The Republic of Lebanon is a small country (10,452 sq km or 4076 sq mi in area with 3.7 million inhabitants) within the Middle East region with its capital being Beirut. It has a long coastline on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and shares a long land border with its much larger neighbour Syria to the north and the east, a much shorter (and currently "hot") border with Israel to the south.

Understand

The people of Lebanon comprise a wide variety of ethnic groups and religions, with the majority split between Muslim (Shi'a, Sunni) and Christian (Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Greek-Catholic Melkites, Armenians, Copts). Other smaller groups include Druze and Allawites. There are a large number (over 250,000) of Palestinian refugees in the country.

The population increases dramatically in the Summer months (June to September), due to the large number of tourists from other Middle Eastern countries and the temporary return of a large number of the Lebanese diaspora.

People are very easy-going and welcoming. You should not be scared of talking to people on the streets and asking information, since most of them will do their best to help you. In general, though, avoid any comment on politics and religion.

Lebanon has a temperate Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and cooler, wet winters.

Summer is generally considered the best time to visit, as there is virtually no rain between June and August, and the temperatures range between about 20-30°C (68-86°F). At this time it is very humid on the coast, but dryer and somewhat cooler (but not cold) in the mountains.

Autumn and spring are also good times to visit, with a bit more rain but without the tourist crowds attracted in summer.

Snow falls for a large part of winter in the mountain regions that form a large portion of the country, and there are numerous ski resorts. However, the coast is still relatively mild, with maximums rarely falling below 13°C (55°F).