Map of Lebanon

Lebanon known as the Lebanese Republic is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus is west across the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland facilitated its rich history and shaped a cultural identity of religious and ethnic diversity. At just 10,452 km2 (4,036 sq. mi.), it is the smallest recognized sovereign state on the mainland Asian continent. Lebanon gained independence in 1943, establishing confessionalism, a unique, Consociationalism-type of political system with a power-sharing mechanism based on religious communities. Bechara El Khoury, President of Lebanon during the independence, Riad El-Solh, first Lebanese prime minister and Emir Majid Arslan II, first Lebanese minister of defense, are considered the founders of the modern Republic of Lebanon and are national heroes for having led the country's independence. The population of Lebanon was estimated to be 6,006,668 in 2016, however no official census has been conducted since 1932 due to the sensitive confessional political balance between Lebanon's various religious groups.