Lebanon
From Imakoopedia
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| Quick Facts | |
| Capital | Beirut |
| Government | republic |
| Currency | Lebanese pound (LBP) |
| Area | total: 10,400 sq km water: 170 sq km land: 10,230 sq km |
| Population | 3,677,780 (July 2002 est.) |
| Language | Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian |
| Religion | Muslim 70% (including Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 30% (including Maronites, Orthodox Christian, Catholic, Protestant), Jewish NEGL% |
The Republic of Lebanon is a small country (10,452 sq km or 4076 sq mi in area with 3.7 million inhabitants) within the Middle East region with its capital at Beirut. It has a long coastline on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and shares a long land border with its much larger neighbour Syria to the north and the west, a much shorter (and currently "hot") border with Israel to the south.
| Table of contents |
Regions
Cities
Other destinations
Understand
Get in
By plane
A steadily increasing number of airlines service Beirut International Airport (code BEY, located 5 km / 3 miles S of the city centre), which has frequent connections to Europe, Africa, Asia and the rest of the Middle East. Both Air France and British Airways (http://www.britishairways.com/) have regular services. The national carrier, Middle East Airlines (http://www.mea.com.lb/), also flies to Australia and Canada. The American ban on travel to Lebanon was recently lifted so direct flights from the US should begin in the near future.
The departure tax on flights from Beirut is approximately US$51.
Get around
Lebanon is a only a small country and it is possible to drive from north to south in under 3 hours. The main means of transport are service taxis, bus and car.
Taxi
The majority of travelers use service taxis to get from place to place. Service taxis often operate like buses on set routes between towns and cities, though they can be hired to visit other places with some negotiation. Each taxi carries up to 5 or 6 passengers, who share the fare between them. Usually the fare is about One to Two USD per person.
Bus
Buses travel on set routes between Beirut and most other major towns, though service is infrequent and usually not scheduled. Plans exist to resurrect Lebanon's inter-city bus service, but are yet to be fulfilled.
Train
The Lebanese train system is virtually inoperable since the Civil War. Get a taxi instead!
Car
Car rental is relatively expensive in Lebanon compared to elsewhere in the region. Reasonable, if not exactly cheap rates can, however, be found with perserverance and negotiation and - once you have your rental - fuel is cheap and easy to get. Lebanon's roads are generally in quite poor condition and Lebanese drivers are not known for their caution. Road rules are practically non-existent (apart from driving on the right - well, mostly....), traffic is often jammed in big cities and there are no speed limits. Exercise extreme caution when driving in Lebanon.
Talk
The official language of Lebanon is Arabic. French is widely spoken and understood, owing to Lebanon's period as a French mandated territory after the First World War. English is increasingly more widely used, especially in the cities.
See also: Arabic phrasebook
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Learn
Work
Stay Safe
Stay Healthy
Respect
Contact
External links
- Ministère du Tourisme (http://www.lebanon-tourism.gov.lb/) - the official Lebanese Ministry of Tourism website, available in French and English
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