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Government


Michel Sleiman President of the Republic	Nabih Berri Speaker of the House	Fouad Siniora Prime Minister

Lebanon is a democratic republic with a parliamentary system of government. The president is elected for a term of 6 years. His name is Michel Sleiman. The Prime Minister is Fouad Siniora. Lebanon's legislature house (parliament) has 128 members and is presided by Speaker Nabih Berri.

Lebanon

Geography

Lebanon is 10,452 sq. km and has 4.3 million people. Most people live in cities, but there are still many small towns in mountains or farming areas. The north tends to be mountainous, the center flat, and the south hilly. Forests, wide rivers, and green valleys help make Lebanon a favorite tourist spot. Winters are snowy in the north and rainy farther south; summers are warm and occasionally hot. Spring and fall often are the favorite times of year because of pleasant weather.

Lebanon

Marhaba! (Hello!)

Lebanese speak Arabic with different dialects or accents. All children learn the official language in school which is the classical Arabic. The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters, 2 more than the English alphabet. In addition to that, schools teach children other languages like French and English, and those are widely used at home and among friends.

Lebanon

Celebrate!

The Christmas & Adha holidays are the most popular times of year in Lebanon. Christmas Eve is the night children receive their Christmas presents. Christmas Day is a day for family, and the day after is for visiting others. Fireworks light the sky on New Year's Eve. Special, festive outdoor markets in large cities are open only during this holiday season, and buildings and homes are decorated with white lights. Lebanon's national holiday is 22 November, the Independence Day.

Lebanon

Traditional Lebanese Cuisine

Do you like fish, chicken, and beef? If so, you'd like Lebanese food, even though it might taste different than what you are used to. Lebanese kids like American fast food, but they eat more traditional Lebanese foods like Tabboule, Hummus, stews, and fresh-baked bread. While some kids eat cereal for breakfast, it is more common to have rolls with butter and/or jam and milk. The main meal might be eaten in the afternoon or evening, depending on work schedules. Many Lebanese shop for fresh food several times a week.

Lebanon

Education

Children must start school by age six, but many go to preschool at age four.

Lebanese Children start school in late September or early October and finish mid to end of June. School children get 2-weeks vacation on Christmas and one week on Easter and their summer vacation is around 3 months. Private schools generally have longer vacations than public schools.

Subjects: Arabic, Math, English, French, Sciences, Social Studies, Computer. Physical education, music and Art.

School day: A typical school day starts at 9:00 am, halfway through the morning there is a 15 minute recess for children to have their snack and to play.

Lunch starts around 12:30, and usually lasts for an hour. Students eat their lunches on the playground or in a canteen where they can buy sandwiches and snacks but most of the students bring their lunches from home.

School day usually ends around 3:00 pm. Children are collected from school by their parents, private drivers or the go by school bus.

Uniform: Most private schools have school uniforms and students are required to wear them. Each school has its own uniform with its own school badge on it. Public schools do not have school uniforms but students are encouraged to wear something comfortable and decent.

Scouts: Scouting organizations are very popular in Lebanon, each school has its own group and all of them belong to the national Scouts.

Lebanon

Public Transportation

Public transportation is available and buses go to nearly every town. Large cities have service taxis, taxis and buses. There are no trains or subways in Lebanon. Some towns have an open shopping area where no cars are allowed to drive or park. Lebanese cannot drive a car until age 18, and they have to obtain a driving license, driving schools are available. Usually, on the freeway, the speed limit is 90 km/hr (55 miles).

Lebanon

Lebanese Currency

The Lebanese Pound (LBP) is equal to 100 piasters. A piaster is like a penny.

There are 250-, 500-, and 1000- pounds coins. Paper bills come in amounts of 500, 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, and 100,000 Pounds. There are different sizes for different amounts to help blind people know how much money each bill is worth.

Lebanon

Tourist Sites

Baalbeck, Lebanon's greatest Roman treasure, can be counted among the wonders of the ancient world. The largest and most noble Roman temples ever built, they are also among the best preserved.

Aanjar, 58 Kilometers from Beirut. At other historical sites in the country, different epochs and civilizations are superimposed one on top of the other; Aanjar is exclusively represents the period of the Umayyad.

Tyre, the city of origin of Alyssar the founder of Carthage and Europe the Mother of the continent. Roman and Arab ruines are around the city and its shore.

Beiteddine palace complex, Lebanon's best example of early 19th century Lebanese architecture, was built over a thirty year period by emir Bechir El Chehab II, who ruled Mount-Lebanon for more than half a century.

Sidon,(Saidoon is the Phoenician name, Saida in Arabic) on the coast 48 Kilometers south of Beirut, is one of the famous names in ancient history. But of all of Lebanon's cities this is the most mysterious, for its past has been tragically scattered and plundered.

Byblos, where the Alphabet was created for the first time. One of the most ancient cities in the world has many ruines from a variety of civilizations: Romans, Crusades, Arabs...

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Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon

Traditional Lebanese Cuisine

Lebanon

Lebanon

Public Transportation

Lebanon

Lebanese Currency

Lebanon

Tourist Sites