Destination : LEBANON

Lebanon is a small and beautiful country on the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is located at the meeting point of three continents and, as such, has been the crossroads of many civilizations whose traces may still be seen today. Its coastline is about 225 km (150 miles) in length and is, on average, 45 km (30 miles) wide. The total area of the country amounts to 10,452 square km (4,500 square miles). Along the coast are the five famous cities of Beirut, Byblos, Sidon, Tripoli, and Tyre (see interactive map under Tourism). It is bordered in the north and east by Syria and in the south by Israel.

Lebanon’s beauty is illuminated by its geography, its narrow coastal plane and two parallel north/south mountains (the mountains of Lebanon and anti-Lebanon). The fertile Bekaa valley, with its Litani and Orontes Rivers, separates these mountains and nourishes the terrain. Residing majestically over the valley, Qournet Assaouda in the north of Mount Lebanon (altitude 3,083 meters or 10,112 feet) and Jabal al-Sheikh in the south of the anti-Lebanon range (altitude 2,814 meters or 9,230 feet) remain as the highest peaks in the country.

This unparalleled natural splendor is enhanced by Lebanon’s moderate, Mediterranean climate. Lebanon enjoys about 300 days per year of sunshine. The winter is mild on the coast and snowy in the mountains while the summer is hot on the coast and mild on the mountains. It is possible during the spring months to ski in the mountains and swim on the coast in the same day!

The capital is Beirut. Cosmopolitan Beirut, with its million plus inhabitants, conveys a sense of life and an energy that is immediately apparent. This dynasism is echoed by the capital's geographical position -- a great promontory jutting into the blue sea with dramatic mountains rising behind it. An ancient city with a venerable past, 5,000 years ago Beirut was a prospering town on the Canaanite coast and 3,000 years ago it was entering the Phoenician age.

The city's favorable weather, good business climate and seductive lifestyle has always attracted travelers. But whether you visit on business or a vacation, the hospitality towards new faces, new ideas and new experiences, will ensure a stay that is informative as well as fun.

Beirut suvived a decade and a half of conflict and so has earned the right to call itself, "The City That Would Not Die". As if to demonstrate this resiliency the Lebanese have launched a great rush of building activity including the public service infrastructure. In the ruined city center, a huge reconstruction project is underway to creat a new commercial and residential district for the 21st century.

Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions and regaining its national sovereignty since 1991 and the end of the devastating 16-year civil war. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese have established a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater say in the political process while institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the end of the war, the Lebanese have conducted several successful elections, most of the militias have been weakened or disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have extended central government authority over about two-thirds of the country. Hizballah, the radical Shi'a party, retains its weapons.

Foreign forces still occupy areas of Lebanon. Israel maintains troops in southern Lebanon and continues to support a proxy militia, the Army of South Lebanon (ASL), along a narrow stretch of territory contiguous to its border. Syria maintains about 25,000 troops in Lebanon based mainly in Beirut, North Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley. Syria's troop deployment was legitimized by the Arab League during Lebanon's civil war and in the Ta'if Accord. Damascus justifies its continued military presence in Lebanon by citing the continued weakness of the LAF, Beirut's requests, and the failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the constitutional reforms in the Ta'if Accord.
 

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