Lebanon has several different main religions. The main two religions Religion (from O.Fr. religion "religious community," from L. religionem "respect for what is sacred, reverence for the gods," "obligation, the bond between man and the gods" is the belief in and worship of a god or gods, or more in general a set of beliefs explaining the existence of and giving meaning to the universe, are Islam Islam (Arabic: الإسلام‎ al-’islām, pronounced [ʔislæːm] [note 1]) is the monotheistic religion articulated by the Qur’an, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of their one, incomparable God (Arabic: الله‎, Allāh), and by the Prophet of Islam Muhammad's teachings and normative example (in Arabic called (Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam, also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘ah or Ahl as-Sunnah (Arabic: أهل السنة‎) for short. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Orthodox Islam. The word "Sunni" comes from the term Sunnah (Arabic: سنة‎), which refers to the words and actions or example of the Islamic and Shia Shia Islam , is the second largest denomination of Islam, after Sunni Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'as but are also known as Shiites or Shi'ites. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shī‘atu ‘Alī (شيعة علي), meaning "the followers of Ali" or "the faction of Ali") and Christianity Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. Christianity comprises three major branches: Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy (which parted ways with Catholicism in 1054 A.D.) and Protestantism (which came into existence during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th (the Maronite Church Maronites are members of one of the Lebanese or Syriac Eastern Catholic Churches, with a heritage reaching back to Maron, a Syriac Monk in the early 5th century later beatified as Saint Maroun or Saint Maron. The first Maronite Patriarch, John Maron, was elected in the late 7th century. Although reduced in numbers today, Maronites remain one of, the Eastern Orthodox Church Note: The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches preserve ancient church traditions but are not in communion. As such, the term Orthodox Christianity when used inadvisably to refer to these two Churches collectively refers more to a common eastern influence than to doctrinal matters, the Armenian Apostolic Church The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church. The Armenian Apostolic Church traces its origins to the missions of Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus in the 1, and the Assyrian Church of the East The Assyrian Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, is an ancient Christian church currently centered in Chicago, Illinois, United States, but with most members in Mesopotamia. One of the modern churches that claim continuity with the historical Patriarchate of Seleucia-Ctesiphon – the Church of) There is also the Druze The Druze are a religious community found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, whose traditional religion is said to have begun as an offshoot of Islam, but is unique in its incorporation of Gnosticism, Neoplatonism and other philosophies, similar to other followers of Ismaili Shi'a Islam minority religion. No official census has been taken since 1932, reflecting the political sensitivity in Lebanon over confessional (i.e. religious) balance.[1] The CIA World Factbook shows that now about 59.7% are Muslims A Muslim or Moslem is an adherent of the religion of Islam. Literally, the word means "one who submits (to God)". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. All Muslims observe Sunnah, but differences in the definition of what is and what is not Sunnah has led to the emergence of sectarian movements.[ (Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam, also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘ah or Ahl as-Sunnah (Arabic: أهل السنة‎) for short. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Orthodox Islam. The word "Sunni" comes from the term Sunnah (Arabic: سنة‎), which refers to the words and actions or example of the Islamic, Shia Shia Islam , is the second largest denomination of Islam, after Sunni Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'as but the terms Shiites or Shi'ites are common Anglicisations. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shī‘atu ‘Alī (شيعة علي), meaning "the followers of Ali" or "the faction of Ali&, Druze The Druze are a religious community found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, whose traditional religion is said to have begun as an offshoot of Islam, but is unique in its incorporation of Gnosticism, Neoplatonism and other philosophies, similar to other followers of Ismaili Shi'a Islam, Sufi Sufism or taṣawwuf is, according to its adherents, the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a ṣūfī (صُوفِيّ). Another name for a Sufi is Dervish and Alawites The Alawis, also known as Alawites, Nusayris and Ansaris are a prominent minority religious group in Syria who describe themselves as a sect of Shī‘ah Islam. Alawis are distinct from the Turkish-based Alevi religious sect, although the terms share similar etymologies) and 39.0% are Christians A Christian (pronounced /ˈkrɪstʃən/ ) is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe is the Messiah (the Christ in Greek-derived terminology) prophesied in the Hebrew Bible, and the son of God. Most Christians believe in the doctrine of (mostly Maronites, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church. The Armenian Apostolic Church traces its origins to the missions of Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus in the 1, Melkite Greek Catholics The Melkite Greek Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic sui juris particular Church in full union with the Roman Catholic Church after an 18th century split from the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch. The Melkites, or Byzantine Rite Catholics of mixed Middle Eastern and Greek origin, are the descendants of the early Christians of Antioch, Syria,, Assyrian Church of the East The Assyrian Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, is an ancient Christian church currently centered in Chicago, Illinois, United States, but with most members in Mesopotamia. One of the modern churches that claim continuity with the historical Patriarchate of Seleucia-Ctesiphon – the Church of, Syriac Orthodox The Syriac Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Middle East, with members spread throughout the world. The Syriac Orthodox Church derives its origin from one of the first Christian communities, established in Antioch by the Apostle St. Peter. It employs the oldest surviving liturgy in Christianity, the Liturgy, Chaldean Catholic) and 1.3% "Other".[2] Lebanon has a population of Kurds The Kurds are an Ethnic-Iranian ethnolinguistic group mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Substantial Kurdish communities also exist in the cities of western Turkey, and they can also be found in Armenia, Georgia, Israel, Azerbaijan, Russia, Lebanon and, in recent decades, (also known as Mhallami or Mardinli), most of whom migrated from northeast Syria and southeast Turkey are estimated to be between 75,000 and 100,000 and considered to be part of the Sunni population. These have in recent years been granted Lebanese citizenship and hence re-tipped the demographic balance in favour of the Muslims and the Sunnis in particular. [3] In addition, many thousands of Arab Bedouins in the Bekaa and in the Wadi Khaled region, who are entirely Sunnis, were granted Lebanese citizenship.

Even though Lebanon is a secular country, family matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance are still handled by the religious authorities representing a person's faith. Calls for civil marriage are unanimously rejected by the religious authorities but civil marriages held in another country are recognized by Lebanese civil authorities.

Geographical distribution of sects in Lebanon

Many Lebanese have grown sensitive to approaching the sect issue, when a Lebanese asks his friend "From where are you?" he is most probably asking about his sect. Sunnis are mainly residents of the major cities: western part of Beirut, Tripoli, and Saida (Sidon). They also live in areas like Akkar, Ikleem al Kharoub, and West Bekaa. Shiites are mainly spread in South Lebanon, Baalback area, Hermel area, and southern suburbs of Beirut. Chrisitians are widely spread in the eastern part of Beirut city and its suburbs, northern part of mount Lebanon, north Lebanon, Zahleh (Bekaa) and Jezzine (South). Druze are spread in southern Mount Lebanon and Hasbayah Region (South Lebanon)

Althought the geograhical distribution is not pure, usually the "where from" question can give you a clear indication about the religion of the person.

References

  1. ^ Country Studies. "Lebanon Population". Retrieved November 25, 2006.
  2. ^ CIA The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government responsible for providing national security intelligence to senior United States policymakers. The CIA also engages in covert activities at the request of the President of the United States of America, the World Factbook (2006). "Lebanon". Retrieved March 8, 2009.
  3. ^ International Journal of Kurdish Studies, Jan, 2002 by Lokman I. Meho "The Kurds in Lebanon: a social and historical overview"
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Sovereign states

Afghanistan The majority religion in Afghanistan is Islam, with over 99% of Afghans being Muslim. Approximately 80% of them are Sunni, 19% are Shi'a and 1% other. There are about 50,000 Hindus and Sikhs, who are said to have been first brought to Afghanistan by the British during the Anglo-Afghan Wars in the 19th century. A small number of people who practice · Armenia The majority of Armenians follow Christianity, which has existed in Armenia for over 1,700 years. Armenia has its own church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, which most Armenians follow. Christianity has a strong influence in the country, but there is a small presence of other religions too1 · Azerbaijan Approximately 95% of the population of Azerbaijan is Muslim. The rest of the population adheres to other faiths or are non-religious, although they are not officially represented. Among the Muslim majority, religious observance varies and Muslim identity tends to be based more on culture and ethnicity rather than religion; however, many imams1 · Bahrain · Bangladesh Islam is the largest religion of Bangladesh; Muslims constitute 83 % of the population followed by Hindus who constitute 16 %. The remainder of Bangladeshis practice other religions such as Buddhism and Christianity. . Religion has always been a strong part of identity, but this has varied at different times. A survey in late 2003 confirmed that · Bhutan · Brunei · Burma Myanmar is a multi-religious country. Buddhism in Burma is predominantly of the Theravada sect intermingled with local beliefs. According to both the statistics published by the Burmese government and the CIA, it is practiced by 89% of the population. of the population, especially among the Bamar, Rakhine, Shan, Mon, and Chinese2 · Cambodia · People's Republic of China Religion in China has been characterized by pluralism since the beginning of Chinese history. The Chinese religions are family-oriented and do not demand the exclusive adherence of members. Some scholars question the use of the term "religion" in reference to Buddhism and Daoism, and suggest "cultural practices" or " · Cyprus Most Greek Cypriots, and thus the majority of the population of Cyprus, are members of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Cyprus , whereas most Turkish Cypriots are Muslim. According to Eurobarometer 2005 , Cyprus is one of the most religious countries in Europe, along with Turkey, Malta, Romania, Greece and Poland. In addition to the Orthodox1 · East Timor The overwhelming majority of the population of East Timor is Catholic, and the Catholic Church is the dominant religious institution. There are also small Protestant and Muslim communities3 · Egypt Religion in Egypt controls many aspects of social life and is endorsed by law. The 2006 census counting method did not include religion, so the number of adherents of the different religions are usually rough estimates made by religious and non-governmental agencies4 · Georgia The wide variety of peoples inhabiting Georgia has meant a correspondingly rich array of active religions. Today most of the population in Georgia practices Orthodox Christianity, primarily the Georgian Orthodox Church. Of these , around 2% follow the Russian Orthodox Church. Around 3.9% of the population follow the Armenian Church, almost all of4 · India India is a country of religious diversity and religious tolerance is established in both law and custom. Throughout the history of India, religion has been an important part of the country's culture. A vast majority of Indians associate themselves with a religion · Indonesia Religion plays a major role in life in Indonesia. It is stated in the first principle of the state ideology, Pancasila: "belief in the one and only God". A number of different religions are practiced in the country, and their collective influence on the country's political, economical and cultural life is significant. As of 2007, the · Iran Most Iranians are Muslims; 90% belong to the Shi'a branch of Islam, the official state religion, and about 8% belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. The remaining 2% are non-Muslim religious minorities, including Bahá'ís, Mandeans, Yarsanis, Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians. The latter three minority religions are officially recognized and · Iraq The major religion is Islam which is practiced by about 97% of Iraqis. The other 3% are Christianity, and other religions. Many cities throughout Iraq have been areas of historical prominence for both Shia and Sunni Muslims including Najaf, Karbala, Baghdad and Samarra · Israel Religion in Israel is a central feature of the country and plays a major role in shaping Israeli culture and lifestyle, and Israel is the only country in the world where a majority of citizens are Jewish. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, the population in 2008 was 75.4% Jewish, 20.6% Arab, and 4% minority groups. The religious · Japan Religion in Japan is mainly associated with Shintō and Buddhism. Most Japanese people generally do not exclusively identify themselves as adherents of only one religion, but rather incorporate various elements in a syncretic fashion. Japanese streets are decorated on Tanabata, Obon and Christmas. Japan grants full religious freedom allowing · Jordan The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a majority Muslim country, with 92% of the population following Sunni Islam while a small minority of around 2% follow Shia Islam and Sufism . Jordan also has a significant Christian minority, making up around 6% of the population, mainly Catholic, Oriental Orthodox or Greek Orthodox · Kazakhstan Islam is the largest religion in Kazakhstan, followed by Russian Orthodox Christianity. By tradition the Kazaks are Sunni Muslims of the Hanafi school, and the Russians are Russian Orthodox. According to Kazakh officials, 67.8% of the population are Muslim, 29.2% Russian Orthodox and 3% other religions. Some Jews, Catholics, and Pentecostals also4 · North Korea Traditionally, religion in North Korea primarily consists of Buddhism and Confucianism and to a lesser extent Korean shamanism and syncretic Chondogyo. Since the arrival of Europeans in the 18th century, there is also a Christian minority. According to the CIA , since the rise of Stalinism, free religious activities no longer exist as the · South Korea Religions in South Korea are dominated by both traditional Buddhist faith and a large growing Christian population . The practice of both of these faiths has been strongly influenced by the enduring legacies of Korean Confucianism, which was the official ideology of the 500-year-long Joseon Dynasty, and Korean shamanism, the native religion of the · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos Laos has an area of 85,000 square miles and a population of 6.4 million. Almost all ethnic or "lowland" Lao are followers of Theravada Buddhism; however, lowland Lao constitute only 40-50 percent of the population. The remainder of the population belongs to at least 48 distinct ethnic minority groups. Most of these ethnic minorities are · Lebanon · Malaysia Malaysia is a multiconfessional society, with slightly more than half of its people being Muslims. The internal conflicts the nation has faced have generally been precipitated by ethnicity rather than religion. The country is officially a Muslim state, and the Government actively promotes the spread of Islam in the country and its friendship with · Maldives The Maldives ( /ˈmɒldaɪvz/ or /ˈmɒldiːvz/), (Dhivehi: ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ Dhivehi Raa'je) or Maldive Islands, officially Republic of Maldives, is an island country in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls stretching in a north-south direction off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and Chagos · Mongolia · Nepal Nepal was formerly the world's only constitutionally declared Hindu state, but following the movement for democracy in early 2006 and the breaking of King Gyanendra's power, the Nepali Parliament amended the constitution to make Nepal a secular state · Oman · Pakistan A census held by the Pakistan International Bureau indicates that 96% of the population of Pakistan are Muslims. There are small non-Muslim religious groups: Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, Bahá'ís, Kalash and others totaling 3% · Philippines Religion in the Philippines are spiritual beliefs held by Philippine citizens. Religion holds a central place in the life of the majority of Filipinos, including Catholics, Jewish, Muslims, Buddhists, Protestants and animists. It is central not as an abstract belief system, but rather as a host are experiences, rituals, ceremonies, and adjurations · Qatar · Russia4 · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Republic of China5 · Thailand · Turkey4 · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen
States with limited recognition

Abkhazia1 · Nagorno-Karabakh · Northern Cyprus · Palestine · South Ossetia1
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Aceh · Adjara1 · Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Altai · British Indian Ocean Territory · Buryatia · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Guangxi · Hong Kong · Inner Mongolia · Iraqi Kurdistan · Khakassia · Macau · Nakhchivan · Ningxia · Papua · Sakha Republic · Tibet · Tuva · West Papua · Xinjiang
1 Sometimes included in Europe, depending on the border definitions. 2 Officially known as Myanmar. 3 Sometimes included in Oceania, and also known as Timor-Leste. 4 Transcontinental country. 5 Commonly known as Taiwan.
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