances shifted again in favor of the the Palestinians to fend off against expansion of Israeli territory.

Attacks in the southern Lebanon and on Tel-Aviv reached a point where the United Nations intervened and ordered a resolution in 1978 ordering all Israeli forces to withdrawal from inside of Lebanon. Little in the way of dispelling the violence occurred however, which by that point had grown more localized in the rural area along the southern border which had grown into a base for radical pro-Palestinian support.

During the late seventies and early eighties the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had grown to encompass nearly all of Lebanon as IDF forces launched attacks on PLO headquarters in the south and in West Beirut. PLO shelling from southern Lebanon targeted the towns in the north of Israel and the government of Ariel Sharon hoped to refocus attention for a Lebanese government comprised of Christian moderates who might stymie the deadly threat against his country.

Despite an ordered expulsion of Palestinian guerrillas as called for by a US drafted agreement, the aggression continued with Israeli forces occupying parts of Lebanon until the costs for maintaining a Lebanese presence became no longer feasible and Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 1985. The buffer region between the nations by that time had reached about 50 miles which Israel felt rather comfortable about relying upon as the primary defense upon the exit of it's forces. Within southern Lebanon a more radical force of Muslim clerics had formed whose priorities weren't simply agreements for Palestinian sovereignty and a halt to Israel expansion but rather the complete annihilation of Israel. This group Hezbollah challenged even the main forces of power against Israeli power whose effort in last decade of fighting they perceived as lacking religious extremism. Hezbollah began to also occupy territory in southern Lebanon while receiving financial backing from Iranian radical groups for infiltrating their position on anti western doctrine.

A Syrian backed plan in Lebanon with United States approval called to restructure the Lebanese government by replacing the President with a Prime Minister around the time of the west's engagement in the Gulf War. In 1991 a full session of cabinet members elected to dissolve all Lebanese and non Lebanese militias but offered only moderate success in culling the extent of power held by radical PLO and Hezbollah groups.

Hezbollah agreed to disband it's operation in Beirut but continue it's operations in southern Lebanon as Hamas and other member of the PLO were occupying territory there as well. The Lebanese army stationed itself around southern Lebanon and in Beirut but their strength was seen as a non issue for controlling the extent of the situation that had ebbed and flowed against Israel for several decades.

Today, the peace keeping negotiations with Israel have become less hostile as a result of major intervention by the US and Europe aswell as the strengthening of Israel's army. Lebanon currently manages to preserve stability in most of the country yet the surrounding factors of refugees fleeing the brutality of the Syrian crisis and the existence of the Hezbollah pose a constant concern for the livelihood of Lebanon's people.