Lebanon - Gateway to the Middle East Tours

Lebanon is a fascinating mix of past and present, East and West. With an ancient history and monuments to match any country its racial diversity and enmity with Israel has brought many conflicts in the recent past. However Lebanon's ability to reinvent itself has come to the fore yet again and it is quickly developing itself into to the regional gateway once more.

Come discover Lebanon for yourself.

Tours

A fascinating mix
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The population of Lebanon is made up of Levantine people. The population stands at about 4m though a further 8-12m Lebanese live outside the country. The population of Lebanon is made up of Christians (mainly Maronite), Muslims (Sunnis, Shias and Alawite) and Druze amongst others. The proportions of each are not really known and a census is thought too likely to lead to sectarian violence, hence considered best avoided by most religious and political leaders.

People

Huge diversity in a tiny land
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At only about half the land mass of Wales, Lebanon is one of the world's smallest countries. Despite this it has huge geographical variation and more greenery than any other Middle Eastern country. Along its coastline are sandy beaches and rocky outcrops. Parallel to the coast run the mountains of the Mt Lebanon range reaching to over 3000m at their highest point. In the south lie the beautiful Chouf mountains and nearer to the Syrian border lies the fertile Bekaa Valley where most of the country's wine is produced.

The Environment

A historic gateway
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As a gateway between Asia and the Mediterranean, Lebanon has always has a multicultural flavour and its history stretches back as long as anywhere else in the world. The country has fallen under the control of many great civilisations including the Assyrians, Babylonians, Armenians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Ottomans and French.

Lebanon's economy is a classic example of a Small Open Economy (SOE) and it serves as a banking hub for the Middle East.

History & Economy