Public holidays in Lebanon

January 1 New Year's Day رأس السنة ‎ Le Nouvel an

January 6 Armenian Christmas عيد الميلاد - الأرمن الأرثودكس ‎ Noël Arménien The holiday was officially recognized in Lebanon in 2003. It is exclusively celebrated by Armenian-Lebanese.

February 9 St. Maroun Day عيد مار مارون La Fête de Saint-Maron The holiday is celebrated by the Maronites, hence the name.

March 25 Feast of the Annunciation عيد البشارة La Fête de l'Annonciation

Friday immediately before Easter Sunday Good Friday جمعة الآلام ‎ Vendredi saint Both the Eastern and Western dates are observed. Also called الجمعة العظيمة in Arabic.

moveable Easter Sunday الفصح المجيد ‎ Pâques Both the Eastern and Western dates are observed.

May 1 Workers' Day عيد العمّال Fête du Travail

May 25 Resistance and Liberation's Day عيد المقاومة والتحرير ‎

August 15 Feast of the Assumption عيد إنتقال العذراء ‎ L'Assomption de Marie

November 1 All Saints' Day عيد جميع القديسين Toussaint

November 22 Lebanese Independence Day عيد الإستقلال ‎ La Fête nationale Lebanon gained its independence from France in 1943.

December 25 Christmas عيد الميلاد Noël

Dates following the lunar Islamic calendar

1 Muharram Islamic New Year رأس السنة الهجرية ‎ Le Nouvel an islamique In French, it is also known as 1er Muharram.

10 Muharram Day of Ashura ذكرى عاشوراء ‎ La Fête de l’Achoura Maqtal al-Husayn is sometimes read on this day.

12 Rabi' al-awwal Mawlid مولد النبي Le Mawlid The holiday is celebrated on 12 Rabi' al-awwal by the Sunnis while it is celebrated on 17 Rabi' al-awwal by the Shi'ites. Also known as mouloud, mouled, maoulide or Mawlid al-Nabi in French.

1 Shawwal Eid ul-Fitr عيد الفطر L'Aïd el-Fitr The holiday lasts for three days until 3 Shawwal. Also known as Id-ul-Fitr, Eid, and the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast.

10 Dhu al-Hijjah Eid al-Adha عيد الأضحى L’Aïd el-Kebir The holiday lasts three days, ending on 13 Dhu al-Hijjah. Also known as la Fête du sacrifice, Aïd al Adha, or Eid el-Kebir in French.

Higher education in Lebanon

Following secondary school, Lebanese students may choose to study at a university, a college, or a vocational training institute. The number of years to complete each program varies. While the Lebanese educational system offers a very high quality and international class of education, the local employment market lacks sufficient opportunities, thus encouraging many of the young educated to travel abroad.

Lebanon has forty-one nationally accredited universities, several of which are internationally recognized. The American University of Beirut (AUB) and the Université Saint-Joseph (USJ) were the first Anglophone and the first Francophone universities to open in Lebanon, respectively. Another internationally recognized university is the Lebanese American University (LAU) that has campuses in Beirut and Byblos. The universities, both public and private, largely operate in French or English.

At the English universities, students who have graduated from an American-style high school program enter at the freshman level to earn their baccalaureate equivalence from the Lebanese Ministry of Higher Education. This qualifies them to continue studying at the higher levels. Such students are required to have already taken the SAT I and the SAT II upon applying to college, in lieu of the official exams. On the other hand, students who have graduated from a school that follows the Lebanese educational system are directly admitted to the sophomore year. These students are still required to take the SAT I, but not the SAT II. The university academic degrees for the first stage are the Bachelor or the Licence, for the second stage are the Master or the DEA and the third stage is the doctorate.

The United Nations assigned Lebanon an education index of 0.871 in 2008. The index, which is determined by the adult literacy rate and the combined primary, secondary, and tertiary gross enrollment ratio, ranked the country 88th out of the 177 countries participating.

Ghassan Salhab

Ghassan Salhab (Arabic; غسان سلهب ) is a Lebanese film director, writer and producer.

Ghassan Salhab was born in 1958 in Dakar, Senegal to Lebanese parents. In Addition to making his own films, Salhab collaborates on various scenarios in Lebanon and in France, and teaches film at ALBA and USJ. He has directed three feature films: Beyrouth Fantome, Terra Incognita and The Last Man. He has also made numerous short films and videos, including: Posthume, Narcisse Perdu, My living body, my dead body, La Rose de Personne, Afrique Fantome, and Apres la Mort. He has published his texts and articles in Various magazines. His fourth feature film, 1958 Autoportrait d'hier, was screened at Cinema Metropolis / Empire Sofil on May 4, 2009.

Beyrouth Fantôme (1998)

Terra Incognita (2002)

The Last Man (2006)

1958 Autoportrait d'hier (2009)

Maroun Bagdadi

Maroun Bagdadi (Arabic: مارون بغدادي‎) (January 21, 1950 – December 11, 1993) was a Lebanese film director known for his vivid portrayal of Lebanon's civil war. Bagdadi was internationally the best-known Lebanese filmmaker of his generation. He worked with American producer/director Francis Coppola and made several films in French that became hits in France.

The Girl in the Air (1992)

Out of Life (1991)

The Veiled Man(1987)

Little Wars (1982)

Wispers (1980)

The Procession (1980)

We Are All for the Fatherland (1979)

The Story of a Village and a War (1979)

The Martyr (1979)

Ninety (1978)

The Most Beautiful of All Mothers (1978)

Greetings to Kamal Jumblat (1977)

The South Is Fine, How About You (1976)

The Majority Is Standing Strong (1976)

Kafarkala (1976)

Beirut Oh Beirut (1975)

Jocelyne Saab

Jocelyne Saab (born 30 April 1948 in Beirut) is a journalist and film director from Lebanon.

1975: Portrait d'un mercenaire français

1975: Lebanon in a Whirlwind

1976: Les Enfants de la guerre

1976: Sud-Liban - Histoire d'un village

1976: Pour quelques vies

1976: Beyrouth, jamais plus

1978: Égypte, la cite des morts

1979: Lettre de Beyrouth

1985: Adolescente, sucre d'amour

1995: Kanya Ya Ma Kan, Beyrouth

2005: Dunia

2010: What's Going On, Once Upon A Time: Beirut

Nomination for Grand Prix des Amériques Dunia 2005.

Nomination for the Grand Jury Prize of the Sundance Film Festival 2006

Joumana Haddad

Joumana Haddad (born December 6, 1970, Beirut) is a renowned Lebanese poet, translator and journalist.

Haddad is head of the cultural pages for the prestigious An Nahar newspaper, as well as the editor-in-chief of Jasad magazine, a controversial Arabic magazine specialized in the literature and arts of the body.She’s been the administrator of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (the "Arab Booker") from 2007 till 2011, and is now a member of the prize’s board of trustees.

She has already published several poetry collections, widely acclaimed by critics. Her books have been translated to many languages and published abroad.

Speaking seven languages, Haddad is a polyglot and has published several works of translation, including an anthology of Lebanese modern poetry in Spanish, published in Spain as well as in many Latin American countries, and an anthology of 150 poets who committed suicide in the 20th century.

She interviewed many international writers, such as Umberto Eco, Paul Auster, Jose Saramago, Peter Handke, Elfriede Jelinek, and others.

She is member of the Book and Reading committee in the Lebanese Ministry of Culture.

Joumana Haddad has been awarded the Arab Press Prize in 2006.

Time for a dream, poetry, (1995)

Invitation to a secret feast, poetry, (2008)

Two hands to the abyss, poetry, (2000)

I did not sin enough, selected poems, (2003)

Lilith's Return, poetry, (2004)

The panther hidden at the base of her shoulders, selected poems, (2006)

In the company of the fire thieves, Conversations with international writers, (2006)

Death will come and it will have your eyes, Anthology of 150 poets who committed suicide, (2007)

Bad habits, selected poems, (2007)

Mirrors of the passers by, poetry, (2008)

Ishtar Yasin Gutierrez

Ishtar Yasin Gutierrez was born in 1968 in Moscow, Russia to an Iraqi father and Chilean-Costa Rican mother She is a director and scriptwriter. Director of El Camino, a film designed for the Latin American cinema, was described as an "impressive debut", shot in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and France.

Gutierrez was born in Moscow in 1968, and now lives in Costa Rica. Her father is the acclaimed Iraqi theater director Mohsen Sadoon Yasin and her mother was a Chilean ballet dancer and choreographer Elena Gutierrez, the daughter of recognized writer Joaquin Gutierrez.

Yasin's family settled back in Chile, not long before leaving in 1973, as they were threatened by players and supporters of the military coup of General Augusto Pinochet. In 1985, at the age of seventeen, Yasin followed in her father's footsteps and went to Moscow, Russia to the Institute of Art to complete her academic and artistic training, as part of her classes. Here she earned a Master's degree in Theater and Film Interpretation.

Hiam Abbass

Hiam Abbass (Arabic: هيام عباس‎; born November 30, 1960), also known as Hiam Abbas or Hiyam Abbas, is a Palestinian actress and an Arab citizen of Israel. She is known for her roles in the films Satin Rouge (2002), Haifa (1996), Paradise Now (2005), The Syrian Bride (2004), Free Zone (2005), Dawn of the World (2008), The Visitor (2008), Lemon Tree (2008), and Amreeka (2009). She had a small role in Steven Spielberg's Munich, a film depicting the response to the Munich Massacre, where she also served as a dialect and acting consultant.

She directed two short films, Le Pain (2001), La Danse éternelle (2004). She portrays humanitarian Hind al-Husseini in Julian Schnabel's film Miral (2010), based on the life of Husseini and her orphanage.

Abbass was born in Nazareth, Israel and was raised in a traditional Muslim village by the Lebanese border. She became famous in the international film scene through the film Satin Rouge (2002), by Raja Amari, a film about the self-discovery of a middle aged Tunisian widow with her own desires and sexuality. She also played a similar role in The Syrian Bride, about a caged Druze woman eager to break down all sorts of barriers.

Carmen Lebbos

Carmen Lebbos (Arabic: كارمن لبّس‎, born 1963) is a Lebanese actress who has been working in film, television and the theater since 1981. She has been in several television series including Esma lah and will appear in the leading role this fall in The teacher’s daughter. She also appeared in Ziad Doueiri’s West Beirut.

Carmen Elias Lebbos was born in Beirut; to a working-class modest living family,she had early ambitions to be in show business. At the age of 12, she had the opportunity to become a dancer in a troupe (in view of her height 1m. 73 cm), but this move was forbidden by her strict father. At the age of 14, she ran away from home to get married, but later returned to Beirut with her one-year-old baby after she realized it was a mistake and felt trapped in the marriage. Aged sixteen, she wanted to join the Academy of Arts to study acting, and hoped to meet Ziad Rahbani, from whom she would learn many of her acting techniques. Lebbos would be involved in a 15-year romantic relationship with Ziad Rahbani (after his separation & divorce from his estranged ex-wife Dalal Karam)but Lebbos broke it off after realizing Rahabani couldn't provide her with the stability she wanted.In one of her rare interviews, in which she accepted to talk about her relationship with Ziad, Carmen maintained that Ziad, a controversial figure who has invited praise and criticism alike, was simply the man she once loved... she then added "never, during all the 15 years of being together 24 hours a day, did I regard Ziad in the light other people saw him in. To me he was the man I loved and lived with and drank coffee with every morning... And that is that.” Her first actual mentor was Yaacoub Chedrawi, who taught her the basics of Theatre.

Nadine Labaki

Nadine Labaki (Arabic; نادين لبكي ) (born February 18, 1974) is a Lebanese actress and director. She is one of the well known directors in the Arabic music video industry. Nadine is usually credited for bringing artists into the scene.

In 2007, Labaki co-wrote, directed, and starred in her feature-film debut, Caramel, which became an international sensation at film festivals and went on to achieve box office success. It showcases a Beirut that most are not familiar with. Rather than tackle political and religious issues which have plagued Lebanon, she presents a romantic comedy that deals with five Beirut women who gather at a beauty salon and deal with love, sexuality, tradition, disappointment, and everyday ups and downs.

The film garnered Labaki much acclaim as both a director and actress, and put her on Variety's 10 Directors to Look Out for List.

Caramel was distributed in more than 40 countries around the world, and it premiered at some prestigious film festivals along the way. Here is a rundown of its journey around the world.

July 31, 2007: Caramel was the opening movie of the Paris Cinéma Film Festival

August 9: Caramel was released in Beyrouth (a risky decision made by Labaki in order to premiere in Lebanon before any other country). In one week, 2,873 moviegoers saw the movie. It remained number 1 at the Lebanese box office throughout August and September 2007. More than 160,000 Lebanese embraced the film, helping it gross around $667,000 there alone.

August 14: Caramel debuts in France at number 2 at the box office in its first week. More than 500,000 watched the movie in France.

Ramad (Ashes) - a short film by Joanna Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige,

The Seventh Dog - a short film by Zeina Durra,

Non métrage Libanais - a short film by Wissam Smayra,

Bosta - a long feature by Philippe Aractingi,

Caramel or Sukkar Banat (premiered in Cannes 2007).

Rasasa Taycheh (2010)

Mounir Maasri

Mounir Rachid Maasri (born. Aley, Lebanon; April 23, 1940) (Arabic: منير رشيد معاصر‎), born to Rachid Maasri and Shafiqa Haddad, is an actor, director, writer, and teacher for the Performing Arts. Maasri completed his early education in Lebanon, and travelled to the United States at a young age to continue his studies in the field of Performing Arts.

Perhaps one of the biggest roles he has ever played – and continues to do so – is his role as a teacher. Maasri has taught at several different Lebanese universities, such as the American University of Beirut (Off-Campus Program), ALBA, Notre-Dame, Saint-Esprit de Kaslik, and Balamand, as well as Dulcina College for the Performing Arts in Brasília, Brazil. He worked as an acting coach on Brazilian feature film Baile Perfumado (winner of 18 international awards). Since 1998, he has been Dean of the Performing Arts School at the Institute Libano-European of Technology, as well the sole instructor of an intensive, multi-faceted program which trains and teaches students in the four interlinked disciplines of acting, directing, writing and producing for cinema and television. Many of his former students, who have nothing but praise for him (and in true technological generation fashion have set up a group on the social networking site Facebook, which currently has over 100 members), have pursued successful budding careers of their own in Lebanon, the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Belgium and France, among other places. He also developed a program for teaching the audiovisual arts to children with special needs, and is backed by a diploma in Parental Guidance: The Development of the Human Potential from The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, Philadelphia – USA. He initially implemented the program at the Institute Libano-European of Technology but was unfortunately unable to continue due to lack of funding.

Frank Lackteen

Frank Lackteen (August 29, 1897 – July 8, 1968) was a Lebanese-born American film actor best known for his antagonistic roles. He appeared in nearly 200 films between 1916 and 1965, including several Three Stooges shorts. He was born in Kubber-Ilias, Lebanon and died in Los Angeles, California. His interment was located at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park.

1921 The Avenging Arrow Pablo

1922 White Eagle Crouching More

The Timber Queen Vance

1923 Her Dangerous Path Malay George

1924 Leatherstocking Briarthorn

The Fortieth Door Hamid Bey

Into the Net Dr. Vining

1925 Idaho Tex Osborne

Sunken Silver Rodney Hade

The Green Archer Julius Savini

1926 The House Without a Key Kaohla

1927 Melting Millions

1928 Mark of the Frog

The Tiger's Shadow Dr. Sandro

1929 Hawk of the Hills The Hawk

The Fire Detective Mr. Tarrant

Queen of the Northwoods Jacques De Brun

The Black Book Valdez

Nabih Berri

Nabih Berri (Arabic: نبيه بري‎; born January 28, 1938) is the Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon. He heads the mostly Shi'a Amal Movement.

Berri again served as a Cabinet minister from 1989 to 1992, and he was elected speaker of the National Assembly on 20 November 1992 at the head of the "Liberation of the South Movement" list. On 8 September 1996, his list, the Liberation and Development list, won the legislative elections and he was once again re-elected Speaker.

On 3 June 2003, he was elected President of the Arab Parliament, which he assumed on 1 March the following year.

He was born in Bo, Sierra Leone to Lebanese parents. He went to school in Tebnine and Ain Ebel in southern Lebanon and later studied at the Makassed and the Ecole de la Sagesse in Beirut. He obtained a law degree in 1963 from the Lebanese University, where he had served as the student body president, and became a lawyer at the Court of Appeals. During the 1960s, he joined the Arab Nationalist Movement.

Najib Mikati

Najib Azmi Mikati (Arabic: نجيب ميقاتي‎) (born November 24, 1955) is a Lebanese politician and businessman. From April 2005 to July 2005 he was Prime Minister of Lebanon in a caretaker government. On January 25, 2011, Mikati was nominated to serve as Prime Minister by a majority of the votes in the parliamentary consultations following the fall of the Lebanese government on January 12. President Michel Suleiman appointed him as the new Prime Minister following the dissolution of the government led by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri. He is independent and not affiliated with or a member of any political party or organisation.

He co-founded the telecommunications company Investcom with his brother Taha in 1982. He sold the company in June 2006 to South Africa's MTN Group for $5.5 billion. In 2008, Forbes estimated his wealth at about $2.6 billion, making him the world's 446th richest person.

On 24 January 2011, the March 8 alliance nominated Mikati to become prime minister and succeed Saad Hariri, whose government was brought down by the resignation of 10 of the alliance's ministers, and one presidential appointee, on January 12, 2011. It was a result of the collapse of the Saudi-Syrian initiative to reach a compromise on the issue of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

On 25 January 2011, the Parliament of Lebanon voted on his nomination with 68 MP's nominating Mikati for Prime Minister. President of Lebanon Michel Suleiman then nominated Mikati to head a new Lebanese government.

Saad Hariri

Saad-eddine Rafiq Al-Hariri ( سعد الدين رفيق الحريري‎; born 18 April 1971) is a Lebanese/Saudi politician and former Prime Minister of Lebanon, following the collapse of his cabinet on 12 January 2011. He is the second son of Rafic Hariri, the former Lebanese Prime Minister who was assassinated in 2005. He has been prime minister since 9 November 2009 and is also Leader of Movement of the Future since 2005.

After his father's death, he inherited the helm of the Movement of the Future, an essentially Sunni movement that was created and led by his late father. He is also the leader of the March 14 Alliance, a coalition of political groups born out of the Cedar Revolution which, through mass popular demonstrations and Western support, led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in 2005 after a 29-year presence.

Saad Hariri is the second son of Rafic Hariri, the assassinated former Lebanese Prime Minister and his wife Nidal Al-Bustani.

Hariri married Lara Bashir Al Adem in 1998 and has 3 children: Son Hussam, born 1999; Daughter Lulwa, born 2001; and Son Abdul Aziz, born 2005

Michel Suleiman

Michel Suleiman or Sleiman (Arabic: ميشال سليمان‎, born 21 November 1948) is the President of Lebanon. Before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces. After LAF commander Émile Lahoud took office as president in November of 1998, Suleiman succeeded him, taking his place in December. Suleiman was later elected President and was sworn into office on May 25, 2008.

On May 28, 2008, President Suleiman reappointed Fouad Siniora as Prime Minister. Siniora was the parliamentary majority's candidate for the position, and Suleiman appointed him in accordance with the country's Constitution and with a majority of 68 MPs who named him.

Shortly after assuming the Presidency, Suleiman departed from tradition when he asked that posters bearing his likeness be removed from public display despite the fact that he thanked "citizens, institutions, municipalities and cultural organizations for the outpouring of support and affection".

The priorities of President Suleiman's presidential term were set out clearly, notably: national reconciliation; affirming Lebanon's active role as a message of dialogue and conviviality; protecting the country's independence, unity and territorial integrity; providing security and favorable conditions for economic and social growth; reinforcing constitutional institutions; fighting terrorism; implementing international resolutions related to Lebanon; opposing any form of settlement for Palestinian refugees on the Lebanese territories.

Riad Salameh

Riad Salameh is the governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon. He was born on July 17, 1950 in Kfardebian, Lebanon, son of Toufic and Renee (nee Romanos) Salameh. He has received acclaim for his policies averting financial catastrophe in Lebanon amid the Financial crisis of 2007–2010.

Governor Salameh received numerous awards including the 1996 Euromoney Award as the best Central Bank Governor in the Arab World; the 1997 Knight of the Legion of Honor bestowed on him by French President Jacques Chirac; the 2003 Euromoney Award’s Man of the Year as the Best Central Bank Governor; the 2004 Shield Award from Bankers for a Better Future, an international academic banking organization, upon his selection as one of the best 20 Central Bank Governors in the world; the 2005 Euromoney Award for Emerging Markets as the Best Central Bank Governor in the Middle East and the 2006 Euromoney Award as the best Central Bank Governor in the world.

In 2009, The Banker Magazine voted Governor Salameh Central Banker of the Year. He became the first Arab central bank governor to ring the opening bell signaling the start of trading at the New York Stock Exchange. The American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce, NY Stock Exchange Euronext, Auerbach Grayson, and The Bank of New York Mellon hosted what was known as "Lebanon Capital Market Day". This came obviously as a reward for Governor Salameh's achievements and strategic decisions through the global economic crisis, the governor was honored on March 2, 2009 at New York Stock Exchange by being invited to ring the starting bell that Monday morning.

Lebanese pound

Lebanese pound (sign: £ or L£; Arabic: lira; French: livre; ISO 4217: LBP) is the currency unit of Lebanon. It is divided into 100 piastres but inflation has eliminated the subdivisions.

The plural form of lira, as used on the currency, is either lirat (ليرات) or the same, whilst there are four forms for qirsh: the dual qirshan (قرشان), the plural qirush (قروش) used with numbers 3-10, the accusative singular qirsha (قرشا) used with 11-99, or the genitive singular qirshi (قرش) used with multiples of 100. In both cases, the number determines which plural form is used. Note that before the Second World War, the Arabic spelling of the subdivision was غرش (girsh). All of Lebanon's coins and banknotes are bilingual in Arabic and French.

Lebanon's first banknotes were issued by the Bank of Syria and Greater Lebanon (Banque du Syrie et Grand-Liban) in 1925. Denominations ran from 25 girsha through to 100 pounds. In 1939, the bank's name was changed to the Bank of Syria and Lebanon. The first 250 pound notes appeared that year. Between 1942 and 1950, the government issued "small change" paper money in denominations of 5, 10, 25 and 50 girsh or qirsh (the change in spelling occurred during these years). After 1945, the Bank of Syria and Lebanon continued to issue paper money for Lebanon but the notes were denominated specifically in "Lebanese pounds" (ليرة لبنانية, livre libanaise) to distinguish them from Syrian notes. Notes for 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 pounds were issued. In 1964, the Bank of Lebanon took over banknote production. Their notes are denominated in pounds. A 250 pound note reappeared in 1978, followed by higher denominations in the 1980s and 1990s as inflation drastically reduced the currency's value. Banknotes in current use are.

Banque du Liban

Banque du Liban (BDL) (Arabic: مصرف لبنان‎, French: Banque du Liban) is the central bank of Lebanon. It was established on August 1, 1963 and became fully operational on April 1, 1964. It is currently headed by Riad Salameh, who was named the Middle East's best central bank governor by Euromoney in 2005.

One of the main responsibilities of the bank is issuing Lebanon's currency, the Lebanese Pound. Other responsibilities include maintaining monetary stability, regulation of money transfers, and maintaining the soundness of the banking sector. Banking is a very important part of Lebanon's economy with over 100 different banks, which makes the role of Banque du Liban particularly important. It currently owns 99.37% of the shares of Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines. However, plans call for it to sell its stake in the airline by 2008 as part of government plans to privatize many institutions.

The government has recently launched an ambitious 5-year economic reform program in hopes to cut the country's debt. The outcome of the reform program will largely be dependent on Banque du Liban.

Besides the main branch in Beirut, it has branches in Aley, Baalbeck, Bikfaya, Jounieh, Nabatiye, Sidon, Tripoli, Tyre, and Zahlé.

The Banque du Liban is managed by the Governor who is assisted by four Vice-Governors, as well as by the Central Council.

The Governor is the legal representative of the Banque du Liban, and has extensive authority on the management of the Bank. He is entrusted with the enforcement of the Code of Money and Credit, and the implementation of the Central Council's resolutions. Upon the proposal of the Minister of Finance, the Governor is appointed by decree sanctioned by the Council of Ministers, for a renewable six- year term.

After the consultation with the Governor and upon the proposal of the Minister of Finance, the Vice-Governors are appointed by decree sanctioned by the Council of Ministers for a renewable five-year term. They assist the Governor in managing the Bank, carrying out functions specified by the Governor. In addition, they assume their duties as members of the Central Council.

Beirut

Beirut (Arabic: بيروت‎, Bayrūt, French: Beyrouth) is the capital and largest city of Lebanon with a population ranging from some 1 million to more than 2 million as of 2007. Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's coastline with the Mediterranean, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan Area, which consists of the city and its suburbs. The first mention of this metropolis is found in the ancient Egyptian Tell el Amarna letters, dating to the 15th century BC, and the city has been continuously inhabited since.

Beirut holds Lebanon's seat of government, and plays a central role in the Lebanese economy with its city centre, Hamra, Verdun, and Ashrafieh-based corporate firms and banks. The city is the focal point of the region's cultural life, renowned for its press, theatres, cultural activities, and nightlife. After the destructive Lebanese civil war, Beirut underwent major reconstruction, and the redesigned historic city centre, marina, pubs and nightlife districts have once again rendered it a tourist attraction. Beirut was named the top place to visit in 2009 by The New York Times.It was also listed as one of the ten liveliest cities in the world by Lonely Planet in 2009.

The economy of Beirut is diverse, ranging from publishing, banking, trade to a diverse industry. From the 1950s to the start of the conflict in 1975, Beirut was the region's financial services center. At the onset of the oil boom starting in the 1960s, Lebanon-based banks were the main recipients of the region's petrodollars. Middle East Airlines has its head office in Beirut.In addition, the Banque du Liban, the central bank of Lebanon, is headquartered in Beirut.

Tripoli, Lebanon

Tripoli (Standard Arabic: طرابلس Ṭarābulus, and Arabic: طَرَابُلُس‎  Trâblous, Greek: Τρίπολις Tripolis) is a city in Lebanon. Situated north of Batroun and the cape of Lithoprosopon, Tripoli is the capital of the North Governorate and the Tripoli District (in Lebanon the districts are subunits of governorates). The city is located 85 km north of the capital Beirut, and is the easternmost port of Lebanon.

In ancient times, it was the center of a Phoenician confederation which included Tyre, Sidon and Arados, hence the name Tripoli, meaning "triple city" in Greek. Later, it was controlled successively by the Assyrian Empire, Persian Empire, Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Caliphate, the Seljuk Empire, Crusader States, the Mamluks, the Ottoman Empire and France. The Crusaders established the County of Tripoli there in the twelfth century.

Tripoli is today the second-largest city and second-largest port in Lebanon, with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, overwhelmingly Sunni Muslims (approximately 80%), along with a small minority of Orthodox and Maronite Christians, and a small minority of Alawite Muslims.

The city borders El Mina, the port of the Tripoli District, which it is geographically conjoined with to form the greater Tripoli conurbation.

Just offshore is a string of four small islands, the only islands of Lebanon. The largest, known as the island of Palm trees or Rabbits’ Island (جزرة الارانب), is now a nature reserve for green turtles and rare birds. Declared a protected area by UNESCO in 1992, camping, fire building or other depredation is forbidden. This island also holds Roman and Crusader ruins.

More commonly known as the Rachid Karami Exhibition, it was designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. Its Construction was put on hault in 1975 due to the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war and was never recommenced. It contains 15 buildings by Niemeyer on approximately 10,000 hectare, and is located on Tripoli's southern entrance. The whole complex is currently deserted, there has been some plans to revive and re-plan it, but was all unsuccessful due to political but mainly because it ruins the current architecture.

Sidon

Sidon or Saïda (Arabic: صيدا‎, Ṣaydā; Phoenician: , Ṣydwn; Greek: Σιδών; Latin: Sidon; Hebrew: צידון‎, Ṣīḏōn, Turkish: Sayda) is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km (25 mi) north of Tyre and 40 km (25 mi) south of the capital Beirut. Its name means a fishery. It is a city of 200,000 inhabitants who are overwhelmingly Sunni Muslims (approximately 80%), along with small communities of Christian Greek Catholics and Maronites and Shiite Muslims.

Sidon serves as the Mediterranean terminus of the Trans-Arabian Pipeline, a 1,720 km (1,068.76 mi) long oil pipeline that pumps oil from the fields near Abqaiq in Saudi Arabia. The pipeline played an important role in the global trade of petroleum—helping with the economic development of Lebanon—as well as American and Middle Eastern political relations. At the time it was built in 1947, the project was considered ground-breaking and innovative with a maximum capacity of about 500,000 barrels per day (79,000 m3/d). After the 1967 Six-Day War and due to constant bickering between Saudi Arabia and Syria and Lebanon over transit fees, the emergence of oil supertankers, and pipeline breakdowns, the section of the line beyond Jordan ceased operation in 1976. The city is the site of a large-scale oil facility constituting oil-storage tanks, an oil refinery, a thermal power plant and a fuel port. During the Lebanese civil war and the Israeli invasions, the site was bombarded several times either by Israeli war-planes or by Palestinian militia groups which lead eventually to the closure of the site. The oil tank and the refinery are in severe conditions and are awaiting a massive rehabilitation plan. The only facilities that still work on the site are the thermal power plant and the fuel port, which the state began to use to import oil for the plant after the pipeline ceased work in the 70's.

Zahlé

Zahlé (Arabic: زحلة; also transliterated Zahleh or Zahleh) is the capital of Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon. With around 200,000 inhabitants (mostly Christian), it is the third largest city in Lebanon. The city is situated 52 km (32.31 mi) east of the Lebanese capital Beirut

Situated in the heart of Zahlé, on the Berdawni River, Hotel Kadri is a five star hotel where many Lebanese officials and dignitaries have used. The hotel was constructed according to traditional Lebanese architecture, characterized by arcades and stone. The building used to be used as a hospital by the Ottomans during World War One. Today, the hotel houses a health club, tennis courts, a pool and a restaurant.

Our Lady of Zahle is a fifty meter high tower topped with a ten meter high bronze statue of the Virgin Mary. This impressive structure is located in the east of Zahle, and is famous for its impressive views of Zalhe and the Beqaa. The statue of the Virgin Mary is the work of the Italian artist Perrioti. At the base of Our Lady of Zahle is a chapel that can seat a little over of a hundred people.

It is speculated that the name Zahlé is derived from the Arabic verb زحل zahhala, which means to push away, to dislodge, to displace. The occasional landslides which take place in the area around the city may have been the origin of its name.

Tyre

Tyre (Arabic: صور, Ṣūr; Phoenician: , Ṣur; Hebrew: צוֹר‎‎, Tzor; Tiberian Hebrew צר, Ṣōr; Akkadian: 𒋗𒊒 Ṣurru; Greek: Τύρος, Týros; Turkish: Sur; Latin: Tyrus) is a city in the South Governorate of Lebanon. There were approximately 117,000 inhabitants in 2003, however, the government of Lebanon has released only rough estimates of population numbers since 1932, so an accurate statistical accounting is not possible. Tyre juts out from the coast of the Mediterranean and is located about 80 km (50 mi) south of Beirut. The name of the city means "rock" after the rocky formation on which the town was originally built. The adjective for Tyre is Tyrian, and the inhabitants are Tyrians.

Tyre is an ancient Phoenician city and the legendary birthplace of Europa and Elissa (Dido). Today it is the fourth largest city in Lebanon and houses one of the nation's major ports. Tourism is a major industry. The city has a number of ancient sites, including its Roman Hippodrome which was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1979.

Threats to Tyre's ancient cultural heritage include development pressures and the illegal antiquities trade. In addition, the hostilities of the 2006 Lebanon War put the ancient structures of Tyre at tremendous risk, prompting UNESCO's Director-General to launch a "Heritage Alert" for the site.

Tyre Beach has an important wetlands refuge, registered under the Ramsar Convention on the List of wetlands of international importance. It is threatened by pollution contamination and development pressures.

Jounieh

Jounieh (Arabic جونيه, or Junia, جونية) is a Mediterranean coastal city about 16 kilometers north of Beirut, Lebanon. It is known for its seaside resorts, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs, as well as its old stone souk, ferry, and cablecar (le télphérique), which takes passengers up the mountain to the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa. Above Jounieh, and on the way to Harissa, a small hill named Bkerke (Arabic بكركي, or Bkerki), overlooking the Jounieh bay, is the seat of the Patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church. Its inhabitants are predominantly Christian Maronite and it's thus known to be the largest Christian Maronite city in the world.

From 1980 to 1990, Jounieh witnessed a massive migration as a large number of the Beirut traders moved to its markets. Buildings took over its green spaces, and the tourist complexes took over its shores. So its features changed randomly though it benefited from the use of the tourist port for commerce.

In 1990, when fighting stopped, Jounieh was no longer a small city where the humming of water is heard, and houses with red-tiled roofs are surrounded by dreamy orchards but it became a coastal city crowded with people in forests of cement without a beach for the waves to spread.

Jounieh in the beginning of the twenty first century looks reasonably and confidently ahead, leaving behind it memories of a century in which it expanded before its time.

Now, around 18 thousand voters live in Jounieh. Those who live in its towns and suburbs exceed 200,000. By the middle of the century, Jounieh will become a suburb of Beirut in a costal line that forms one city that expands the length of the coastal road at a time when the inhabitants of Lebanon will reach six million around the year 2025.

Baalbek

Baalbek (Arabic: بعلبك‎) is a town in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, altitude 1,170 metres (3,840 ft), situated east of the Litani River. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, then known as Heliopolis, was one of the largest sanctuaries in the Empire. It is Lebanon's greatest Roman treasure, and it can be counted among the wonders of the ancient world. It contains the largest and most noble Roman temples ever built, and they are among the best preserved.

Towering high above the Beqaa plain, their monumental proportions proclaimed the power and wealth of Imperial Rome. The gods worshiped here, the triad of Jupiter, Venus and Bacchus, were grafted onto the indigenous deities of Hadad, Atargatis and a young male god of fertility. Local influences are also seen in the planning and layout of the temples, which vary from the classic Roman design.

Baalbek is home to the annual Baalbeck International Festival. The town is about 85 km (53 mi) northeast of Beirut, and about 75 km (47 mi) north of Damascus. It has a population of approximately 72,000.

In 1517, it passed, with the rest of Syria, to the Ottoman Empire. But Ottoman jurisdiction was merely nominal in the Lebanon. Baalbek, badly shaken in the Near East earthquake of 1759, was really in the hands of the Metawali (see Lebanon), who retained it against other Lebanese tribes. The colossal and picturesque ruins attracted particularly intrepid Westerners since the 18th century. The English visitor, Robert Wood, with Dawson was not simply a tourist: his carefully measured drawings were engraved for The Ruins of Baalbek (1757), which provided some excellent new detail in the Corinthian order that British and European Neoclassical architects added to their vocabulary. Robert Adam, for example, based a bed[8] and one of the ceilings at Osterley House on the ceiling of the Temple of Bacchus, and the portico of St George's, Bloomsbury is based on that temple's portico.

Byblos

Byblos (Ancient Greek: Βύβλος) is the Greek name of the Phoenician city Gebal (Hebrew: גְבַל‎; earlier Gubla, Phoenician: 𐤂𐤁𐤋). It is a Mediterranean city in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of present-day Lebanon under the current Arabic name of (جبيل Jubayl) and was also referred to as Gibelet during the Crusades. It is believed to have been founded around 5000 BC, and according to fragments attributed to the semi-legendary pre-Trojan war Phoenician historian Sanchuniathon, it was built by Cronus as the first city in Phoenicia. Today it is believed by many to be the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world.

It is mentioned in the Bible in 1 Kings 5:32, referring to the nationality of the builders of Solomon's Temple, and also in Ezekiel 27:9, referring to the riches of Tyre.

Byblos houses the professional campus of the Lebanese American University. The Byblos Campus is the home of the professional schools including the Medical School, the Engineering School, the Pharmacy School, in addition to the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Business. The Campus is located on the hill above Byblos and overlooks in City and its port.

Nabatieh

Nabatieh (Arabic: النبطية, al-Nabatiya), or Nabatiye, is the principal town of the Nabatieh Governorate, in southern Lebanon. Nabatieh has approximately 120,000 inhabitants, is the capital of the Jabal Amel area and the chief center for both the mohafazat, or governorate, and the caza, or canton. Nabatieh is an important town both economically and culturally.

A market is held every Monday and traders and visitors from neighboring villages gather in the center of the town to exchange their goods in an area known in Arabic as the Souq Al Tanen. There are also branches of several banks, hospitals, restaurants and cultural centers of interest to tourists. Every year, the city commemorates the Battle of Karbala to remember the martyrdom of Imam al Husayn. During this time of year the town receives tens of thousands of visitors, mainly belonging to the Shiite community, who come to participate in this religious festival.

Nabatieh can boast of being the birthplace of several learned men: the theologian Sheikh Aref al Zein, the scientist Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah and his uncle Sheikh Ahmad Reda.

The Crusaders repaired and fortified Beaufort Castle during the twelfth century and it became the most important fortress in Lebanon. The Crusader king, Foulques d'Anjou, captured it from the ruler of Damascus and gave it to the Crusader rulers of Sidon in 1138. Saladin besieged it for two years and was able to storm it in 1140. The Crusaders regained control of the citadel in 1190 after they had signed an agreement with Al Salih Ismail, the ruler of Damascus. In 1260 it was bought by the Knights Templar and it remained their property until its conquest in 1268 by the Mamluk Sultan, Al Zahir Baybars. The Templers built a small fort there called Chateau Neuf.

Education in Lebanon

Primary education in Lebanon is for children aged 3 to 4. Basic education composes of two levels: elementary level and intermediate level. Elementary level is grade 1 to 3 (cycle 1) and grades 4 to 6 (cycle 2). Intermediate level is grades 7 to 9 (cycle 3). Secondary Education is grades 10 to 12 (cycle 4)

Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) regulates all education institutes in the public sector through a regional education system. The education system in Lebanon is centralized, and this regulation is not direct. The education system is managed through regional education bureaus. Public schools are monitored by the regional education bureaus in the governorates. The regional education bureau serves as liaisons between the public school and the directorates of education at the ministry’s headquarters. Private schools have their own organization, but private schools are still subject to the authority of the MOEHE.

The Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD) is an autonomous staff organization under the trusteeship of the MOEHE. CERD’s tasks are 1) to draft curricula of academic and vocational education for the pre-university education stage, 2) to revise and modify the curricula according to the necessity, 3) to prepare all means and ways for applying these curricula, 4) to do educational research, 5) to secure training for pre-university teachers, 6) to prepare the curricula in all subject areas, 7) to provide teacher training, 8) to write textbooks, and 9) to conduct evaluations, etc

Tourism in Lebanon

The tourism industry in Lebanon has been historically important to the local economy and remains to this day to be a major source of revenue for Lebanon. Before the Lebanese Civil War, Beirut was widely regarded as "The Paris of the Middle East," often cited as a financial and business hub where visitors could experience the Levantine Mediterranean culture.

Lebanon's diverse atmosphere and ancient history make it an important destination which is slowly rebuilding itself after continued turmoil. Lebanon offers plenty: from ancient Roman ruins, to well preserved castles, limestone caves, historic Churches and Mosques, beautiful beaches nestled in the Mediterranean Sea, world renown Lebanese cuisine, nonstop nightlife and discothèques, to mountainous ski resorts.

Significant private investment is currently being made in the modernization and expansion of this sector and international hotel companies have returned to Lebanon. Casino du Liban, which historically constituted a major tourist destination, reopened in 1996. Lebanon is the only country in the Arab world that offers skiing and related winter sports activities. The largest ski resort in the country has been expanded and modernized. The Government believes that, because of the return of peace and stability to the country and with the development of the necessary infrastructure, tourism will again contribute significantly to Lebanon's economy. Lebanon's tourism industry also relies on the large number of Lebanese living abroad, who return regularly to the country during the summer season.

During the Phoenician era, Baalbek was a small village where a triad of fertility gods were worshiped ( Baal-Shamash, Anat, and Aliyan). Little remains of the Phoenician structures of the city which was later named Heliopolis under the Hellenistic rule and extensively rebuilt by the Romans. After the arrival of the Romans to Phoenicia in 64 B.C., the city was transformed to a celebrated sanctuary where a Romanized triad of gods was worshiped (Jupiter, Venus and Mercury) and it was overlaid during a period of two centuries by a series of colossal temples. Modern-day visitors to Baalbek can enter the site through the grand Roman propylaea and walk through the two large colonnaded courtyards to reach the complex's great temples.

Economy of Lebanon

Lebanon's economy and markets are best described as a developing economy. The private sector contributes to around 75% of aggregate demand, a well-diversified sector that covers the totality of economic sectors and is a major pillar for growth and recovery. The Lebanese economy is also a typical open economy with a large banking sector equivalent to more than 2.5 times its economic sector and providing an important support to aggregate demand.

Lebanon recorded a Human Poverty Index of 7% in the 2009 HDI report which ranks it in the 33rd place in the world. Recently the IMF forecast a growth of 7% for Lebanon's real GDP in 2010 and 2011 following a growth of 9% in 2009 and 8.5% in 2008.

Lebanon benefits from its large, cohesive, and entrepreneurial diaspora. Over the course of time, emigration has yielded Lebanese "commercial networks" throughout the world. As a result, remittances from Lebanese abroad to family members within the country total $8.2 billion and account for one fifth of the country's economy. Nassib Ghobril, the head of research and analysis for Byblos Bank, calculates that Lebanese abroad supply Lebanon with about $1,400 per capita every year.