Lebanon

Middle East

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria.

		33.9296876N 35.8758545E
President Michel Suleiman	Prime Minister Saad Hariri

Capital

Beirut

Government
Confessionalist, parliamentary republic

Religion
Muslim 59.7% (Shia, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant), other 1.3%

Population
4,125,247

Ethnic group
95% Arab, 4% Armenian, 1% other

National Language                    
Arabic
           
National Day
22 November 1943 (from French )

Anthem
Lebanese National Anthem

Currency
Lebanese pound (LBP)

Attractions
Baalbek,  Beirut's Corniche,  Byblos,  Jeita Grotto,  Sidon Old Town,  Tyre
 
Website   

Art & Cultural

The ICON

Baalbek                  Baalbek  is a town in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, altitude 1,170 metres (3,840 ft), situated east of the Litani River. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, then known as Heliopolis, was one of the largest sanctuaries in the Empire. It is Lebanon's greatest Roman treasure, and it can be counted among the wonders of the ancient world. It contains the largest and most noble Roman temples ever built, and they are among the best preserved. Towering high above the Beqaa plain, their monumental proportions proclaimed the power and wealth of Imperial Rome. The gods worshiped here, the triad of Jupiter, Venus and Bacchus, were grafted onto the indigenous deities of Hadad, Atargatis and a young male god of fertility. Local influences are also seen in the planning and layout of the temples, which vary from the classic Roman design. Baalbek is home to the annual Baalbeck International Festival. The town is about 85 km (53 mi) northeast of Beirut, and about 75 km (47 mi) north of Damascus. It has a population of approximately 72,000.

Baalbek