Lebanese People Live in Lebanon

Lebanese people live in Lebanon—a sovereign country on the eastern Mediterranean coast in Western Asia.

Geography

• Borders: Syria (north, east), Israel (south), Mediterranean Sea (west)
• Area: 10,452 km² (4,036 sq mi) — small, diverse terrain
• Capital: Beirut (population ~2.2M metro)
• Major cities: Tripoli (north), Sidon (Saida, south), Tyre (Sour, south), Zahle (Bekaa Valley)

Population

• In Lebanon: ~5.5 million (2023 est.) — includes ~1.5M Syrian refugees, ~200K Palestinian refugees
• Diaspora: ~8–14 million worldwide (Brazil, USA, France, Canada, Australia, Gulf, Africa)
• Religious diversity: 18 recognized sects — Muslim (Sunni, Shia, Alawite), Christian (Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Melkite, Armenian), Druze

Key Facts

• Language: Arabic (official); French, English widely spoken
• Currency: Lebanese Pound (LBP) — severe devaluation since 2019 crisis
• Government: Confessional parliamentary republic (power-sharing by sect)
• Economy: Services (banking, tourism), agriculture, remittances; currently in deep financial crisis

Lebanon's strategic location made it a crossroads of civilizations for millennia—Phoenicians, Romans, Ottomans, French Mandate—independent since 1943.