Timeline: Lebanon
A chronology of key historical events: .
1920 1 September - After the
League of Nations grants the mandate for Lebanon
and Syria to France, the State of Greater Lebanon is proclaimed. It includes
the former autonomous province of Mount Lebanon, plus the provinces of north Lebanon, south Lebanon
and the Biqa, historically part of Syria.
1926 23 May - The Lebanese Representative Council approves a
Constitution and the Lebanese
Republic is declared.
1940 - Lebanon comes
under the control of the Vichy French government.
1941 - After Lebanon is
occupied by Free French and British troops in June 1941, independence is
declared on 26 November.
1943 March - The foundations
of the state are set out in an unwritten National Covenant which states that Lebanon is an
independent Arab country with ties to the West but which cooperates with other
Arab states while remaining neutral. The 1932 census which had shown that
Christians were 54% of the population is used as the basis for the distribution
of seats in the Chamber of Deputies (later to be called the National Assembly)
on a ratio of 6 to 5 (later extended to other public offices). The President is
to be a Maronite Christian, the Prime Minister a
Sunni Muslim, and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies a Shi'i
Muslim.
Independence
1943 December - France
agrees to the transfer of power to the Lebanese government with effect from 1
January 1944.
History
|
From 1516 to 1918 Lebanon
was under the administrative rule and political sovereignty of the Ottoman Empire. In 1920, the territory defined by the
present-day boundaries became a state called “Grand –Liban”
(Great Lebanon) by decree of General Gouraud, head
of the French troops in the Levant. The
state remained under French Mandate until November 26,1941.
A constitution was adopted on May 25, 1926 establishing a democratic republic
with a parliamentary system of government. Effective political independence of
the Republic occurred on November 22, 1943 (Independence Day). In 1945 Lebanon
became a founding member of the League of Arab states, and then it became a
member of the United Nations. Departure of the foreign troops then on the Lebanese Republic’s territory was completed on
December 31, 1946.
Over
the next 30 years, Lebanon
became a melting pot with a diverse cultural heritage. The instability in
surrounding countries caused Lebanon
to experience large waves of immigration from neighboring countries and
attracted thousands of skilled laborers, entrepreneurs and intellectuals. The
economic force of the Republic has mainly revolved around its entrepreneurs.
In addition, Lebanon’s
democratic traditions, attachment to freedom of speech and expression and its
educated population enabled the Republic to become the cultural, academic and
medical center of the region.
|
The Roman Temple in Baalbeck
|
Top of Page
