Outside the current wars happening in the Middle East, Lebanon is probably one of the most troubled countries in the region, facing an uncountable number of...
Outside the current wars happening in the Middle East, Lebanon is probably one of the most troubled countries in the region, facing an uncountable number of economic/environmental/refugee/political crises, gridlocks and corruption cases. It's a country of about 4.5M nationals currently hosting to about 1.5 - 2 M refugees. Its political system is split based on confessions in the country, with each party representing certain sects. Sharing only two land borders (southern border with Israel, closed off, as both countries are considered to be still at war, and its eastern and northern border with Syria), it's been one of the external countries suffering the most from the Syrian civil war, having its total population jump by about 33% over 4 years.
Ever since the refugee crisis appeared, politicians from all sides welcomed the idea of scapegoating them for a lot of the problems currently faced. It has one of the highest debt to GDP ratio in the world, with very low investor trust.
Despite its size, this small country holds some very relevant geopolitical positions. It hosts Hezbollah, the strongest paramilitary organization in the world, funded largely by Iran and always at odds with Israel. It is relevant to Europe due to the huge number of refugees it holds which are used as bargaining chips for monetary assistance from the EU in order to contain them. And finally, with its diverse sects and religions, it's split smack in the middle in the Saudi-Iran cold war, with both countries seeking to strong-arm or influence its government for their own political gains.
Outside the current wars happening in the Middle East, Lebanon is probably one of the most troubled countries in the region, facing an uncountable number of economic/environmental/refugee/political crises, gridlocks and corruption cases. It's a country of about 4.5M nationals currently hosting to about 1.5 - 2 M refugees. Its political system is split based on confessions in the country, with each party representing certain sects. Sharing only two land borders (southern border with Israel, closed off, as both countries are considered to be still at war, and its eastern and northern border with Syria), it's been one of the external countries suffering the most from the Syrian civil war, having its total population jump by about 33% over 4 years.
Ever since the refugee crisis appeared, politicians from all sides welcomed the idea of scapegoating them for a lot of the problems currently faced. It has one of the highest debt to GDP ratio in the world, with very low investor trust.
Despite its size, this small country holds some very relevant geopolitical positions. It hosts Hezbollah, the strongest paramilitary organization in the world, funded largely by Iran and always at odds with Israel. It is relevant to Europe due to the huge number of refugees it holds which are used as bargaining chips for monetary assistance from the EU in order to contain them. And finally, with its diverse sects and religions, it's split smack in the middle in the Saudi-Iran cold war, with both countries seeking to strong-arm or influence its government for their own political gains.