Lebanon Country Information
AMIDEAST/Lebanon office will be closed May 9, 2008.
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Lebanon is a small country
(just over 10,400 square kilometers in size) situated
along the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. All
regions are within easy reach of the capital Beirut: it
will take a maximum of 4 hours to drive from one end of
the country to the other. Beirut, Tripoli, Byblos, Sidon,
Tyre and other major cities are situated on the narrow
coastal plain, only 6 Km at its widest point. The country
enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild
winters.
Lebanon’s strategic location has, from the earliest
times, made it the center of the Middle East’s
tumultuous history. Lebanon is an Arab country, and
Arabic is the official language. Besides Arabic, most
Lebanese speak French and English. Lebanon is unique
among Arab countries, however, as it has a laissez-faire
capitalist economy and a democratic system of government
with an active parliament. Elections are held for municipal
councils and for the President of the Republic every
six years, while members of Parliament are elected every
four years.
The
earliest inhabitants of coastal Lebanon were a Semitic
people related to the Canaanites who came to coastal
Lebanon from the Arabian Peninsula about 3500 BC. The
Greeks named these seafaring people 'Phoenicians,' and
they established city-states and spread their 22-letter
alphabet throughout the Mediterranean region. After
being successively ruled by the Egyptians, Assyrians,
Neo-Babylonians, Persians, and Greeks, Lebanon came
under Roman rule in 64 BC. It later became part of the
Eastern Roman - or Byzantine -Empire. From 1515 to 1918,
Lebanon was part of the Ottoman Empire. After WWI, Lebanon
fell under the French Mandate. The Republic of Lebanon,
established by the Constitution of 1926, won its independence
from France in 1943.
Since Lebanon has, for many years, been a trading nation,
its citizens have always had a very worldly and a strong
proficiency in foreign languages, particularly French
and English. Lebanese also have a deep belief in the
importance of education. Thus,
the literacy rate in Lebanon is among the highest in
the region. Lebanon has one of the best educational
systems in the Middle East and private sector involvement
in high. Approximately half of the Lebanese students
attend private schooling from elementary to secondary
levels.
The population, last estimated to be around 4,000,000
citizens, is very diverse with 17 different religious
communities.
 Currency
The Lebanese unit of currency is the Pound (lira).
The exchange rate hovers at around LL 1,500 to the Dollar.
But an American visitor to Lebanon generally would not
have to worry about changing money as almost all shops
and businesses freely accept U.S. Dollars for payment.
Credit cards are also widely accepted. In some areas,
Syrian lira is also accepted. Travelers checks can be
converted at the offices of money changers and banks
and cash advances can be made at ATM machines using
a credit card.
Languages
 The official language is Arabic but most people are
also proficient in English and/or French.
Shopping
Lebanon offers a range of shopping opportunities, from
traditional handicrafts to the latest in European fashions.
But, with the exception of a few items such as gold
jewelry, prices can be expensive in comparison to other
countries in the region. Lebanon is heavily reliant
on imports but there are a few domestically produced
goods that a visitor might want to bring home. The country
is a major producer of jewelry, which can be purchased
at reasonable prices. Lebanon also has a number of world-renowned
vineyards including Chateau Ksara and Chateau Kefraya.
Lebanese sweets are also famous and can be packaged
for travel.
 Sightseeing
Points of interest in Lebanon include:
- The great Roman temple of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley
- Beiteddine, the summer residence of the President
located in the Chouf Mountains.
- The Cedars of Bcharre are in the north. Bcharre is
also the birth and resting place of the famous Lebanese
writer Gibran Khalil Gibran.
- The sleepy coastal villages of Byblos and Tyre.
- The country’s second largest city: Tripoli.
- The great grotto of Jeita, one of the largest natural
caves in the world.
 Transportation
Service taxies are the most common means of transportation
around Beirut. There are a few bus companies that
connect the major cities of Beirut, Tripoli, Saidon
and Tyre. Cars can be rented for prices comparable
to those in the United States but, if you are planning
your visit in the high season of summer, you may want
to make reservations well in advance.
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