Lebanon

Lebanon is a country in the Middle East, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, and thus proximate to Cyprus, Israel, and Syria. The homeland of the ancient Phoenicians, Lebanon was controlled by a succession of empires over the centuries, each leaving a mark. The modern government is an artifact of French rule, and in the early 20th century the country was predominantly Christian, with large Muslim and Druze populations. Today, Muslims make up the majority of the country, though the Christian presence is still significant at about 40 percent. Different government positions are filled, by law, by members of different religions, to preserve a balance of power.

Soccer is by far the most popular sport in Lebanon, at both the professional and amateur levels. Rugby, golf, and tennis all have their adherents as well. One of the faster-growing sports in Lebanon, as it is in many parts of the world, is basketball. Long an obscure sport outside of the United States, with little amateur participation, basketball has been expanding rapidly.

In Lebanon, basketball has been played since the 1930s, but the 21st century has seen it achieve true popularity. Several of the basketball teams in the Lebanese Basketball League are associated with soccer clubs, but newer teams like Bluestars are basketball-only, reflecting the shift away from basketball as a second-class sport. More Lebanese youth are playing the game, both in and out of school.

Because of Lebanon's geography, the small country is able to enjoy both winter and summer sports: the mountainous regions allow for skiing and snowboarding, while the temperate Mediterranean beaches are perfect for swimming and sailing, both of which are quite popular. Skiing was introduced in 1913, when the country was still part of the Ottoman Empire, and became popular in the 1930s, when amateur ski clubs and resorts opened up around the country; the sport has remained prominent since.

A popular children's game in Lebanon is a tag game called Do You Have Fire? The player who is “it” approaches each of four players (usually) while they are at their respective corners of the playing area, or designated objects like trees, stairs, doorways, and so on. “It” asks the player, “Do you have fire?” and the player responds “No, my neighbor has fire.” “It” cannot leave the corner until the player has finished answering.

Corners (or their designated objects) are “safe,” and while “ft” is occupied with asking one player if he or she has fire, two of the other players try to switch places. Their job is to get from one safe corner to another; “ft” must try to tag one of them first. The tagged player is “ft” next.