Sandwiched by powerful neighbours on three sides, Lebanon is confined to a strech of land measuring 200km in lattitude and 70 km in longtitude. The country has a proud history of seven thousand years, dating back to the age of Phoenicians who created the first alphabet. It has several remarkable UNESCO world heritage sites, including the one in Baalbeck with its astounishing Roman ruins. After several wars in recent past, the country, especially its capital, is developing with a vengeance. New building rise everywhere. The Lebanese people are reputed to be the best educated in the Arab world. And it is this human talent which, for all its secterial-related problems, will determine the future shape of the country.