Mount Lebanon Governorate

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Mount Lebanon Governorate () is one of the nine governorates of Lebanon, of which it is the most populous. Its capital is Baabda. Other notable towns and cities include Aley, Bikfaya, and Beit Mery.

This governorate is named after the mountainous region of Mount Lebanon and, except for the small Beirut Governorate which it surrounds, spans the stretch of the Mediterranean coast between Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate and South Governorate.

Geography

The Governorate of Mount Lebanon (except the area around Beirut) extends along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. To the north, it borders the Northern Governorate, and it borders the Southern Governorate to the south. On the eastern side, it borders the governorates of Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel.

The governorate's altitude ranges from zero to 3,000 meters above sea level. It has diverse geographical features, including urban areas, mixed rural areas and natural areas. It is crossed by 5 rivers (Nahr El Kalb, Nahr Beirut, Damour, Awali River and Nahr Ibrahim) and includes the Shabrouh Dam with a capacity of 8 million cubic meters of water.

Districts

The governorate is divided into four districts (ar, singular qaḍāʼ):

The districts of Jbeil and Keserwan were part of Mount Lebanon Governorate until 7 September 2017, when they were separated to form Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate.

Demographics

According to registered voters in 2014:

Mount Lebanon has a Christian majority with the presence of other religious groups such as Druze and Muslims. Maronites live in the Metn and Baabda districts (other Christian denominations such as Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Greek Catholics make up the rest of the population alongside Muslims). The Druze are the majority in the Aley district and a plurality in the Chouf district (nearly equal in numbers with Sunni Muslims and Christians). Shia minorities live in the Coast areas of Baabda District like Borj Al Barajneh, Haret Hreik, Ghobeiry and Chiyah.

There are no accurate statistics, but according to the number of registered voters in 2005, the percentage of Christians is 65.8%, followed by Druze with 15.43%, then Sunnis with 8.23%, followed by Shiites with 7.76%.

The Christian and Druze communities have a long history of interaction dating back roughly a millennium, particularly in Mount Lebanon. Over the centuries, they have peacefully interacted and lived together, sharing common social and cultural landscapes, although occasional exceptions have occurred. This interaction been marked by shared economic activities, cultural exchange, and even political alliances in some cases. The two communities lived among each other and interacted socially on an everyday basis. The close bonds between Christian and Druze neighbors led to Christian communities thriving in some Druze towns.

Cities, towns and villages

This list includes all cities, towns and villages with more than 6,000 registered voters in 2014:

Economy

The economy of Mount Lebanon Governorate depends mainly on industrial activities. The Governorate includes the highest percentage of industrial establishments in Lebanon (about 58% of the total Lebanese industrial establishments). The largest sector is the food industries sector (17.93%), thus representing 34% of the total number of companies engaged in food industries. This sector is followed by paper and printing companies, which constitute 13.15% of the industrial establishments in Mount Lebanon. There are more than 12 industrial zones in Mount Lebanon, near the port of Beirut.

The Governorate of Mount Lebanon includes five out of nine of Lebanon's top tourist attractions. It also includes 260 hotels, which is the highest percentage among the governorates, with the exception of Beirut.

References

References

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