Lebanon has a Mediterranean climate - hot and dry in summer (June to August), cool and rainy in winter (December to February).In summer humidity is very high along the coast and daytime temperatures average 30°C, with night temperatures not much lower. Winter is mild, with daytime temperatures averaging 15°C. In the mountains, summer days are moderately hot (26°C on average) and the nights cool. Winters are cold, with snowfall above 1300m.Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November), when the climate is warm but not uncomfortable, are the best times to travel in Lebanon. In winter, the rain and cloud can spoil sightseeing and snow can close some of the higher roads. Not all the budget hotels have heating either. But if you fancy trying Lebanon's ever-developing winter sports it's a good time to go.Travellers on a budget may prefer to avoid the high season (mid-June to mid-September), when prices of hotels and restaurants go up considerably. hide

Lebanon's currency is the Lebanese lira (LL) (known locally as the Lebanese pound). There are a few coins (piastres) of LL50, 100 and (more commonly) 250 and 500 pieces still in circulation, as well as notes of 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000, 5000, 10, 000, 20, 000, 50, 000 and 100, 000.US dollars are accepted everywhere and are as good as interchangeable with the Lebanese lira. Often, smaller amounts are quoted in Lebanese lira, and larger amounts (with fewer 0s!) are quoted in US dollars (the etiquette also followed in this chapter). Many places give change in either currency.US dollars are widely accepted, but travellers cheques (in any currency) are not. The best way to access cash is through the ATMs found in all larger towns. ATMs accept credit cards or co-branded home banking cards for Cirrus, Diners Club, Maestro, MasterCard, Visa and Visa-Electron and dispense cash in both Lebanese lira and US dollars.Budget hotels and restaurants do not accept credit cards. Tipping is widely expected in Lebanon particularly in the better hotels and restaurants and by drivers of hired cars or guides; around 10% is a good benchmark. There is no black market in Lebanon, but there are plenty of moneychangers that sometime offer better rates that the banks. Check commission, which can range from 3% to 5%, and shop around. hide

The urban population in Lebanon is noted for its commercial enterprise.Over the course of time, emigration has yielded Lebanese "commercial networks" throughout the world.As a result, remittances from Lebanese abroad to family members within the country total $8.2 billion and account for one fifth of the country's economy.Lebanon has the largest proportion of skilled labor among Arab States.Although Lebanon is ideally suited for agricultural activities in terms of water availability and soil fertility, as it possesses the highest proportion of cultivable land in the Arabic speaking world,it does not have a large agricultural sector. Attracting only 12% of the total workforce,agriculture is the least popular economic sector in Lebanon. It contributes approximately 11.7% of the country's GDP, also placing it in the lowest rank compared to other economic sectors. Major produce includes apples, peaches, oranges, and lemons.Industry in Lebanon is mainly limited to small businesses that reassemble and package imported parts. In 2004, industry ranked second in workforce, with 26% of the Lebanese working population,and second in GDP contribution, with 21% of Lebanon's GDP.Lebanese GDP real economic GrowthA combination of beautiful climate, many historic landmarks and World Heritage Sites continues to attract large numbers of tourists to Lebanon. In addition, Lebanon's strict financial secrecy and capitalist economy have given it significant, though no longer dominant, economic status among Arab countries. The thriving tourism and banking activities have naturally made the services sector the most important pillar of the Lebanese economy. The majority of the Lebanese workforce (nearly 65%)attains employment in the services sector as a result of the abundant job opportunities. The GDP contribution, accordingly, amounts to roughly 67.3% of the annual Lebanese GDP.However, dependence on the tourism and banking sectors leaves the economy vulnerable to political instability.Graphical depiction of Lebanon 's product exports in 28 color coded categories.The 1975–1990 civil war heavily damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a West Asian entrepôt and banking hub.The subsequent period of relative peace enabled the central government to restore control in Beirut, begin collecting taxes, and regain access to key port and government facilities. Economic recovery has been helped by a financially sound banking system and resilient small- and medium-scale manufacturers, with family remittances, banking services, manufactured and farm exports, and international aid as the main sources of foreign exchange. hide

Identifying all Lebanese as ethnically Arab is a widely employed example of panethnicity since in reality, the Lebanese “are descended from many different peoples who have occupied, invaded, or settled this corner of the world,” making Lebanon, “a mosaic of closely interrelated cultures”.While at first glance, this ethnic, linguistic, religious and denominational diversity might seem to cause civil and political unrest, “for much of Lebanon’s history this multitudinous diversity of religious communities has coexisted with little conflict”.The population of Lebanon was estimated to be 4,125,247 in July 2010,however no official census has been taken since 1932 due to the sensitive confessional political balance between Lebanon's various religious groups. hide

Lebanon's population is estimated to be 59.7% Muslim (27% Sunni; 27% Shia; 5.7% other (Shia, Sunni, Isma'ilite, Alawite, or Nusayri and non-Muslims with similar beliefs to the Muslim such as Druze, who do not consider themselves to be Muslims)), 39% Christian (Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian,Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant), and 1.3% other.Breakdown of the religious groups in Lebanon, c. 2008Over the past 60 years, there has been a steady decline in the ratio of Christians to Muslims, due to higher emigration rates of Christians, and a higher birth rate in the Muslim population.The most recent study conducted by Statistics Lebanon, a Beirut-based research firm, found that approximately 27% of the population was Sunni, 27% Shi'a, 21% Maronite, 8% Greek Orthodox, 5% Druze, 5% Greek Catholic, and 7% other Christian sects such as Armenians who are 4% of the population and Syrian Orthodox.There are 18 state-recognized religious sects – 4 Muslim, 12 Christian, 1 Druze, and 1 Jewish.Religions in Lebanon by sect (2010)The Shi'a community is estimated to be 27%of Lebanon's total population. Shi'a residents primarily live in South Beirut, the Beqaa Valley, and southern Lebanon.The Sunni community is estimated to be 27% of Lebanon's total population.Sunni residents primarily live in West Beirut, the southern coast of Lebanon, and northern Lebanon.Kurds in Lebanon are Sunni Muslims.The Maronite community is estimated to be approximately 21% of Lebanon's total population.Maronite residents tend to live in East Beirut and the mountains of Lebanon.They are the largest Christian community in Lebanon.The Greek Orthodox community is estimated to be approximately 8% of Lebanon's total population. Greek orthodox residents primarily live in Koura, Beirut, Zahleh, Rachaya, Matn, Aley, Akkar, Tripoli, Hasbaya and Marjeyoun. They are the second largest Christian community in Lebanon and the 4th largest religious community in the country. hide

All Lebanese schools are required to follow a prescribed curriculum designed by the Ministry of Education. Some of the 1400 private schools offer IB programs,and may also add more courses to their curriculum with approval from the Ministry of Education. The main subjects taught are mathematics, sciences, Arabic, and at least one secondary language (either French or English).The government introduces a mild form of selectivity into the curriculum by giving 11th graders choice between two "concentrations": sciences, humanities, and 12th graders choose between four concentrations: life sciences, general sciences, sociology and economics, and humanities and literature. The choices in concentration do not include major changes in the number of subjects taken (if at all). However, subjects that fall out of the concentration are given less weight in grading and are less rigorous, while subjects that fall within the concentration are more challenging and contribute significantly to the final grade. hide

Between 2005 and 2007, Lebanon was in a state of political turmoil, resulting in a sharp fall in tourism. Over the course of 2008 Lebanon rebuilt its infrastructure mainly in the real estate and tourism sectors resulting in a comparatively robust post war economy. In 2009, the New York Times ranked Beirut the No. 1 travel destination worldwide due to its Unique Nightlife and Hospitality.In January 2010, the Ministry of Tourism announced that 1,851,081 tourists had visited Lebanon in 2009, a 39% increase from 2008.Overall, Lebanon has seen an annual increase in tourism since 2006.Recently, after the long years of the civil war and reoccurring periods of political unrest in Lebanon, Lebanon has become an increasingly popular destination for tourism. Its rich history, historic sites, mild climate, along with other factors, have all made Lebanon currently one of the most visited countries in the Middle East. Lebanon, even in its post-war state, has managed to attract around 1,333,000 tourists in 2008, thus placing it as rank 79 out of 191 participating countries.Statistics have shown that Lebanon's tourist attraction rate has been increasing rapidly and the Ministry of Tourism predicts that this ongoing trend will amplify in the coming years. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and surprisingly Japan are the three most popular origin countries of foreign tourists to Lebanon.The recent influx of Japanese tourists is probably the reason for the recent rise in popularity of Japanese Cuisine in Lebanon. hide