Mount Lebanon Governorate Arabic:محافظة جبل لبنان | |
|---|---|
 The governorates of Lebanon, including Mount Lebanon (in pink, labelled 6) | |
| Coordinates:33°50′N35°32′E / 33.833°N 35.533°E /33.833; 35.533 | |
| Country |  Lebanon |
| Capital | Baabda |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Charbel Tabet |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,238 km2 (478 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Estimate (31 December 2017) | 1,520,016 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | LB-JL |
Mount Lebanon Governorate (Arabic:محافظة جبل لبنان) is one of the ninegovernorates ofLebanon, of which it is the most populous. Its capital isBaabda. Other notable towns and cities includeAley,Bikfaya, andBeit Mery.
This governorate is named after the mountainous region ofMount Lebanon and, except for the smallBeirut Governorate which it surrounds, spans the stretch of the Mediterranean coast betweenKeserwan-Jbeil Governorate andSouth Governorate.
The Governorate of Mount Lebanon (except the area around Beirut) extends along the coast of theMediterranean 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'saltitude 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, AwaliRiver and Nahr Ibrahim) and includes the ShabrouhDam with a capacity of 8 millioncubic meters of water.
The governorate is divided into fourdistricts (aqḍiyah, singularqaḍāʼ):
| District | Arabic name | Capital |
|---|---|---|
| Aley | قضاء عاليه | Aley |
| Baabda | قضاء بعبدا | Baabda |
| Chouf | قضاء الشوف | Beiteddine |
| Matn | قضاء المتن | Jdeideh |
The districts ofJbeil andKeserwan were part of Mount Lebanon Governorate until 7 September 2017, when they were separated to form Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate.[3][4]
According to registered voters in 2014:
| Year | Christians | Muslims | Druze | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Maronites | Greek Orthodox | Greek Catholics | Armenian Orthodox | Other Christians | Total | Sunnis | Shias | Alawites | Druze | |
| 2014[5] | 56.56% | 32.88% | 8.58% | 6.64% | 4.34% | 4.12% | 19.12% | 10.95% | 8.14% | 0.03% | 23.86% |
Mount Lebanon has aChristian majority[6][7] with the presence of other religious groups such asDruze andMuslims.Maronites live in the Metn and Baabda districts (other Christian denominations such asGreek Orthodox,Armenian Orthodox, andGreek Catholics make up the rest of the population alongside Muslims). TheDruze are the majority in theAley district and a plurality in the Chouf district (nearly equal in numbers withSunni Muslims and Christians).[8]Shia minorities live in the Coast areas ofBaabda District likeBorj Al Barajneh,Haret Hreik,Ghobeiry andChiyah.[9]
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%.[10]
TheChristian and Druze communities have a long history of interaction dating back roughly a millennium, particularly inMount Lebanon.[11] Over the centuries, they have peacefully interacted and lived together, sharing common social andcultural landscapes, although occasional exceptions have occurred. This interaction been marked by shared economic activities, cultural exchange, and even political alliances in some cases.[12] 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.[13]
This list includes all cities, towns and villages with more than 6,000 registered voters in 2014:[14]
| English name | Population | District |
|---|---|---|
| Bourj Hammoud | 38,265 | Matn District |
| Ghobeiry | 21,251 | Baabda District |
| Bourj el-Barajneh | 16,327 | Baabda District |
| Shheem | 14,575 | Chouf District |
| Baouchriye | 14,018 | Matn District |
| Barja | 13,962 | Chouf District |
| Aley | 12,970 | Aley District |
| Choueifat | 12,632 | Aley District |
| Haret Hreik | 11,143 | Baabda District |
| Hadath | 10,018 | Baabda District |
| Deir al-Qamar | 9,601 | Chouf District |
| Shiyyah | 9,388 | Baabda District |
| Damour | 9,368 | Chouf District |
| Sin el Fil | 9,252 | Matn District |
| Baakleen | 7,630 | Chouf District |
| Tahwitat el Nahr | 7,203 | Baabda District |
| Baskinta | 6,585 | Matn District |
Theeconomy of Mount Lebanon Governorate depends mainly on industrial activities.[when?] 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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
the Druzes make up almost half the district, of Aley, one third of Rashaya, and more than a quarter of Shuf and Matn...
Capital:Aley | ||
| Towns and villages |  | |
Capital:Baabda | ||
| Towns and villages |  | |
Capital:Beitedine | ||
| Towns and villages |
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| Notable landmarks | ||
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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