Jump to content

Southern Lebanon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 64.86.141.133 (talk) at 17:09, 4 November 2010 (Ahmadinejad's state visit). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Southern Lebanon is the geographical area of Lebanon comprising the South Governorate and the Nabatiye Governorate. These two entities were divided from the same province in the early 1990s. The Rashaya and Western Beqaa Districts, the southernmost districts of the Beqaa Governorate, in Southern Lebanon are sometimes included in this description.

The main cities of the region are Tyre, Sidon, Jezzine and inland Nabatiyeh. The cazas of Bint Jbeil, Tyre, and Nabatieh in Southern Lebanon are known for their large Shi'a Muslim population with a minority of Christians. Sidon (also named; Saida) is predominately Sunni, with the rest of the caza of Sidon having a Shi'a Muslim majority, with a considerable Christian minority, mainly Greek Catholics. The cazas of Jezzine and Marjeyoun have a Christian majority and also Shia Muslims. The caza of Hasbaya has a Druze majority.

Southern Lebanon has featured prominently in the Israel-Lebanon conflict.

Ahmadinejad's state visit

In October 2010 Iraninan President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited South Lebanon. This was his first visit to Lebanon since he first assumed office in Tehran five years ago. No Lebanese official claimed credit for the trip that both Israel and the United States condemned as being "provocative." Ahmadinejad was welcomed by tens of thousands of supporters of Hezbollah, Iran's Shiite Muslim ally in Lebanon which the United States and Israel have branded a terrorist organization, despite its participation in Lebanon's fragile government. Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a Sunni Muslim, was not as enthusiastic about welcoming the man whose country was indirectly responsible for the assasination of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. A harsh divide exists in Lebanon between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. As opposed to the Sunni axis headed by Saudi Arabia and Egypt that is trying to protect the Sunnis in Lebanon.The Shiite axis headed by Iran has taken shape that includes Syria, the new Iraq and the new Lebanon. [1]

Cities and districts

Southern Lebanon
Areas in Lebanon targeted by Israeli bombing (12 July to 13 August 2006) concentrated on Southern Lebanon.

Other notable geographic sites

See also

References