Relocating to Lebanon

The Land and Its People

Lebanon is a small country in the Middle East, bordered by Syria to the North and East, and Israel to the South. The country is very small, only 10,452 square kilometers in area, and the population stands at around 5.5 million. Lebanon is situated on the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea.

Lebanon is a predominantly young country, with 61% of the country aged 15-65 and 25% under 14. Less than 10% of the whole population is over the age of 65. There are a number of different languages spoken throughout the country, including Lebanese, Arabic, French and English. Ethnic background is very important in Lebanon, as is religion. The country has a very wide and varied range of cultures, religions and ethnic groups, although Muslims do make up the majority, standing at around 54%.

The Climate in Lebanon

Because the country is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, Lebanon enjoys a mostly Mediterranean, temperate climate. The weather is generally mild, and in coastal areas is particularly cool and rainy during winter, whilst summers can get very hot and humid. Summer is a popular time for tourists to visit Lebanon, but it can get very humid during the summer along the coastline, meaning that it is preferable to vacation in the mountains when the temperatures are very high.

In the mountains and other elevated areas of the country, temperatures can sink to below freezing during the winter, and heavy snowfall can settle, which may not melt away fully until the height of summer. Lebanon also has an abundance of rainfall throughout the year, apart from June to August, when there is virtually no rainfall whatsoever.

Getting to Lebanon

Lebanon is fairly easy to get to, with Beirut International Airport the main transportation hub for international travel. There are regular flights from Middle East Airlines all over the world, although domestic flights are more common than international ones. Foreign airlines are also in abundance from Beirut Airport. It is worth noting, when moving to Lebanon, that the U.S. Department of State has warned that travel to Lebanon is currently considered dangerous, due to the conflict in Syria, with violence spilling over into Lebanon from time to time. Travel to the Northern and Eastern borders is considered especially dangerous and is discouraged.

During more peaceful times, there is a bus service between Syria and Lebanon, with buses leaving every hour from Damascus. Those traveling from Syria must be aware that there is a fee if 550 SYP and a Lebanese visa must be applied for if the traveler isn’t already in possession of one.

Furthermore, a bi-weekly ferry service travels between Tripoli in Lebanon and Tasucu in Turkey.