Lebanon, officially the Lebanese Republic, is a small country in the Middle East, located in a mountainous region on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. To the east and north it borders with Syria, to the south - with Israel. The capital of the country is Beirut. The official language is Arabic.

The population of Lebanon consists of about 4 million people. The total area is about 10.5 thousand square kilometers. Lebanon’s terrain can be divided into four types: the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, the Beqaa valley, the coastal plain, and the Lebanon mountain range. The climate is moderate Mediterranean.

The national currency is the Lebanese pound. US dollars are also accepted almost everywhere. You can exchange money at numerous banks, exchange booths or withdraw the local currency at widespread ATMs.

Although Lebanon is a small country, it is a fantastic tourist destination. Here there is the oldest city in the world – Byblos (7 thousand years old), where the first alphabet was invented. In Lebanon people learned to make purple dye and to make soap and glass. All known civilizations and cultures of the Mediterranean basin - from the Phoenicians, and Aramaeans to the Romans, Turks and the French left their marks on the land of Lebanon.

In Baalbek, which is situated in the Beqa’a valley, you will see the temple of Bacchus -- the world’s best preserved ancient temple. In Byblos you can visit lots of archeological sites and enjoy amazing views of the port, sitting at a delicious traditional meal at a good restaurant. 40 km from Beirut there is the stunning Beit ed-Din Palace, built in the 19^th century, where you can see a wonderful collection of weapons, jewelry and mosaics. In Tyre you can explore the Phoenician port, the old necropolis and the Roman hippodrome.

Not far from Bcharre, in the mountains, you will see a-few-hundred-years-old cedars, which are called the cedars of the Lord. Maybe of some of their neighbours, according to the legend, Noah built the ark.

Beside ancient beauties Lebanon can offer rather many modern attractions: vibrant night life, shopping and winetasting, hiking and diving.

Those who like skiing should visit Faraya, a big modern ski resort with 80 kilometers of ski tracks.

Beirut International Airport (BEY), situated 5 kilometers from the city center.

The richness of marine life and interesting wrecks attract to Lebanon many divers.

In Aub Canyon you will meet moray eels, lobsters, octopus and groupers, inhabiting this rocky underwater landscape. The depth of the canyon wall is from 25m to 300m.

At Shark point, consisting of 5 reefs, you can dive in a canyon, explore huge passages, see a statue of a Lebanese saint, go wall-diving and meet sharks.

Connoisseurs of wreck-diving will like the Souffleur, a French submarine sunk during the Second World War with all her crew. She is lying at a depth of 38 meters. Another interesting wreck is the Macedonia, a cargo ship sunk in the 1960-s. The Alice B wreck, situated at a depth of 38 meters, is rather young but also is worth visiting. She is lying just 200 meters from the shore.

In Tripoli you can see the wreck of a torpedo carrier boat, sunken in WWII and lying 60 meters deep.

At a rather great depth (75-146m) there is the HMS Victoria, sunk in 1893.

Diving season lasts from May to October.

The water temperature is about 17 degrees Celsius in winter and 26 degrees in summer.