Beqaa Governorate

Beqaa Governorate
البقاع

Map of Lebanon with Beqaa highlighted
Coordinates: 33°50′N 35°54′E / 33.833°N 35.900°E / 33.833; 35.900Coordinates: 33°50′N 35°54′E / 33.833°N 35.900°E / 33.833; 35.900
Country Lebanon
Capital Zahlé
Area
  Total 4,429 km2 (1,710 sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
  Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)

Beqaa (Arabic: البقاع Al-Biqā') is a governorate in Lebanon with a population of 750,000 inhabitants.

Geography

The Beqaa governorate covers an area of 4,429 km². Béqaa is the primary center of Lebanon's agriculture. The Beqaa governorate forms the main geographical extension of Lebanon and it lies between the Western and Eastern Lebanese Mountain ranges. Two rivers run through Béqaa: the Litani River and the Asi River

It encompasses Beqaa Valley.

Climate and tourism

The temperature ranges from -10 °C to 35 °C throughout the year. Béqaa receives heavy rain and snow during the winter.

The villages of Zahlé, Baalbeck, Machgara, Niha, Anjar, Qab Elias, Kfar Zabad, Karaon Dam, Chtaura, and Furzul are the area's main tourism destinations. The Béqaa Governorate lies on an ancient route between Lebanon, Syria, and the rest of the Arab world. The governorate is known for its wine industry, summer festivals, and its cuisine.

Religion

The population is 42% Shia, 30% Christian, 25% Sunni, and 3% Druze.

Districts

Cities


References


    This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, January 07, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.