Syria, Jordan & Lebanon Objective: To examine the history, culture, and current-day situation of Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon.

Background: Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon all border Israel- all have been involved in conflicts Capital of Syria= Damascus- is possibly the oldest inhabited city on the world For centuries it was a center of trade (under Roman Empire)- becomes part of the Ottoman Empire 1500 After WWI France controlled Syria 1940s becomes independent

History & Government: Led by dictator Hafiz al-Assad – As Pres. He increases size of military – Wants to match Israel’s military strength & protect his rule from political enemies – 2000 Assad dies- his son Bashar al-Assad elected Pres. He had goals of improving economy Syria has a socialist govt. (owns countries oil refineries, large electrical plants, railroads and some factories)

Syria’s People & Economy: Pop. More than 18 million- 90% Arab Other 10 % are Kurds and Armenians 74% of Syrians are Sunni Muslims 16 % are Druze and Alawite sects (small branches of Islam) Other: – 10 % are Christian – Some small Jewish communities Economy: Key manufactured goods: textiles, foods products, & chemicals) Importance of agriculture (only small oil & natural gas) Iron ore, Basalt, & phosphates

“The UN Has Failed on Syria?” 12 March 2012 Last updated at 11:14 ET British Foreign Secretary William Hague has said the UN Security Council has ''failed'' in the eyes of most of the world in its responsibilities to the people of Syria. Mr Hague, who was chairing a UN debate on the Middle East in New York, said it was time for the Security Council to ''show unity and to show leadership''

Lebanon: Is a small mountainous country on Med. Coast home to several groups of people

Lebanon’s History & People: Under Ottoman Empire many religious & ethnic minority groups After WWI France controlled Syria and Lebanon Same as Syria gain indep. 1940s Some aspects of Fr. Culture influence Lebanese culture – Lebanese speak Arabic and some speak French – People are Arab but divided by religion (Most are Muslim or Christian) & each have small divisions within – Muslims: Sunni, Shia, and Druze * Muslims are the largest group – Maronites = largest Christian group

Lebanon’s Civil War Today: Decades after indep. Christian and Muslims are sharing power Before- different positions held by different groups – Pres. Was a Maronite – Tensions increase Added to tension of thousands of Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon Ethnic and religious groups armed themselves (1970s fighting broke out) Wars last til 1990; thousands die Capital of Beirut was badly damaged & finally rebuilding today During 1990s Lebanese economy slowly recovered from Civil War – Today industries include: Food processing, textiles, cement, chemicals, and jewelry making

Jordan: has a short history with lots of conflict

Jordan: History & Govt. Jordan created after WWI – Brit controlled & name Arab prince as monarch – 1940 gain indep. Small population – Most people nomadic/ semi-nomadic – 100s of thousands of refugees flee Israel to live in Jordan – ruled by King Hussein some demo. reform 1990s

People & Resources: Many of Jordan’s pple are Bedouins (Arabic-speaking Nomads who mostly live in the deserts of SW Asia) Jordan produces phosphates, cement, and potash Tourism and banking are important industries Jordan depends on economic aid from oil-rich Arab nations & US Amman- capital = Jordan’s largest city Jordanian farmers grow fruits and vegetables & raise sheep and goats Shortage of water- crucial resource issue for Jordan