General Information
Location
Located on the East coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Lebanon is at the meeting point of three continents: Europe , Asia and Africa . Lebanon has been the crossroad of many civilizations ; the traces of which can still be seen today. Its countryside is a place of rocks, cedar trees and magnificent ruins that look down from the mountains to the sea.
Area
4000 sq m (10452 sq km)
Lebanese Flag
"The Lebanese flag is composed of red, white and red horizontal stripes, with a green cedar in the middle of the center white stripe"
Major Cities
Beirut (Capital 1.3 m), Tripoli, Sidon, Zahle, Tyre and Jounieh.
Climate
Lebanon enjoys an essential four season Mediterranean climate with rainy winters, moderate springs, warm summers and regular autumns, with an average of 300 sunny days a year.
The winter is mild on the coast and snowy in the mountains and the summer is hot on the coast but cooler in the mountains. Lebanon is the only country in the Middle East that doesn't have a desert.
Population
3 million Lebanese live in Lebanon (Estimate 2001, last official census 1937)
15 million Lebanese and Lebanese decedents are estimated to be living around the globe
(Largest: Brazil 7 million, USA 3 million)
Ethnic Groups
Lebanon encompasses a great mix of cultures and ethnic groups which have been building up for more than 6000 years. Most of the Lebanese are descendants of the Phoenicians/Canaanites and/or West Aramaic .The second largest ethnic group in Lebanon descends from Arabs , Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Hebrews, Kurds, Persians and others.
Religions
There is no state religion in Lebanon . However, Lebanon officially recognizes 17 religious sects of Christianity, Islam and Judaism.
Languages
Lebanese (Spoken), Arabic (Formal), French, English and Armenian.
Education
About 60% of the schools in Lebanon use French as their basic language of education, about 20% use English, while 20% use both French and English as basic languages for education. Arabic language and Literature are taught in all schools, and the Arabic language is used in some schools for Philosophy, History and Sociology material.
Although a tiny country; Lebanon is well known for its American and European Colleges and Universities. The best-known American-system educational institutions are the American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanese American University (LAU), Notre Dame University (NDU) and Haigazian University . The best-known French-system schools are University of Saint Joseph (USJ) Balamand University and University of the Holy Spirit (USEK, Kaslik). The (National) Lebanese University is centered in Beirut and also has four branches in the remaining districts of Lebanon .
Lebanese cuisine
The cuisine of Lebanon is the epitome of the Mediterranean diet. It includes an abundance of fruits, vegetables, starches, fresh fish and seafood. The enduring tradition of the Lebanese is starters; Mezza also known as hors d'oeuvres. Traditionally, the Lebanese food is served with Arak ; a clear licorice flavored liqueur made locally from grapes. When ice water is added to the Arak, the color turns into a cloudy white concoction and is the perfect addition to any Lebanese meal. The Lebanese have spread their cuisine to all parts of the world. It has become well known in fine restaurants in London , Paris , New York and Sidney serve tabboule, kibbee, hummus and baba'gannouj.
PASSPORT AND VISAS
Foreigners who wish to visit Lebanon must have a valid passport and a Lebanese visa. Visas are delivered by Lebanese diplomatic missions abroad.
CUSTOMS
All ordinary personal effects are exempt from customs duty. Tourists are allowed two bottles of alcoholic beverage for personal use and 500 grams of tobacco(400 cigarettes or 20 cigars)
TRANSPORTATION
Automobiles rental companies provide self-driven cars or cars with a chauffeur. Lebanese taxis are reasonably priced. It is suggested to agree on the fare before setting off.
The service-taxi which allows one to share the cost of a trip with other passengers. Those cars circulate on popular lines in and outside the city and pick up passengers along. In Beirut, they are very convenient and the fare around the city is 1,000LL (about 0.60 $US).
Bus service is also available to many destinations. Example fare: Beirut-Tripoli, 3000LL.
LOCAL TIME
Lebanese time GMT +2 hours in winter and +3 hours in summer. Summer time goes into effect the last Sunday of March and ends the last Sunday in September at 12 midnight.
LEBANESE CURRENCY AND BANKING
Movement of currency into and out of the country and all exchange transactions are completely free of any kind of control. Foreign currency can be exchanged at any bank or at one of the numerous money exchange shops. The monetary unit is the Lebanese Lira (LL) and currency is issued in
LL250, LL500, LL1,000, LL5,000, LL10,000,
LL25,000, LL50,000 and LL100,000 notes.
Banking is a major industry in Lebanon with strict secrecy one of its important features. Eighty banks operate in the country and transactions are performed efficiently and at low cost.
