Visit Lebanon

Lebanon is democratic republic with a parliamentary system of government and a cabinet headed by a prime minister. Its constitution is based on the separation of executive, legislative, and judicial power, with a president elected for a six-year term. The 128 members of parliament are elected by universal adult suffrage for a four-year term.

Lebanon has a Mediterranean climate - hot and dry in summer (June to August), cool and rainy in winter (December to February).

In summer humidity is very high along the coast and daytime temperatures average 30°C, with night temperatures not much lower. Winter is mild, with daytime temperatures averaging 15°C. In the mountains, summer days are moderately hot (26°C on average) and the nights cool. Winters are cold, with snowfall above 1300m.

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November), when the climate is warm but not uncomfortable, are the best times to travel in Lebanon. In winter, the rain and cloud can spoil sightseeing and snow can close some of the higher roads. Not all the budget hotels have heating either. But if you fancy trying Lebanon's ever-developing winter sports it's a good time to go.

Travellers on a budget may prefer to avoid the high season (mid-June to mid-September), when prices of hotels and restaurants go up considerably.

For 2024, the World Bank forecasts Lebanon's household disposable income per capita to be approximately $5,460 USD per year. ​ Other sources indicate that the GDP per capita in Lebanon was around $4,136 as of 2021. The country has faced high unemployment rates, which reached 25% in 2024​.

It is classified as a developing, lower-middle-income economy. The nominal GDP was estimated at $19 billion in 2020, with a per capita GDP amounting to $2,500.

Identifying all Lebanese as ethnically Arab is a widely employed example of panethnicity since in reality, the Lebanese “are descended from many different peoples who have occupied, invaded, or settled this corner of the world,” making Lebanon, “a mosaic of closely interrelated cultures”.While at first glance, this ethnic, linguistic, religious and denominational diversity might seem to cause civil and political unrest, “for much of Lebanon’s history this multitudinous diversity of religious communities has coexisted with little conflict”.The population of Lebanon was estimated to be 4,125,247 in July 2010,however no official census has been taken since 1932 due to the sensitive confessional political balance between Lebanon's various religious groups.

Lebanon's population is estimated to be 59.7% Muslim (27% Sunni; 27% Shia; 5.7% other (Shia, Sunni, Isma'ilite, Alawite, or Nusayri and non-Muslims with similar beliefs to the Muslim such as Druze, who do not consider themselves to be Muslims)), 39% Christian (Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian,Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant), and 1.3% other.Breakdown of the religious groups in Lebanon, c. 2008Over the past 60 years, there has been a steady decline in the ratio of Christians to Muslims, due to higher emigration rates of Christians, and a higher birth rate in the Muslim population.The most recent study conducted by Statistics Lebanon, a Beirut-based research firm, found that approximately 27% of the population was Sunni, 27% Shi'a, 21% Maronite, 8% Greek Orthodox, 5% Druze, 5% Greek Catholic, and 7% other Christian sects such as Armenians who are 4% of the population and Syrian Orthodox.There are 18 state-recognized religious sects – 4 Muslim, 12 Christian, 1 Druze, and 1 Jewish.Religions in Lebanon by sect (2010)The Shi'a community is estimated to be 27%of Lebanon's total population. Shi'a residents primarily live in South Beirut, the Beqaa Valley, and southern Lebanon.The Sunni community is estimated to be 27% of Lebanon's total population.Sunni residents primarily live in West Beirut, the southern coast of Lebanon, and northern Lebanon.Kurds in Lebanon are Sunni Muslims.The Maronite community is estimated to be approximately 21% of Lebanon's total population.Maronite residents tend to live in East Beirut and the mountains of Lebanon.They are the largest Christian community in Lebanon.The Greek Orthodox community is estimated to be approximately 8% of Lebanon's total population. Greek orthodox residents primarily live in Koura, Beirut, Zahleh, Rachaya, Matn, Aley, Akkar, Tripoli, Hasbaya and Marjeyoun. They are the second largest Christian community in Lebanon and the 4th largest religious community in the country.

All Lebanese schools are required to follow a prescribed curriculum designed by the Ministry of Education. Some of the 1400 private schools offer IB programs,and may also add more courses to their curriculum with approval from the Ministry of Education. The main subjects taught are mathematics, sciences, Arabic, and at least one secondary language (either French or English).The government introduces a mild form of selectivity into the curriculum by giving 11th graders choice between two "concentrations": sciences, humanities, and 12th graders choose between four concentrations: life sciences, general sciences, sociology and economics, and humanities and literature. The choices in concentration do not include major changes in the number of subjects taken (if at all). However, subjects that fall out of the concentration are given less weight in grading and are less rigorous, while subjects that fall within the concentration are more challenging and contribute significantly to the final grade.

Between 2005 and 2007, Lebanon was in a state of political turmoil, resulting in a sharp fall in tourism. Over the course of 2008 Lebanon rebuilt its infrastructure mainly in the real estate and tourism sectors resulting in a comparatively robust post war economy. In 2009, the New York Times ranked Beirut the No. 1 travel destination worldwide due to its Unique Nightlife and Hospitality.In January 2010, the Ministry of Tourism announced that 1,851,081 tourists had visited Lebanon in 2009, a 39% increase from 2008.Overall, Lebanon has seen an annual increase in tourism since 2006.Recently, after the long years of the civil war and reoccurring periods of political unrest in Lebanon, Lebanon has become an increasingly popular destination for tourism. Its rich history, historic sites, mild climate, along with other factors, have all made Lebanon currently one of the most visited countries in the Middle East. Lebanon, even in its post-war state, has managed to attract around 1,333,000 tourists in 2008, thus placing it as rank 79 out of 191 participating countries.Statistics have shown that Lebanon's tourist attraction rate has been increasing rapidly and the Ministry of Tourism predicts that this ongoing trend will amplify in the coming years. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and surprisingly Japan are the three most popular origin countries of foreign tourists to Lebanon.The recent influx of Japanese tourists is probably the reason for the recent rise in popularity of Japanese Cuisine in Lebanon.