>> Tourist Information
 To plan your trip, here are some of the practical details you should know about Lebanon:
 Entry Visa to Lebanon

 Most of the nationalities (especially European and Northern American) can obtain the visa
 upon arrival in Beirut International Airport or any other port of entry at the Lebanese border.
 Visa's can be obtained in advance from Lebanese Consulates and Embassies. Passport
 valid for six months is required by all nationalities.

 Hotels and Rest Houses  

 Lebanon is well equipped with 5*,4*,3* hotels thought out the country. 5* Hotels are
 operated by local groups and well known International chains such us Intercontinental Hotel,
 Moevenpick Hotel,  Crowne Plaza, etc. 
 Food and Drinks  

 Lebanese cuisine is widely acknowledged to be the finest in the Middle East. The country’s
 gastronomic tradition is characterized by the use of an extremely wide variety of locally
 produced, and therefore extremely fresh, vegetables served in all forms and shapes with an
 abundance of fresh herbs (mostly coriander, parsley and mint). Excellent Lebanese food is
 available everywhere. A dish unique to Lebanon is kebbeh, made of lamb or fish pounded to
 a fine paste, with burghul or cracked wheat, and served raw or baked in flat trays or rolled
 into balls and fried. Also recommended is the traditional Lebanese mezza, a range of up to
 40 small dishes served as hors d’oeuvres with arak. Main courses are likely to include
 Lebanese staple ingredients of vegetables, rice and mutton. Lahm mishwi (pieces of mutton
 with onions, peppers and tomato) is popular. Other typical dishes are tabbouli, houmos and
 mtabbal. Lebanese palates also favour pastries with local varieties of baked dough's flavored
 with nuts, cream and syrup. A meal is always concluded with a wide range of fresh fruit,
 including melon, apples, oranges, persimmon, tangerines, cactus fruit, grapes and figs,
 which are all grown locally. Beirut also offers a large choice of international restaurants
 which offer dishes from all over the world. Bars have table and/or counter service. Alcohol is
 not prohibited.The local alcoholic drink that is popular with Arabic dishes is Arak, nice
 flavored liquor that is mixed with water and ice.
 Climate  
 There are four seasons. Summer (June to September) is hot on the coast and cooler in the
 mountains. Spring and autumn are warm and pleasant. Winter (December to mid March) is
 mostly rainy, with snow in the mountains, great for skiing.

 Clothing  
 Lebanese in general – especially in Beirut – like to dress up a lot in the evening. So
 in-formal and comfortable cloth for the day, and formal cloths in the evening. Pack a sun-hat
 and add a sweater for cool evenings even in summer, raincoat in the winter.

 Money  

 Lebanese Pound (L£) = 100 piaster. Notes are in denominations of L£100,000, 50,000,
 20,000, 10,000, 5000, 1000, 500, 250 and 100. Coins are in denominations of L£500, 250,
 100 and 50. US Dollars is widely used and do not need to be exchanged as they are
 accepted even in small shops.
 All major credit cards are widely accepted
Exchange rates: Lebanese pounds per US dollar - 2478.51 (May 2003), 1,507.5 (2002)

 Tipping  
 In hotels and restaurants, a tip of between five per cent and ten per cent of the bill is
 expected. It is not necessary to tip taxi drivers.

 Electricity and Water  

 The electrical system is based on 220 AC Volt, 50 Cycles, and requires rounded two round
 pins/prong wall plug. Visitors from North America will need a transformers / adapter which
 can be provided by most hotels. 
 All hotels have their own filtering water system and their water is considered safe to drink.
 Also bottled water is cheap and readily available.

 Nightlife

 Nightclubs spice up the evenings in Beirut and mountain resorts. Entertainment ranges from
 solo guitarists to orchestras and floor shows. Some British-style pubs can be found in
 Beirut. There are many cinemas presenting the latest films from all over the world. After
 extensive refurbishment, the internationally renowned Casino du Liban in Maameltain
 (22km/14 miles north of Beirut) was reopened in 1997, and is now equipped with even more
 lavish gambling halls, luxurious restaurants and a cabaret.

 Shopping  
 Lebanon’s traditional souks or markets are found all over the country offering decorative and
 precious handmade items at very low prices. Special purchases include traditional pottery
 and glassware, as well as cutlery made of tempered steel or copper with ram or buffalo bone
 handles shaped in the form of beautiful and colorful birds’ heads. Brass and copper goods
 include braziers, bowls, fluted jugs, ashtrays, swords and doorstops, all attractively
 designed and hand engraved. Cloth, silk and wool kaftans, abayas (embroidered nightwear)
 and table linen are popular, as are hand worked gold and silver. Shops sell the latest
 Western goods including clothes, cosmetics, furniture and electrical appliances. 
 Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1900.

 Time 

 Plus two hours from GMT. Seven hours ahead of US eastern standard time.

 Sport & Activities

 Golf: Lebanon has four golf courses, the best and most popular of which is The Golf Club of
 Lebanon. Situated on the outskirts of Beirut, the club offers an 18-hole 72 par course, with
 scenic views of the mountains on one side and the Mediterranean sea on the other. The
 club offers guest membership to visitors. Caddies and club rentals are available and special
 group green fees may be arranged. The course is playable all year. The club also includes a
 sport and leisure complex with facilities for tennis, squash, swimming and snooker as well
 as dining areas. 
 Water sports: Scuba diving and snorkeling are available. The waters near the ancient
 city of Tyre offer some interesting underwater archaeological ruins, which divers may
 explore. Swimming is generally popular and many beaches offer full facilities, with guest
 memberships and freshwater pools provided to supplement the sea. Other water sports that
 can be practiced in Lebanon include water-skiing and sailing. Boats may be rented by
 anglers along the coast, but most local anglers prefer to fish in the deep waters by the
 shore.
 Other: Despite its Mediterranean setting, skiing is possible in Lebanon and is actually
 quite popular. Mountain resorts such as The Cedars, Faraya, Laklouk, Zarour, Faqra and
 Qanat Bakish offer excellent accommodation and facilities.
 There is a wide selection of tennis courts in major towns and resorts. Horse riding is also
 popular, and Lebanon’s Equestrian Federation now includes six riding clubs with excellent
 Arab horses available

 Business Hours

 Friday and Saturday are the weekly holidays. Government offices and most business are
 closed.
 Banks are open from Mon-Fri 0800-1400, Sat 0800-1230. Some banks stay open until 1700.
 Business Offices are open from Mon-Fri 08h00-13h30 and from 15h00-18h00.
 Government offices are open only from Mon-Thurs 08h00-14h00
 Fri: 08h00-11h00, Sat 08h00-13h00

 Public Holidays  

 Nov 22 Independence Day.
 Dec 25 Christmas Day. 
 Jan 1 New Year’s Day. 
 Apr 18 Good Friday.
 Apr 21 Easter Monday. 
 May 1 Labor Day. 
 Several Islamic religious holidays are observed by their precise dates vary by about two
 weeks every year in line with the Islamic calendar that is used to determine religious
 holidays.
 Muslim New Year
 Prophets Birthday
 Eid Al Fiter
 Eid Al Adha
 Several other Islamic and Christian holidays are noticed throughout the year, but they are
 restricted to communities holidays and not public holidays.

 Medical Services  
 Lebanese hospitals are very modern and well equipped and many doctors are highly
 qualified, reputed to be among the best in the world. All doctors speak either English or
 French. All hotels have a doctor on call, embassies can also suggest a doctor or a hospital.
>> Geography

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

 Border Countires  
 Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km

 Elevation extremes 

 lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
 highest point: Qurnat as Sawda' 3,088 m

 Natural resources 

 limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land
>> People

 Population  
 3,727,703 (July 2003 est.)

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

 Religions 

 Muslim 70% (including Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 30%
 (including Orthodox Christian, Catholic, Protestant), Jewish NEGL%

 Languages  
 Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
>> Government

 Country name  
 conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
 conventional short form: Lebanon
 local short form: Lubnan
 local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah

 Government type  
 republic

 Capital  
 Beirut
>> Transportation

 Railways

 There are no passenger services operating at present.
 Rail system is unusable because of damage in civil war

 Air

 There are no internal flights.
 The national airline is Middle East Airlines (ME), And many other international air carriers
 operate regularly to Beirut.
 International airports: Beirut International (BEY) (Khalden) is 16km (10 miles) south of the
 city (travel time – 20 minutes). A bus service operates to the city centre  leaving every 30
 minutes. Taxis are also available. Airport facilities include a tourist information desk,
 duty-free shops, post office restaurants, bars, hotel reservations (and bank/bureau de
 change (24-hour). After extensive reconstruction and redevelopment, facilities at Beirut’s
 airport have been greatly improved and now include a VIP lounge as well as new transport
 links (via new roads, tunnels and bridges) to the central city district.

 Sea

 Main international ports are Beirut, Tripoli, Jounieh, Tyre and Sidon. Cruise ships are
 available from Jounieh. Cruise lines operating to Lebanon include First European, Fred
 Olsen and Louis Cruise Lines. The sea connection between the Cypriot port of Larnaca and
 Jounieh in Lebanon can be closed and travelers considering that route are advised to check
 with the Ministry of Tourism or the Embassy. Ports are served by coastal passenger ferries.

 Road

 Traffic drives on the right. Speed limit signs, traffic police and traffic lights are present but
 may not always be respected and driving, particularly in Beirut, can be quite unpredictable.
 As public transport is limited, roads in Beirut are over congested. The worst times for traffic
 jams are 0730-0930 and 1630-1900. Bus: Intercity buses run by private companies are
 cheap and efficient. Many hotels also offer complimentary bus and other transport services.
 Taxi: Intercity taxis operate throughout Beirut and Lebanon. Travel is normally shared.
 Prices are negotiated in advance. Town taxis have red license plates and an official tariff.
 There is a surcharge of 50 per cent after 2200. Car hire: Self-drive cars are available, but
 chauffeur-driven vehicles are recommended. Check with the Ministry of Tourism.
 Documentation: An International Driving Permit and Green Card are required.
 Urban: Public bus services are available in Beirut, where bus services have recently been
 expanded, although service taxis remain the most widely used option.

>> Communication

 Telephone system
 IDD is available. Country code: 961. Outgoing international code: 00. Cellular phones are
 widely used and are available for hire to visitors.

 Mobile telephone
 GSM 900 network in use. Network providers are Libancell and Cellis.

 Fax
 International facilities available. Faxes can be sent from centrales (state telephone bureaux)
 in major towns and from most hotels