Where are Lebanese people from?

The Republic of Lebanon is the land of the ancient Phoenicians, considered to be among the earliest civilizations in history. For 6,000 years, the rich and diverse culture of Lebanon has been shaped by the many great empires that held influence in the region, including Greek, Roman, Persian, Arab and Ottoman.

It is the ancient home to many religious groups, including Christians, Muslims, Jews and Druze.

The population is predominantly of Arab heritage. They are mainly descendants from two ancient Semitic people, the Phoenicians and the Canaanites. However, they also descend from other groups such as the Aramaeans, the Greeks and the Romans.