Lebanon Country Profile Pdf

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Lebanon Country Profile Pdf Lebanon country profile pdf Continue (Arabic) اﻟﺠﻤﻬﻮرﻳﺔ اﻟﻠﺒﻨﺎﻧﻴﺔCountry in the Middle East This article is about the country. For other applications Lebanon, see Lebanon (disambiguation), Liban (disambiguation), and Libnan (disambiguation). Coordinates: 33'50'N 35'50'E / 33.833'N 35.833'E / 33.833; 35.833 Lebanese Republic Arabic) Kullun' li-l-wa'an All of us! For our country! (English) Capitals largest city Bayruth3'54'N 35'32'E / 33.900'N 35.533'E / 33.900; 35.533Official languagesArabic[nb 1]Local vernacularLebanese Arabic[nb 2]Religion 61.1%) ﻛﻠّﻨﺎ ﻟﻠﻮﻃﻦ :al-Jumharaha al-Lubnani Flag Herb Anthem Muslim33.7% Christian5.2% Druze[1]Demonym(s)LebaneseGovernmentUnitary parliamentary confessionalist constitutional republic[2]• President Michel Aoun• Prime Minister Hassan Diab• Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri LegislatureParliamentEstablishment• Greater Lebanon 1 September 1920• Constitution 23 May 1926• Independence declared 22 November 1943• French mandate ended 24 October 1945• Withdrawal of French forces 17 April 1946• Syrian and Israeli occupations 1976–2005• Israeli troops withdrawn 24 May 2000• Syrian troops withdrawn 30 April 2005 Area • Total10,452 km2 (4,036 sq mi) (161st)• Water (%)1.8Population• 2018 estimate6,859,408[3][4] (109th)• Density560/km2 (1,450.4/sq mi) (21st)GDP (PPP)2019 estimate• Total$91 billion[5]• Per capita$15,049[5] (66th)GDP (nominal)2019 estimate• Total$58 billion[5] (82nd)• Per capita$9,655[5]Gini 50.7highHDI (2018) 0.730[6]high · 93rdCurrencyLebanese pound (LBP)Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)• Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)Driving sideright [7]Calling code+961[8]ISO 3166 codeLBInternet TLD.lb Lebanon (/ ˈlɛbənɒn, -hun/ (listen); Arabic: Romanticized: romanticized: al-Jumhara al-Lubnan, Lebanese Arabic pronunciation: lˈʒʊmhuːrijje lˈlɪbneːnijje; French: Republic libanaise or widely mentioned among residents in ,اﻟﺠﻤﻬﻮرﻳﺔ اﻟﻠﺒﻨﺎﻧﻴﺔ :Lubnin, Lebanese Arabic pronunciation: lɪbˈneːn),), officially known as the Republic of Lebanon (Arabic French: Liban), is a Middle Eastern country in West Asia. It borders Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus is located in the west across the Mediterranean. Lebanon's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arab hinterland contributed to its rich history and shaped the cultural identity of religious and ethnic diversity. At just 10,452 km2 (4,036 miles2) it is the smallest recognized sovereign state on the continent of continental Asia. (nb 4) The official language, Lebanese Arabic, is the most spoken language spoken by Lebanese citizens. (nb 5) The earliest evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back to more than thousands of years, pre-preparing a recorded history. Lebanon was home to the Phoenicians, a maritime culture that flourished for nearly three thousand years (about 3200-539 BC). In 64 BC, the region came under the rule of the Roman Empire and eventually became one of its leading centers of Christianity. The mountain range of Lebanon saw the emergence of a monastic tradition known as the Maronite Church. When Arab Muslims conquered the region, the Maronites held on to their religion and identity. However, a new religious group, the Druze, has also established itself on Mount Lebanon, creating a religious schism that lasted for centuries. During the Crusades, the Maronites made contact with the Roman Catholic Church and established their communication with Rome. These ties have influenced the region in the modern era. Lebanon was conquered by the Ottomans in the 16th century and remained under their rule for the next 400 years. After the collapse of the empire after World War I, the five provinces that make up modern Lebanon came under the French mandate. The French expanded the boundaries of Mount Lebanon, which was predominantly Maronite and Druze, including more Muslims. After independence in 1943, Lebanon established a unique confessional form of government, with the main religious sects singing specific political forces. President Bechara El Khoury, Prime Minister Riad el-Solh, and Defense Minister Emir Majid Arslan II are considered founders of modern Lebanon and national heroes for their role in independence. Lebanon initially enjoyed political and economic stability, which was shattered by the bloody civil war in Lebanon (1975-1990) between various political and sectarian groups. The war partly led to military occupations in Syria (from 1975 to 2005) and Israel (from 1985 to 2000). Despite Lebanon's small size, Lebanese culture is known both in the Arab world and around the world, fed by its large and influential diaspora. Before the civil war, the country had a diversified economy that included tourism, agriculture, trade and banking. Its financial strength and stability in the 1950s and 1960s brought Lebanon the name Switzerland of the East, while its capital, Beirut, attracted so many tourists that it was known as the Paris of the Middle East. Since the end of the war, considerable efforts have been made to revitalize the economy and restore national infrastructure. Although Lebanon is still recovering from the political and economic consequences of the conflict, it remains a cosmopolitan and developing country with the highest index of human development and GDP per capita in the Arab world outside the oil-rich economies of the Persian Gulf. Lebanon was a founding member of the United Nations in 1945 and is a member of the Arab League (1945), The Non-Aligned Movement (1961), the Organization of the Organization Islamic Cooperation (1969) and the International Organization of Francophonie (1973). The etymology of the name of Mount Lebanon comes from the Phoenician root of the lbn (), which means white, presumably from its snow-covered peaks. Cases of the name were found in various Middle Bronze Age texts from the Ebla Library, and three of the twelve tablets of the Gilgamesh Epic. The name is written in ancient Egyptian as Rmnn (), where R stood ﻣﺘﺼﺮﻓﻴﺔ ﺟﺒﻞ . :Lebanon as the name of the administrative unit (as opposed to the mountain range), which was introduced with the Ottoman reforms of 1861, as Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifat (Arabic . ְל ָבנוֹן for Canaanite L. the name occurs almost 70 times in the Jewish Bible, as . دوﻟﺔ اﻟﻜﺒﻴﺮ . French: Stat du Grand Liban) in 1920, and ultimately in the name of the sovereign Republic of Lebanon al-Jumharaya al-Lubnaya) after independence in 1943. Story Home article: The History of Lebanon This section needs additional quotes to verify. Please help improve this article by adding quotes to reliable sources. Non-sources of materials can be challenged and اﻟﺠﻤﻬﻮرﻳﺔ اﻟﻠﺒﻨﺎﻧﻴﺔ :Arabic) removed. Find sources: Lebanon - News newspaper book scientist JSTOR (November 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message template) The borders of modern Lebanon are a product of the 1920 Sevres Treaty. Its territory was the nucleus of the Phoenician (Canaan) city- state of the Bronze Age. As part of the Levant, it was part of numerous successive empires throughout ancient history, including the Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Ahemenid Persian, Hellenistic, Roman and Sasanid Persian empires. After the Muslim conquest of the Levant in the 7th century, it was part of the empires of Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid Seljuk and Fatimid. The Crusader state of Tripoli, founded by Raymond IV of Toulouse in 1102, covered much of present-day Lebanon, falling to the Sultanate of Mamluk in 1289 and finally to the Ottoman Empire in 1516. With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Greater Lebanon came under a French mandate in 1920 and gained independence under President Bechara El Khoury in 1943. Lebanon's history since independence has been marked by interspersed periods of political stability and prosperity, based on Beirut's position as a regional center of finance and trade, interspersed with political upheaval and armed conflict (1948 Arab-Israeli war, The Lebanese Civil War 1975-1990, 2005 Cedar 2006 Lebanese war, 2007 Lebanon conflict, 2006-08 Lebanese protests, 2008 conflict in Lebanon, 2011 Syrian civil war and lebanese protests in 2019-2020). Ancient Lebanon Home article: The History of Ancient Lebanon Map of Phoenicia and Trade Path Evidence, dating from an early settlement in Lebanon was found in Byblos, considered one of the oldest permanently inhabited cities in the world. The evidence dates back to an earlier 5000 BC. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of prehistoric huts with shredded limestone floors, primitive weapons and burial jars left by neolithic and Halkolite fishing communities that lived on the shores of the Mediterranean more than 7,000 years ago. Lebanon was part of northern Canaan, and therefore became the birthplace of descendants of The Canaanites, Phoenicians, navigators, which spread across the Mediterranean Sea in the first millennium BC. The most famous Phoenician cities were Biblos, Sidon and Tyre, while their most famous colonies were Carthage in present-day Tunisia and Cadiz in modern Spain. The Phoenicians attribute the invention of the oldest proven alphabet, which later inspired the Greek alphabet and Latin. The cities of Phoenicia were incorporated into the Persian Empire of the Achemenids by Cyrus the Great in 539. B.C. Phoenician city-states were later incorporated into the empire of Alexander the Great after the siege of Tyre in 332 BC Maronites, drubbing and crusades The fall of Tripoli to the Egyptian Mamluks and the destruction of the Crusader state, the county of Tripoli, 1289 Region, which is now Lebanon, like the rest of Syria and much of Anatolia , became a major center of Christianity in the Roman Empire during the early spread of the faith. In the late 4th and early 5th century, a hermit named Maron founded a monastic tradition focused on the importance of monotheism and asceticism, not far from the Mediterranean mountain range known as Mount Lebanon. The monks who followed Maron spread his teachings to the Lebanese in the region. These Christians were known as Maronites and moved to the mountains to escape religious persecution by the Roman authorities.
Recommended publications
  • UNIT-III 1. Middle East Countries 2. Central and Middle Asia 3. China 4
    WORLD TOURISM DESTINATIONS UNIT-III 1. Middle East Countries 2. Central and Middle Asia 3. China 4. SAARC Countries A S I A N C O N T I N E N T 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 2 Countries in ASIAN Continent : 48+03+01 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 3 WEST ASIA CENTRAL ASIA SOUTH ASIA 12/11/2020NORTH ASIA Saravanan_doc_WorldEAST ASIA Tourism_PPT SOUTH EAST ASIA4 WEST ASIA 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 5 WEST ASIAN COUNTRIES • Armenia • Lebanon • Azerbaijan • Oman • Bahrain • Palestine • Cyprus • Qatar • Georgia • Saudi Arabia • Iraq • Syria • Iran • Turkey • Israel • United Arab Emirates • Jordan • Yemen • Kuwait 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 6 Armenia 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 7 Azerbaijan 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 8 Bahrain 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 9 Cyprus 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 10 Georgia 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 11 Iraq 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 12 Iran 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 13 Israel 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 14 Jordan 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 15 Kuwait 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 16 Lebanon 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 17 Oman 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 18 Palestine 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 19 Qatar 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 20 Saudi Arabia 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 21 Syria 12/11/2020 Saravanan_doc_World Tourism_PPT 22 Turkey
    [Show full text]
  • Msna) Phase One Report
    INTER-AGENCY MULTI-SECTOR NEEDS ASSESSMENT (MSNA) PHASE ONE REPORT SECONDARY DATA REVIEW AND ANALYSIS MAY 2014 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Aim of the Inter-Agency Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA), its structure and process The MSNA was established, in light of the Syrian crisis, to enhance the humanitarian response in Lebanon. It aims to help prioritise humanitarian assistance, by identifying the most pressing needs, within and among sectors, and identify gaps in assisting these priority needs. This report represents the findings of phase one, a secondary data review and analysis of available data shared with the MSNA team. An inter-agency technical working group (TWG) - consisting of members of NGOs, the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA), IOM and UN agencies - was established in February 2014, to develop the framework and methodology for the MSNA phase one, and to lead its technical implementation. From the start, the TWG engaged directly with sector coordinators and sector working groups (SWGs) in order to collect data and develop ‘information needs’, which were mainly derived from the regional response plan (RRP) indicators and other SWG recommendations. These were used to inform the data review process and identify relevant information gaps. During phase one, MSNA SWG workshops were established to collect views from SWG members and complement data findings. This main report will only present findings from the data made available to the MSNA team. The views of the SWGs are detailed in the extended sector chapters. Outputs Eight sector chapters1 were released on 24 April. These provide some preliminary conclusions on priorities, based on available data and the views of SWG members, along with what is known in relation to the information needs identified by the SWGs.
    [Show full text]
  • Transgender Persons Welfare Policy
    TRANSGENDER PERSONS WELFARE POLICY PUNJAB SOCIAL PROTECTION AUTHORITY GOVERNMENT OF THE PUNJAB, PAKISTAN AUGUST 2018 Table of Contents 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 3 2. Theoretical Perspectives .................................................................................................................................... 5 3. Concept of Transgender in Islam .................................................................................................................... 6 4. History of Transgender Persons in South Asia ........................................................................................... 7 5. Population of Transgender Persons ............................................................................................................... 8 6. Key Challenges that Require a Transgender Persons Policy.................................................................. 9 7. Government’s Efforts for Welfare of Transgender Persons ................................................................ 11 8. Policy Measures for Assisting and Protecting Transgender People ................................................. 11 8.1. Vision, Mission and Strategic Objectives ................................................................................................... 12 8.2. Principles of SP Program Design and Implementation ........................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Romanies in Italy: from National ‘Emergency’ to National ‘Strategy’ in Rome’S Campi Nomadi
    Romanies in Italy: From National ‘Emergency’ to National ‘Strategy’ in Rome’s Campi Nomadi Riccardo Armillei Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Swinburne Institute for Social Research Faculty of Health, Arts and Design Swinburne University of Technology 2015 Abstract This dissertation deals with the social exclusion of Romanies in Italy. Based on interviews with Romani individuals, institutional and Civil Society Organisations’ (CSOs) representatives, participant observation and a broad range of secondary sources, the thesis focuses on the condition of those living in ‘ campi nomadi’ (nomad camps) and on the recent implementation of a state of emergency, the so-called ‘ Emergenza Nomadi’ (Nomad Emergency). The enactment of this extraordinary measure concealed the existence of a long-established institutional tradition of racism and control directed at Romanies. It was not the result of a sudden, unexpected situation which required an immediate action, as the declaration of an ‘emergency’ might imply, but rather of a precise government strategy. The extreme poverty of the ‘Romanies of the camps’ should be understood as the result of a protracted institutional immobility and political vacuum, which has basically created the ‘emergency’ and the premises for the implementation of a ‘state of exception’. Specifically, the present study focuses on the city of Rome, where the author conducted fieldwork in 2011 and 2012, and provides an investigation of the interactions between Romanies, local institutions and Third Sector organisations. It finds that national and local institutions and their sub-contracted agents have failed to promote the social inclusion of this minority group.
    [Show full text]
  • Patience and Comparative Development*
    Patience and Comparative Development* Thomas Dohmen Benjamin Enke Armin Falk David Huffman Uwe Sunde May 29, 2018 Abstract This paper studies the role of heterogeneity in patience for comparative devel- opment. The empirical analysis is based on a simple OLG model in which patience drives the accumulation of physical capital, human capital, productivity improve- ments, and hence income. Based on a globally representative dataset on patience in 76 countries, we study the implications of the model through a combination of reduced-form estimations and simulations. In the data, patience is strongly corre- lated with income levels, income growth, and the accumulation of physical capital, human capital, and productivity. These relationships hold across countries, sub- national regions, and individuals. In the reduced-form analyses, the quantitative magnitude of the relationship between patience and income strongly increases in the level of aggregation. A simple parameterized version of the model generates comparable aggregation effects as a result of production complementarities and equilibrium effects, and illustrates that variation in preference endowments can account for a considerable part of the observed variation in per capita income. JEL classification: D03, D90, O10, O30, O40. Keywords: Patience; comparative development; factor accumulation. *Armin Falk acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council through ERC # 209214. Dohmen, Falk: University of Bonn, Department of Economics; [email protected], [email protected]. Enke: Harvard University, Department of Economics; [email protected]. Huffman: University of Pittsburgh, Department of Economics; huff[email protected]. Sunde: University of Munich, Department of Economics; [email protected]. 1 Introduction A long stream of research in development accounting has documented that both pro- duction factors and productivity play an important role in explaining cross-country income differences (Hall and Jones, 1999; Caselli, 2005; Hsieh and Klenow, 2010).
    [Show full text]
  • Bloggers and the Blogosphere in Lebanon & Syria Meanings And
    Bloggers and the Blogosphere in Lebanon & Syria Meanings and Activities Maha Taki A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements by the University of Westminster for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, August 2010 I would like to dedicate this thesis to my mum and dad, Nada Taki and Toufic Taki. 2 DECLARATION I certify that this thesis I have presented for examination for the PhD degree at the University of Westminster is my own work. 3 ACKNOWLDGEMENTS Firstly, I would like to thank my research committee, Naomi Sakr and Colin Sparks, and the research office for believing in the project and granting me a scholarship without which this PhD would not have been possible. I would like to express my undying gratitude to my director of studies, Naomi Sakr, whose continuous support, insightful comments and broad vision have been invaluable for the completion of this thesis. I would also like to thank friends who have helped me refine my thoughts for my PhD by listening to my ideas and reading drafts of chapters: Layal Ftouni, Adrian Burgess and Bechir Saade. I would like to express my gratitude to friends who have been extremely supportive throughout the past four years, and especially during the last four months of completion, namely Rasha Kahil, Kate Noble, Nora Razian, Nick Raistrick, Simon Le Gouais, Saim Demircan, Lina Daouk-Oyri, my brother and sister Ali and Norma Taki. I am also very grateful towards the project team at the BBC World Service Trust for granting me numerous opportunities to travel to Lebanon and Syria.
    [Show full text]
  • Ziad Joseph RAHAL Sport Mondial Et Culture Moyen-Orientale, Une
    UNIVERSITÉ LILLE II U.F.R. S.T.A.P.S. 9, rue de l'Université 59790 -Ronchin THÈSE pour obtenir le grade de DOCTEUR DE L’UNIVERSITE LILLE II, en Sciences et Techniques des Activités Physiques et Sportives Présentée et soutenue publiquement le 13 décembre 2017 par Ziad Joseph RAHAL Sport mondial et culture moyen-orientale, une interaction dialectique récente. Le cas du Liban. Directeur de thèse Professeur Claude SOBRY Univ. Lille, EA 7369 Membres du Jury URePSSS -Unité de Recherche Pluridiscipli- Mme Sorina CERNAIANU, Université de Craiova (Roumanie) naire Sport Santé Société, Professeur Patrick BOUCHET, Université de Dijon (rapporteur) F-59000 Professeur Michel RASPAUD, Université de Grenoble Alpes (rapporteur) M. Nadim NASSIF, Université Notre-Dame, Beyrouth (Liban) Professeur Fabien WILLE, Université Lille II (Président) Professeur Claude SOBRY, Université Lille II (Directeur de thèse) UNIVERSITÉ LILLE II U.F.R. S.T.A.P.S. 9, rue de l'Université 59790 -Ronchin THÈSE pour obtenir le grade de DOCTEUR DE L’UNIVERSITE LILLE II, en Sciences et Techniques des Activités Physiques et Sportives Présentée et soutenue publiquement le 13 décembre 2017 par Ziad Joseph RAHAL Sport mondial et culture moyen-orientale, une interaction dialectique récente. Le cas du Liban. Directeur de thèse Professeur Claude SOBRY Univ. Lille, EA 7369 Membres du Jury : URePSSS -Unité de Recherche Pluridiscipli- Mme Sorina CERNAIANU, Université de Craiova (Roumanie) naire Sport Santé Société, Professeur Patrick BOUCHET, Université de Dijon (rapporteur) F-59000 Professeur Michel RASPAUD, Université de Grenoble Alpes (rapporteur) M. Nadim NASSIF, Université Notre-Dame, Beyrouth (Liban) Professeur Fabien WILLE, Université Lille 2 (Président) Professeur Claude SOBRY, Université Lille 2 (Directeur de thèse) Remerciements : Au terme de ce parcours universitaire qui aboutit aujourd’hui à la soutenance de cette thèse, il me revient d’exprimer mes plus sincères remerciements à toutes celles et ceux sans qui, ce travail n’aurait pas pu voir le jour.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 11 ) LAKELAND TOURS, LLC, Et Al.,1 ) Case No
    20-11647-jlg Doc 205 Filed 09/30/20 Entered 09/30/20 13:16:46 Main Document Pg 1 of 105 UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK ) In re: ) Chapter 11 ) LAKELAND TOURS, LLC, et al.,1 ) Case No. 20-11647 (JLG) ) Debtors. ) Jointly Administered ) AFFIDAVIT OF SERVICE I, Julian A. Del Toro, depose and say that I am employed by Stretto, the claims and noticing agent for the Debtors in the above-captioned case. On September 25, 2020, at my direction and under my supervision, employees of Stretto caused the following document to be served via first-class mail on the service list attached hereto as Exhibit A, via electronic mail on the service list attached hereto as Exhibit B, and on three (3) confidential parties not listed herein: Notice of Filing Third Amended Plan Supplement (Docket No. 200) Notice of (I) Entry of Order (I) Approving the Disclosure Statement for and Confirming the Joint Prepackaged Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization of Lakeland Tours, LLC and Its Debtor Affiliates and (II) Occurrence of the Effective Date to All (Docket No. 201) [THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK] ________________________________________ 1 A complete list of each of the Debtors in these chapter 11 cases may be obtained on the website of the Debtors’ proposed claims and noticing agent at https://cases.stretto.com/WorldStrides. The location of the Debtors’ service address in these chapter 11 cases is: 49 West 45th Street, New York, NY 10036. 20-11647-jlg Doc 205 Filed 09/30/20 Entered 09/30/20 13:16:46 Main Document Pg 2 of 105 20-11647-jlg Doc 205 Filed 09/30/20 Entered 09/30/20 13:16:46 Main Document Pg 3 of 105 Exhibit A 20-11647-jlg Doc 205 Filed 09/30/20 Entered 09/30/20 13:16:46 Main Document Pg 4 of 105 Exhibit A Served via First-Class Mail Name Attention Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 City State Zip Country Aaron Joseph Borenstein Trust Address Redacted Attn: Benjamin Mintz & Peta Gordon & Lucas B.
    [Show full text]
  • Football a Syrian Elegy
    FOOTBALL A SYRIAN ELEGY OCTOBER 2016 ARMENAK TOKMAJYAN Photo: Syrian National Team (1947). Credit: Syrianhistory.com 1 Football was a big part of my life as a teenager, making me absolutely no different from a billion other young men around the world. It consumed much of my time, along with basketball, pirated DVDs, homework, reading and eating. Not only were there an almost endless array of European league matches on TV after satellite dishes had mushroomed over Aleppo but matches with friends were a highlight of the week. Six of us would pile into a car and drive to al-Jabbanat or the Cemeteries, a small concrete pitch in the middle of the Maronite Christian graveyard and next to the Armenian Orthodox cemetery in the northeast of the city. At the corner of Mikhayel Naima and Hittin streets, it was a 20-meter by 40-meter rectangle of broken asphalt. You thought very carefully before attempting a sliding tackle. Our group would head out on the road to the Kurdish area of the city to that small hard pitch surrounded by pale sandstone graves. Since those days, the area has seen some heavy fighting and is cut off from the ever decreasing number of Armenians in the western half of the city. The government had to give the Armenian community a new plot in the west to bury their dead. Syrians, including Syrian-Armenians, had a complex relationship with sports. Most of us loved football but we were more passionate about foreign teams rather than local clubs. For me it was Real Madrid and Arsenal, teams with devoted supporters around the world.
    [Show full text]
  • The Consociational Theory and Challenges to Democratization in South Caucasus Plural Societies
    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 9, ISSUE 01, JANUARY 2020 ISSN 2277-8616 The Consociational Theory And Challenges To Democratization In South Caucasus Plural Societies Emil Ordukhanyan Abstract : The South Caucasus region is quite diverse in its cultural, ethnic, civilization, religious and social structure. At the same time after the collapse of the Soviet Union, emerged numerous internal conflicts significantly hindered the democratization process in the region. The quarter-century post-Soviet experience shows that with some differences mainly pseudo-democratic or even autocratic regimes are established in South Caucasus countries. Many researches affirm that in plural societies of Azerbaijan and Georgia ethnocratic elements are also observed. In these countries the influence of dominant ethnic groups over other ethnicities not explicitly are encouraged by authorities. Local researchers often explain this situation by the transitional period. However, other numerous studies show that in these countries ethnic-based governments aspire to be strengthened. Therefore, these countries could not lead to a fully democratic transition, and in result, they will be able to build ethnic democracies or authoritarian regimes. In this case, the cultural, religious and linguistic identity of subordinate ethnicities will be in danger. To prevent such possible developments, the article explores the idea of cultural relativism as opposition to the ethnocentrism. The cultural relativism treats all ethnic segments of the same plural society as equal. And in this case, the most relevant model of democracy can be the consociational model which continues to be successfully used for decades in many plural European states such as Netherlands, Belgium, etc. The article argues that in South Caucasus plural states the consociational discourse can be a real tool to build a democratic political culture.
    [Show full text]
  • Wazzani Spring
    Wazzani Spring Assessment of the present international water conflict between Lebanon and Israel - concerning the Wazzani Spring and Hasbani River - seen within an Arab-Israeli context. BY ANDERS OMBERG HANSEN CAND.SCIENT THESIS IN RESOURCE GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF OSLO SPRING 2005 ii Disclaims The denominations used and the line boundaries shown on any maps do not imply any judgment on the legal status of any territories or any endorsements or acceptance of such boundaries. Unless otherwise stated all the interpretations and findings set forth in this publication are those of the author and should not be assumed to reflect the views of any particular persons or organisations. iii iv Foreword The situation in the Middle East has over the last centuries received much attention from the international community. There is a long history of disputes over natural resources like oil and land in the Middle East, and on some occasions these disputes have resulted in warfare among neighboring states. Even though water has always been a source of conflict in the region, it’s only in the recent years that more focus has been placed on the scarce fresh water resources in the region, and the management of them. In the arid Middle East region water is scarce both in terms of the quantity and quality. This constitutes a great challenge for the countries in the region, because water is probably the most fundamental natural resource for humans and the societies in which they live. The fundamental role that water resources play in a society is also the cause of tension between different users of the same water resources.
    [Show full text]
  • Political Science 190.607 Comparative Racial Politics Fall 2011 Johns Hopkins University Tuesdays 1-2:50Pm Mergenthaler 366
    Political Science 190.607 Comparative Racial Politics Fall 2011 Johns Hopkins University Tuesdays 1-2:50pm Mergenthaler 366 Professor Erin Aeran Chung Office: 365 Mergenthaler Hall Phone: 410-516-4496 Email: [email protected] Office hours: Mondays 1:30-2:30pm and by appointment COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course surveys the major trends and approaches to the comparative study of race in political science and critically examines the link between race and politics. The goals of the course are two-fold. First, we will investigate how the study of race is linked to some of the classic preoccupations of comparative political science, such as capitalist development, state formation, and nationalism. Second, we will explore how race “works” and how it is made and remade over time and across space. We thus seek to understand how the ideologies of race and racism connect disparate peoples, regimes, institutions, and national mythologies. Topics will include race and state formation, citizenship and national membership, immigration, racial regimes, and the political economy of race. PREREQUISITES: This course is open to graduate students only. COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION: Participation and Discussion (30%), 2 short essays (15% each), Research Paper (40%) Because this seminar is based primarily on peer-led discussions, regular attendance and active participation are essential. All students must complete the assigned readings before coming to class and prepare ideas for debate, discussion, or interpretation. Students will write 2 short essays (approximately 3 pages double-spaced)—to be circulated via email to other seminar members at least one day before the seminar—that includes a brief discussion of the key debates and issues brought up in the designated week’s readings as well as a short critique.
    [Show full text]