World Factbook
Lebanon
Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Area
land
10,230 sq km
water
170 sq km
total
10,400 sq km
Climate
Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; the Lebanon Mountains experience heavy winter snows
Terrain
narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Land use
other
20.3% (2023 est.)
forest
13.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
65.9% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 13.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 13.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 39.1% (2023 est.)
Location
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria
Coastline
225 km
Elevation
lowest point
Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point
Qornet es Saouda 3,088 m
mean elevation
1,250 m
Irrigated land
1,040 sq km (2012)
Map references
Middle East
Land boundaries
total
484 km
border countries
Israel 81 km; Syria 403 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
Natural hazards
earthquakes; dust storms, sandstorms
Geography - note
smallest country in continental Asia; Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary
Natural resources
limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land
Area - comparative
about one-third the size of Maryland
Geographic coordinates
33 50 N, 35 50 E
Population distribution
the majority of people live on or near the Mediterranean coast, particularly in and around the capital of Beirut