Information AboutBeirut |
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Beirut ( ) is the Capital , Largest City , and chief Seaport of Lebanon . It is sometimes known by its French name, ''Beyrouth''. The city has a population of 1.2 million people in the city proper and 2.1 million people in the surrounding Metropolitan Areas . It is the commercial center of the region and was sometimes called "the Paris of the East " because of its Cosmopolitan atmosphere prior to the Lebanese Civil War . Beirut has undergone major reconstruction in recent years and is set to host the Jeux De La Francophonie (Francophone Games) in 2009 . Beirut is being considered as a possible candidate for the 2024 Summer Olympics games. The massive $1.2 billion Sannine Zenith project is currently under way to make Lebanon capable of holding the games possible. The city is home to numerous international organizations. The United Nations Economic And Social Commission For Western Asia (ESCWA) is headquartered in downtown Beirut while the International Labour Organization (ILO) and United Nations Educational, Scientific And Cultural Organization (UNESCO) both have regional offices in Beirut covering the Arab World . The Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) is also headquartered in Beirut. RELIGION Beirut is one of the most diverse cities of the Middle East , with Christians ( Maronites , Greek Orthodox , Greek Catholics , Armenian Orthodox , Armenian Catholics , Roman Catholics , Syriac s, Copts , Methodist s, Protestants ), Muslims ( Sunni and Shi'ite ), and Druze all have a significant presence. (Most of the Jew s of Beirut emigrated to the United States when the Lebanese Civil War started in 1975). Beirut was torn apart during the Lebanese Civil War and was divided between the Muslim West Beirut and the Christian East. The city today has been reunited and rebuilt, and represents its Christian-Muslim balance in its architecture and way of life. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES In Beirut there are twenty-one universities including the University of Balamand , American University Of Beirut , Lebanese American University (originally the first women's college in the Middle East), Université De Saint-Joseph , Global University , Haigazian University , Lebanese University , American University Of Science And Technology , Middle East University, Beirut Arab University and the Middle East Canadian Academy of Technology ( MECAT ). GEOGRAPHY Backed by the Mount Lebanon mountains, Beirut is situated on a spur where the narrow coastal plain projects into the Mediterranean Sea. Beirut is located at (33.90, 35.5333). {Link without Title} Beirut is located halfway along the Lebanese coastline with Byblos and Tripoli to the North, and Sidon and Tyre to the South. Its ideal location makes it easy to reach from almost any location in Lebanon. TRANSPORTATION The city's airport, situated in the southern suburbs, was previously known as Beirut International Airport ; in 2005 it was renamed Rafic Hariri International Airport in honour of the Assassinated Former Prime Minister . By land, the city has frequent bus connections to other cities in Lebanon and major cities in Syria; the latter are also served by Service Taxi s. Buses for northern destinations and Syria leave from Charles Helou Station in the north of the city, near the port; those for the south and the Bekaa Valley leave from Cola intersection in the south of the city centre. Internal transport is served by a number of bus routes and taxis, which most often operate as service taxis on fixed routes but are also available for private hire. The city suffers from considerable traffic congestion at peak hours. |
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