Southern Lebanon () is the area of

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

comprising the

South Governorate South Governorate (, or simply ) is one of the governorates of Lebanon, with a population of 590,000 inhabitants and an area of 929.6 km2. The capital is Sidon. The lowest elevation is sea-level; the highest is 1,000 meters. The local popul ...

and the Nabatiye Governorate. The 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 Beqaa ( ') is a governorate in Lebanon and one of the eight districts of the country. It is located in the eastern part of Lebanon and borders with Syria. The capital of the district is the city of Zahlé. Districts Since 2014, Beqaa Governorate ...

. The main cities of the region are

Sidon Sidon ( ) or better known as Saida ( ; ) is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast in the South Governorate, Lebanon, South Governorate, of which it is the capital. Tyre, Lebanon, Tyre, t ...

, Tyre,

Jezzine Jezzine ( ''Jizzīn'') is a municipality in Lebanon, located from Sidon and south of Beirut. It is the capital of Jezzine District. Surrounded by mountain peaks, pine forests (like the Bkassine Pine Forest), and at an average altitude of 95 ...

and 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 A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

. Sidon is predominantly

Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...

, with the rest of the caza of Sidon having a Shi'a Muslim majority, with a considerable Christian minority, mainly Melkite Greek Catholics. The cazas of Jezzine and Marjeyoun have a Christian majority and also Shia Muslims. The villages of Ain Ebel, Debel, Qaouzah, and Rmaich are entirely Christian Maronite. The caza of Hasbaya has a

Druze The Druze ( ; , ' or ', , '), who Endonym and exonym, call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (), are an Arabs, Arab Eastern esotericism, esoteric Religious denomination, religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic ...

majority.

History

Free Lebanon State and South Lebanon security belt

Southern Lebanon became the location of the self-proclaimed Free Lebanon State, announced in 1979 by

Saad Haddad Saad Haddad (; 1936 – 14 January 1984) was a Lebanese military officer and the founder and head of the South Lebanon Army (SLA) during the Lebanese Civil War. Originally a Major in the Lebanese Army, he defected and formed the SLA and creat ...

. The state failed to gain international recognition, and its authority deteriorated with the death of Saad Haddad in 1984. Southern Lebanon has also featured prominently in the Israel-Lebanon conflict.

Ahmadinejad's state visit

In October 2010,

Iranian President The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran () is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the second highest-ranking official, after the supreme leader. The first election was held in 1980 and was won by Abulhassan Banisa ...

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (born Mahmoud Sabbaghian on 28 October 1956) is an Iranian Iranian principlists, principlist and Iranian nationalism, nationalist politician who served as the sixth president of Iran from 2005 to 2013. He is currently a mem ...

visited South Lebanon. This was his first visit to Lebanon since he first assumed office in

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

in 2005. Both

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

condemned the trip as being "provocative." Ahmadinejad was welcomed by tens of thousands of supporters of

Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...

, Iran's Shiite Muslim ally in Lebanon which has been branded a terrorist organization in part or whole by much of South America, the EU, the Arab League, the United States and Israel. This is despite its participation in Lebanon's fragile government.

Cities and districts

* Aaramta * Al Rihan * Alma ash-Shab (Aalma ach Chaab) * Abbasieh * Adlun * Al Mansuri * Ain Ebel * Ain Baal or Ayn Bal * Aitaroun or Aytarun * Ansariyeh or Insariye * Ansar * Ash Shawmara * At Tayyabah * At Tiri * Aitit * Aynata * Ayta ash Shab (Ayta al-Sha'b, Ayta) * Baraachit * Barish * Bayt Lif * baytulay * Bazouryeh * Beit Yahoun * Bint Jbeil * Blida, Lebanon * Borj el Shamali or Borj Chemali * Borj Qalaouiyeh * Borj Rahal * Boustane * Brashit * Braikeh * Chtoura * Deir Kifa * Deyrintar * Dayr Qanunc * Deir Qanoun En Nahr * Derdghaya * Dibil or Debel * Dibbine * Doueir * Ebel el Saki * El Biyyadah or Al Bayyadah * El Hennyeh or Al Hinniyah * El Mansoun or Al Mansuri * El Qlaile or Al Qulaylah * El Soultaniyeh * Fardis * Frun * Ghandouriyeh * Ghaziyeh * Ghassaniyeh * Hadata or Haddathah * Hanaway * Harouf * Harris or Harres *

Hula Hula () is a Hawaiian dance form expressing chant (''oli'') or song (Mele (Hawaiian language), ''mele''). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli ...

or Houla * Hounin *

Jabal Amel Jabal Amil (; also spelled Jabal Amel and historically known as Jabal Amila) is a cultural and geographic region in Southern Lebanon largely associated with its long-established, predominantly Twelver Shia Muslim inhabitants. Its precise boundari ...

* Jarjouh * Jarmaq * jebchet * Jmaijmah * Joiya or Jouaya or Jwayya * Qabrikha or Kabrikha * Kaakaeit al-Jesser * Kafra, Lebanon * Kafr Dunin * Kafr Kila * Kawkaba or Kaoukaba * Kfar Melki * Kafarrouman * Khirbet Selm *

Khiam Al-Khiyam (; sometimes spelled Khiam) is a large town and municipality in the Nabatieh Governorate of Southern Lebanon. Etymology According to Edward Henry Palmer, the name means tents. Haifa Nassar, a Khiyam-based journalist, cites sources that ...

* Kfarchouba * Kfarfila * Kfarhamam * Kfar Tebnit * Kounin * Maachouq * Mahrouna * Majdel Balhis * Majdel Selm or Majdal Zun * Marakeh * Marjayoun—a Lebanese Christian village * Markaba (Marqaba) * Maroun al-Ras * Marwahin * Maaroub * Mayfadoun *

Meiss el Jabal Mais al-Jabal or Mais aj-Jabal () is a municipality in the Marjayoun District in Lebanon. Etymology According to Edward Henry Palmer, E. H. Palmer, the name ''Meis'' comes from the name of a tree. Location The municipality of Mais al-Jabal is l ...

or Mays al Jabal * Mlikh * Miye ou Miye * Maghdouche * Nabatiye or Nabatiyeh * Naqoura (Nakoura, An-Naqurah) * Niha * Nmairiyeh * Odaisseh * Oum el Ahmad * Qlayaa * Qana *

Qantara Qanater (plural of Qantara, the Arabic word for bridge) may refer to: Places Algeria * El Kantara * El Kantara District Egypt * El Qantara, Egypt, a city on both sides of the Suez Canal Giza Governorate * Manshiyat al Qanater Qalyubia Governor ...

* Rab El Thalathine * Rachaf—a small town * Rachaya El Foukhar—Hasbaya Qaza * Ramyah * Ras Al-Biyada * Rmaich * Rmadyeh * Roûm *

Selaa Selaa, Silaa, () is a municipality in the Tyre District in Southern Lebanon. Etymology According to E. H. Palmer, Silảh comes from "the crevasse". History In 1875, Victor Guérin found here 250 Metuali inhabitants. He further noted: "Here I ...

* Shabriha * Shaqra * Shebaa and

Shebaa Farms The Shebaa Farms, also spelled Sheba'a Farms (, '; ''Havot Sheba‘a),'' also known as Mount Dov (), is a strip of land on the Lebanese–Syrian border that is currently occupied by Israel. Lebanon claims the Shebaa Farms as its own territory ...

(ownership disputed, occupied by Israel since 1967) * Shihin, Lebanon * Shhur * Siddiqine *

or Saida * Sir el Gharbiyeh * Srifa * Sujod * As-Sultaniyah * Tallousa * Tair Debbe * Tayr Harfa or Tair Harfa * Tayr Falsayh * Taibeh * Tebnine (Tebnine, Tibneen), site of the former

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

town

Toron Toron, now Tibnin or Tebnine in southern Lebanon, was a major Crusader castle, built in the Lebanon mountains on the road from Tyre to Damascus. The castle was the centre of the Lordship of Toron, a seigneury within the Kingdom of Jerusa ...

* Tulin, Lebanon (Toulin) * Tura * Tyre or Sur * Saida district *

district * Tyre district * Wadi al-Taym * Yarin * Yaroun or Yarun * Yahun * Yater or Yatar * Zibdine * Zibqin

Other notable sites

* Abou Assouad River * Awali River * El Zahrani River *

Litani River The Litani River (), the classical Leontes (), is an important water resource in southern Lebanon. The river rises in the fertile Beqaa Valley, west of Baalbek, and empties into the Mediterranean Sea north of Tyre. Exceeding in length, the ...

* Saitaniq River * Kasmieh River *

Blue Line (Lebanon) The Blue Line is a demarcation line dividing Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights. It was published by the United Nations on 7 June 2000 for the purposes of determining whether Israel had fully withdrawn from Lebanon. It has been described a ...

* Beaufort Castle *

Palestinian refugee camps Palestinian refugee camps were first established to accommodate Palestinians who were displaced by the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight during the 1948 Palestine war. Camps were established by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency ( ...

in Lebanon, including Ain al-Hilweh, Nabatieh camp and Wavel * Ras al-Ain, Lebanon

References

External links

South Lebanon Website
{{Coord missing, Lebanon Regions of Lebanon Geography of Lebanon Israeli–Lebanese conflict 2006 Lebanon War