Middle East, is today a country in name only. Its government controls

little more than half of the nation's capital, Beirut. Its once-vibrant

economy is a shambles. And its society is fragmented - so fragmented, some

believe, that it may be impossible to re-create a unified state responsive

to the needs of all its varied peoples.

Lebanon lies on the eastern shore of the Mediterranea n Sea, in that part

of southwestern Asia known as the Middle East. Because of its location -

at the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and Africa - Lebanon has been the center

of commerce and trade for thousands of years. It has also been on the

route of numerous conquering armies.

With an area of 4,015 square miles, Lebanon is one of the smallest

countries in the Middle East. It is smaller than every state in the United

States except Delaware, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Lebanon is

sandwiched between Syria in the north and east and Israel in the south.

The maximum distance from the nation's northern border to the southern one

is only 130 miles. And the maximum distance from the Mediterranean Sea to

the Lebanon-Syria border is 50 miles. In the south,

small clusters as a reminder of their presence. On c loser view, the

it gets to the sea. The Orontes rises not far from the Litani, but it

Mediterranean Sea, that two of Lebanon's most important cities - Beirut and

twentieth century, when that nation had a weak central goverment and was

militia has been heavily armed by the Israelis.

late 1983, warring factions of the Palestine Liberati on Organization

among its various religious and ethnic groups. It has been invaded twice

long and six to ten miles wide. Zahle, the third largest city in the

Some common words found in the essay are:
Temple Phoenicians, Israel Lebanon's, Shiite Moslem, English Arabic, Mount Hermon, Beirut Tripoli-, Middle East, National Pact, Moslems Christians, Nations Western, middle east, coastal plain, west beirut, percent population, political economic, largest city, lebanese people, mediterranean sea, concentrated west beirut, plo forces, prime minister, west beirut tripoli,
Approximate Word count = 2510
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)