While each country's centrality to the future of Middle East politics and strategy remains unequivocal, the social and cultural traditions of Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan reveal a robust blend of Mediterranean and Arab influences. Home to diverse populations who have experienced centuries of exposure to an array of influences, each country boasts ancient monuments that testify to its ability to withstand conflict and absorb various peoples and ideas. This rich volume profiles the intertwined histories of these three countries and the geographic, economic, and social factors that have come to define each.