1. Lebanon has a few neighbours
Located on the continent of Asia, Lebanon is bordered by Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south.
2. Lebanon isn’t its full name
Its official name is the Lebanese Republic.
3. Lebanon is growing fast!
The population of Lebanon was 5.49 million in 2022 and according to the CIA World Factbook it was the fastest growing population in the world in 2013.
4. Lebanon is fairly large
Lebanon has a total area of 4,036 square miles (10,452 square kilometres).
5. It’s a unique Middle Eastern oddity
It’s the only Arabian/Asian country that doesn’t have a desert.
6. Lebanon has a big capital
Lebanon’s capital is Beirut; Its Lebanon’s largest city and spans an area of 7.7 square miles (20 square kilometres) and has a population of 2.433 million (2022).
7. Life is fairly long here!
The average life span here is 75.05 years (2021).
8. Lebanon has many languages
Arabic is the official language but French, German, English and Armenian is also spoken here.
9. The country is fairly easy to find and call
The coordinates for Lebanon are 33.9000° N, 35.5333°
Want to call friends or family here? You’ll need to use the international dialling code +961.
10. Lebanon has its own currency
You’ll need to change your cash into Lebanese pounds if you want to take spending money.
11. Lebanon has an interesting trade setup
Agriculturally, Lebanon produces apples, grapes, citrus fruits, tomatoes, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, sheep and goats.
This country has industries in tourism, banking, food processing, jewellery, textiles, mineral and chemical products, cement, oil refining, metal fabricating, and wood and furniture products.
12. Lebanon is all about finance!
It has more than 100 different banks (not just branches, individual banks!
13. The Lebanese have a summer independence celebration
Independence Day, November 22nd, is recognised as a National holiday.
14. There’s plenty of press in Lebanon
Lebanon has a list of 40 daily newspapers, an incredible amount considering the UK (which is more than 20 times the size) has 68! (2015).
15. Lebanon is well-educated
It also has 42 universities!
16. The iPod is a Lebanese creation
Tony Fadel, originally Lebanese, created and was the production manager for Apple’s iPod.
17. There’s a really good chance you’ll see a doctor in Lebanon
Lebanon has a doctor to patient ratio of 1:10; to put that into perspective, it’s 1:100 in Europe and America. The UK falls further behind and has one of the poorest ratios, with just 2.8 doctors per 1,000 patients!
18. Lebanon has ancient cities
Byblos is considered one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in the world – people have been living there since 5,000BC!
19. Lebanon led the way for litreacy!
In fact, the first alphabet was created in Byblos!
20. Lebanon’s name came before the rest
Lebanon is the oldest country name in the world, remaining unchanged for in excess of 4,000 years!
21. Lebanon has a varied terrain
If you’re a lover of outdoor pursuits the best time to visit Lebanon is in the spring because you could be skiing in the mountains in the morning and taking a dip in the sea in the afternoon – brilliant!
22. Lebanese food is delicious
The national dish of Lebanon is kibbeh (or kibbe). It’s a ground lamb and cracked wheat paste dish, quite similar to pate.
FAQs about Lebanon
What is Lebanon known for?
Lebanon may well be best known for The Siege of Beirut which happened in 1982, resulting in the PLO being forced out of Lebanon.
What does Lebanon export?
Lebanese industries export jewellery, chemicals, fruits, tobacco, textiles and paper.
Is Lebanon an independent country?
Lebanon gained independent from France in 1943. However, since independence, Lebanon has had many periods of political turmoil.
Do you know any fun or interesting facts about Lebanon? Share them in the comments below!
