Lebanon’s coastal location, high mountains and climate have greatly influenced the country’s history, peoples, and economy. Settled more than 7,000 years ago, this land was home to the great Phoenician civilization, known for their development of the first alphabet and the colonization of the western Mediterranean. Lebanon’s rich history has been shaped by many cultural traditions, including Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Islamic, Crusader, Ottoman Turkish, and French. When taken together with the Lebanese aptitude for commerce, Lebanon has created a distinct culture combining East and West. Present-day Lebanon is known for the unique coexistence of large Christian and Muslim populations and for its modern urban culture. Arabs, Armenians, Kurds, Assyrians, and others all combine to make up the ethnic diversity of Lebanon. Independent since the mid-twentieth century, Lebanon is a parliamentary republic with a centralized, multi-religious, and multi-party government—based on confessionalism—that provides for a Maronite Christian president, a Sunni Muslim prime minister, and a Shia Muslim speaker of parliament. Hostility among rival religious groups, domestic tensions and foreign influences all contributed to a fifteen-year civil war that has left scars that are healing over time. In addition, Lebanon still suffers from the unresolved dispute between Israeli and Syrian neighbors. Following the recent withdrawal of Syrian troops, Lebanon could serve as a model for change in the region.