Why the name?

[Sportscarguy]

Why is it called, "the lebanon" rather than just, "Lebanon."? Does the word lebanon mean something in another language? Pardon my ignorance.

[admin]

In English, THE LEBANON refers to the geographical region of the mountains of Lebanon that have "always" existed.

LEBANON, without THE, is the "Republic of Lebanon", in other words, the state, or national entity that was recently created and became independant in 1943, with a few laws, a flag, a song etc.

[Papagena]

don´t lebanon means "white"? then, "Mount Lebanon" = "Montblanc" ?

[admin]

The name Lebanon (also "Loubnan" or "Lebnan") is derived from the Semitic root "LBN", meaning "white", a reference to snow-capped Mount Lebanon. In British English, the country has often traditionally been referred to with the definite article as the Lebanon, like the Ukraine or the Gambia, derived from the literal translation from the Hebrew "HaLevanon" (e.g Deuteronomy 3:25)

source: wikipedia.com