Lebanon, officially known as the Lebanese Republic (Al-Jumhuriyah al-Lubnaniyah), is a sovereign state in Western Asia. Let’s learn more about it with these interesting facts that talk about its history, culture, geography, people, government and more.

#1. Lebanon is the smallest recognized country on the entire mainland Asian continent.

#2. Lebanon was referred to as the “Switzerland of the East” during the 1960s because of its financial soundness and diversity.

#3. Lebanon ranks the highest among the other countries in the Arab world in Human Development Index and GDP per capita.

#4. Mount Lebanon is a mountain range in Lebanon which averages above 2500 m in elevation. The name of the country, in fact, comes from this mountain range.

#5. Alexander the Great once conquered what is now Lebanon in 332 BCE.

#6. Between 1516 and 1918, Lebanon was a part of the Ottoman Empire.

#7. In Lebanon no census has been undertaken since 1932 due to political sensitivity over religious affiliation.