Lebanon Geography Profile 2012

Land and Resources
Lebanon is about 217 km (about 135 mi) long and 40 to 80 km (25 to 50 mi) wide. A very narrow coastal plain extends along the Mediterranean Sea. Inland the terrain is dominated by two major mountain ranges, which are separated by the fertile Bekaa (al-Biqa) Valley. The Lebanon range rises abruptly from the coastal plain; it is cut by numerous deep gorges and in the north contains the country's highest peak, Qurnat as-Sawda (3083 m/10,115 ft). The other major range, the Anti-Lebanon, lies along the Syrian border in the east. Lebanon's major, and only navigable, river, the Litani, is in the Bekaa Valley. Many of the other rivers flow only during the rainy winter season.

Climate
The climate varies from a Mediterranean-type subtropical climate along the coast and in the Bekaa Valley to a generally cool one in the upper mountains. Summers are hot and dry; winters are mild and humid. Frost is rare at lower elevations. The mean temperature in the lowlands is 26.7° C (80° F) in summer and 10° C (50° F) in winter. The mountainous region is somewhat cooler. Annual precipitation, occurring mainly in winter, is 889 mm (35 in) along the coast, 635 mm (25 in) or less in the Bekaa Valley, and more than 1270 mm (more than 50 in) in the mountains.

Plants and Animals
Most of Lebanon has been deforested. Stands of oak, pine, cypress, and cedar of Lebanon are found in the higher mountains. A Mediterranean brush vegetation, with some trees, is found in most other areas. A few species of wild animals survive, including jackal and wolf, wild ass, and gazelle.

Soils
Much of Lebanon is of the reddish-brown soil called terra rossa. Richer alluvial soils occur along the coast and in the Bekaa Valley and the northeast. Erosion is common, however, and the upper mountains are rocky and barren.

Natural Resources
With the exception of some fertile soils and the remaining forests, the natural resources of Lebanon are negligible. Iron ore exists, but is difficult to mine. Other minerals found in small quantities are coal, copper, asphalt, and phosphates.

Waterpower
In the late 1980s hydroelectric power generated was 246 million kilowatt-hours annually, which constituted about 30 percent of the total power produced. The Litani River hydroelectric project in the Bekaa Valley is the largest in the country.