Lebanon lies to the east of the Mediterranean, sharing borders to the north and east with the Syrian Arab Republic, and to the south with Israel/Palestinian Territory. It is a mountainous country and between the two mountain ranges of Jebel Lubnan (Mount Lebanon), Mount Hermon and the Anti-Lebanon range lies the fertile Bekaa Valley. Approximately half of the country lies at an altitude of over 900m (3,000ft). Into this small country is packed such a variety of scenery that there are few places to equal it in beauty and choice.
The famous cedar trees grow high in the mountains, while the lower slopes bear grapes, apricots, plums, peaches, figs, olives and barley, often on terraces painstakingly cut out from the mountainsides. On the coastal plain, citrus fruit, bananas and vegetables are cultivated, with radishes and beans grown in tiny patches.
Lebanon enjoys an essential Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy winters and longer warm summers. The country is rain free between June and October. Visitors can count on 300 sunny days every year. However, mountains are cold and snowy in winter. Average annual rainfall is about 1,000 mm in Beirut (40 inches), but much higher in the mountains.
Unlike most other Arab countries, Lebanon is characterized by great religious and cultural diversity. At the time of independence Christians formed a slight majority of the population, the largest single community (nearly 30% of the total) being the Maronite Christians, who mostly inhabited the north of Lebanon and the capital, Beirut. Other Christian groups included Greek Orthodox communities, Greek Catholics and Armenians. The Muslim groups were the Sunnis (living mainly in the coastal towns of Tyre, Sidon and Beirut), the ShiŽas (a predominantly rural community in southern Lebanon and the northern BekaŽa valley) and the much smaller Druzes, an ancient community in central Lebanon.
Alphabetical Listing of Hotels in Lebanon (Jounieh)
ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF HOTELS WITH PAYMENT DIRECTLY AT THE HOTEL FRONT DESK
