Albania vs Lebanon

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Albania ( (listen) a(w)l-BAY-nee-ə; Albanian: Shqipëri or Shqipëria; Gheg Albanian: Shqipni or Shqipnia also Shqypni or Shqypnia), officially the Republic of Albania (Albanian: Republika e Shqipërisë, pronounced [ɾɛpuˈblika ɛ ʃcipəˈɾiːsə]), is a country in Southeast Europe on the Adriatic and Ionian Sea within the Mediterranean Sea.

It shares land borders with Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo into the northeast, North Macedonia to the east, Greece to the south and maritime borders with Greece, Montenegro and Italy to the west. Geographically, the country displays diverse climatic, geological, hydrological, and morphological conditions, defined in an area of 28,748 km2 (11,100 sq mi). It possesses significant diversity together with the landscape ranging from the snow-capped mountains in the Albanian Alps as well as the Korab, Skanderbeg, Pindus and Ceraunian Mountains to the hot and sunny coasts of the Albanian Adriatic and Ionian Sea along the Mediterranean Sea. Historically, the nation has been inhabited by numerous civilisations like the Illyrians, Thracians, Ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Ottomans. The Albanians established the autonomous Principality of Arbër in the 12th century. The Kingdom of Albania and Principality of Albania formed between the 13th and 14th centuries. Before the Ottoman conquest of Albania in the 15th century, the Albanian resistance to Ottoman expansion into Europe headed by Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg won them acclaim over most of Europe. Between the 18th and 19th centuries, cultural developments, widely attributed to Albanians having accumulated both intellectual and spiritual strength, conclusively resulted in the Albanian Renaissance. Following the defeat of the Ottomans in the Balkan Wars, the modern nation state of Albania declared independence in 1912. In the 20th century, the Kingdom of Albania was invaded by Italy which formed Greater Albania before becoming a protectorate of Nazi Germany. Enver Hoxha formed Communist Albania following the Second World War and launched the Albanians on a course of oppression and decades of isolation. The Revolutions of 1991 concluded the fall of communism in Albania and eventually the establishment of the current Republic of Albania. Politically, the country is a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic and developing nation with an upper-middle income economy dominated by the service sector, followed by manufacturing. It went through a process of transition following the end of communism in 1990, from centralized planning to a market-based economy. Albania provides universal healthcare and free primary and secondary education to its citizens.The nation is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, UNESCO, NATO, WTO, COE, OSCE, and OIC. It's an official candidate for membership in the European Union. It is one of the founding members of the Energy Community, such as the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and Union for the Mediterranean.

Source: Wikipedia

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Lebanon ( (listen); Arabic: لبنان, romanized: Lubnān, Lebanese Arabic pronunciation: [lɪbˈneːn]), formally called the Lebanese Republic (Arabic: الجمهورية اللبنانية, romanized: al-Jumhūrīyah al-Lubnānīyah, Lebanese Arabic pronunciation: [lˈʒʊmhuːrijje lˈlɪbneːnijje]), is a country in Western Asia. While Cyprus is west across the Mediterranean Sea, It's bordered by Syria to Israel to the south and east and the north. The location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the hinterland of lebanon had contributed to its history and formed a cultural identity of ethnic and religious diversity. At just 10,452 km2 (4,036 mi2), it is the smallest recognized sovereign state on the mainland Asian continent.The earliest evidence of culture in Lebanon dates back more than seven thousand years, predating recorded history. Lebanon was home to the Phoenicians, a maritime culture that flourished for nearly three thousand years (c. 3200--539 BC). In 64 BC, the area finally became one of its leading centres of Christianity, and came under the rule of the Roman Empire. The Mount Lebanon range saw the emergence of a tradition. Since the area was conquered by the Arab Muslims, the Maronites held on their religion and identity. However, a group, the Druze, established themselves as well, generating a religious divide that has lasted for centuries. During the Crusades, the Maronites asserted that their communion with Rome and re-established contact with the Roman Catholic Church. These ties have influenced the region . Lebanon was defeated by the Ottomans in the 16th century and remained under the rule for the next 400 years. After the empire's collapse following World War I, the five states constituting Lebanon came under the French Mandate. The French expanded the boundaries of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, which was predominately Maronite and Druze, to include more Muslims. Upon independence in 1943, Lebanon established a unique confessionalist form of government, with the major religious sects apportioned political powers. Prime minister Riad El-Solh president Bechara El Khoury, and minister of Emir Majid Arslan II are considered the founders of modern Lebanon and heroes for their role . Lebanon initially enjoyed political and economic stability, which shattered by the damn Lebanese Civil War (1975--1990) between various political and sectarian factions. The war partly led to military occupations by Syria (1975 to 2005) and Israel (1985 to 2000). Despite its small dimensions culture is famous both in internationally and the world, powered by its large and powerful diaspora. Prior to the war, the country enjoyed a diversified economy that included banking, agriculture, trade, and tourism. Its financial power and stability throughout the 1950s and 1960s earned Lebanon that the moniker of"Switzerland of the East", while its capital, Beirut, attracted so many tourists that it had been called"the Paris of the Middle East". Since the conclusion of the war, there have been efforts to revive the economy and rebuild infrastructure that was national. While recovering from the economic and political impacts of the conflict, Lebanon remains a cosmopolitan and country, with the highest Human Development Index and GDP per capita. Lebanon was a founding member of the United Nations in 1945 and is a member of the Arab League (1945), the Non-Aligned Movement (1961), Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (1969) and the Organisation internationale de la francophonie (1973).

Source: Wikipedia