> The city of Beirut is the capital of which country?And the answer: Lebanon. Photo credit: revivme.com [https://revivme.com/clinics/beirut-lebanon/]Locatedon the Mediterranean Sea, Beirut is the largest city and capital of Lebanon.Having been inhabited for more than 5,000 years, it's one of the oldest citiesin the world.As one of the oldest cities in the world, the history of Beirut and more broadlyLebanon is extensive and complex. To give an example of the breadth of thishistory: the country is mentioned in the Bible over 70 times, has been destroyedand rebuilt seven times, been occupied by over 16 nations, and proudly boaststhe longest-standing name of a country ("Lebanon" has remained unchanged forover 4,000 years). The modern-day borders of the nation come from French mandate following the fallof the Ottoman Empire; however, prior to modern times there were a number ofexpansive, powerful empires that occupied the space of Lebanon. These empiresdate back over 7,000 years – in fact, archaeologists have discovered Phoeniciantemples buried under churches buried under mosques. Lebanon has an expansive natural landscape, often characterized by their cedartrees (seen pictured on the nation's flag). Known throughout the ancient worldas one of the most highly prized and sought-after trees for their nice color,fragrance and extracts, about 14% of Lebanon is forested in cedar trees. Flag of Lebanon. Photo credit: Public domain.Today, Lebanon thrives inmodernity. The country is home to around 6 million residents, with around 18recognized religious sects (the largest of which being Islam, at about half thepopulation). The diverse face of the nation, history of the city, and desire tomodernize creates a city of baffling contradictions whose character blends thesophisticated and cosmopolitan with the provincial. In the 1970s, Beirut becamean established banking centre for Arab wealth, much of which was invested inconstruction, commercial enterprise, and industry (mostly the manufacture oftextiles and shoes, food processing, and printing). The city was a haven forrelative liberalism, and attracted a diverse community of refugees seekingopportunity and safety. However, sectarian violence following conflict withIsrael has deeply affected the established order of the city. In the years after the end of the civil war, a major effort to reconstructBeirut’s devastated infrastructure began. The city developed a plan to modernizeits transport facilities, restore many of its historic buildings, and revive itseconomic sectors through a model driven by private investment. Today, the citycontinues to build and rebuild, as it has time and time again.Read more about this ancient nation here[https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel/2020/10/beirut-lebanon-travel].