Greater Beirut ( ar, بيروت الكبرى; french: Grand Beyrouth) is the urban agglomeration comprising the city of Beirut (

Beirut Governorate Beirut Governorate ( ar, محافظة بيروت, ; french: Gouvernorat de Beyrouth) is a Lebanese governorate that consists of one district and one city, Beirut, which is also its capital, and the capital of Lebanon. The area of this governora ...

) and the adjacent municipalities over the

Mount Lebanon Governorate french: Gouvernorat du Mont-Liban , native_name_lang = , image_map = Administrative divisions of Lebanon 2017-08 (Numbered).png , map_caption = The governorates of Lebanon, including Mount Lebanon (in pink, label ...

. It does not constitute a single administrative unit. Greater Beirut geographically stretches south to the Damour River in the

Chouf District Chouf (also spelled Shouf, Shuf or Chuf, in ''Jabal ash-Shouf''; french: La Montagne du Chouf) is a historic region of Lebanon, as well as an administrative district in the governorate ( muhafazat) of Mount Lebanon. Geography Located south-east ...

until it reaches the "

Nahr al-Kalb The Nahr al-Kalb ( ar, نهر الكلب, meaning ''Dog River'') is a river in Lebanon. It runs for from a spring in Jeita near the Jeita Grotto to the Mediterranean Sea. Inscriptions Nahr al-Kalb is the ancient Lycus River. Past generals and c ...

" river in the Keserwan District in the north. It also comprises many towns and cities in the mountains in the Aley District, Baabda District and Metn District Districts, most notably being the cities of

Baabda Baabda ( ar, بعبدا) is the capital city of Baabda District as well as the capital of Mount Lebanon Governorate, western Lebanon. Baabda was the capital city of the autonomous Ottoman Mount Lebanon. Baabda is known for the Ottoman Castle (t ...

Beit Mery Beit Mery ( ar, بيت مري ; also Beit Mer, Beir Meri) is a Lebanese town overlooking the capital Beirut. The town has been a summer mountain resort since the times of the Phoenicians and later the Romans. The name derives from Aramaic and me ...

Bchamoun Bechamoun ( ar, بشامون), is an area near Beirut in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon. It has an elevation between 40 and 580 meters above sea level, 8 kilometers from Beirut airport and Beirut downtown. Bechamoun's population exce ...

and

Mtaileb Mtaileb or Mtayleb ( ar, المطيلب) is a suburb north of Beirut in the Matn District of Mount Lebanon Governorate in Lebanon. Mtaileb I Mtaileb I or Rabiya is an archaeological site located east northeast of Antelias in a wooded ravine n ...

. The

conurbation A conurbation is a region comprising a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most cas ...

spreads south, east, and north of Beirut city. To the west, the Eastern Mediterranean Sea serves as a natural boundary.

Demographics

Greater Beirut is equally split between Christians and Muslims: * West Beirut is predominantly

Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a dis ...

(30%). * South Beirut is predominantly

Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mos ...

(15%). * East and North Beirut are predominantly

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

(55%), of which 35%

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and 20% Orthodox. Other minorities including

Druze The Druze (; ar, دَرْزِيٌّ, ' or ', , ') are an Arabic-speaking esoteric ethnoreligious group from Western Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, syncretic, and ethnic religion based on the teachings of ...

amount to 1%.

List of settlements

Ain Aanoub Ain Aanoub, is a small, peaceful village in Aley District in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon. Ain Aanoub
Localiban< ...

* Ain Saadeh *

Antelias Antelias ( ar, أنطلياس) is a city in Lebanon in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate. It is located around 5 km to the north of Beirut. Etymology The name is originally Greek, ἀντήλιος – from ἀντί(an ...

* Aramoun *

* Basateen *

Bdadoun Bdadoun ( ar, بدادون) (also Bdadun, Bde‘doun, Bdādūn), is a town in Mount Lebanon which makes up one of the 70 towns and villages in the Lebanese district of Aley. It has an estimated population of 3,000. It is 499 meters above sea le ...

Bechamoun Bechamoun ( ar, بشامون), is an area near Beirut in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon. It has an elevation between 40 and 580 meters above sea level, 8 kilometers from Beirut airport and Beirut downtown. Bechamoun's population exce ...

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

Beit Chabab Beit Chabab ( Syriac: Bet Shebāba, ar, بيت شباب) is a mountain village 24 km north of Beirut in Lebanon. Beit Chabeb is the site of Lebanon's one and only bell foundry. The bells of Beit Chabab are sold to Christian communities in ...

* Bourj Hammoud * Bourj el-Barajneh *

Bsalim Bsalim ( ar, بصاليم) is a village in the Matn District in Mount Lebanon Governorate in Lebanon. The population is almost exclusively Christian. Bsalim's municipality also contains two small districts which are found around Bsalim, and they ...

Choueifat Choueifat ( ar, شويفات, also transliterated Shuwayfat) is one of the biggest and most important cities in southeast of Beirut in Lebanon. The town is a Druze enclave that lies on the eastern side of Beirut's airport. The local population of ...

Chemlane Shemlan ( ar, شملان), (also spelled Chemlane, Chimlane, Shimlan) is a village in the Aley District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate in Lebanon, located about 25 km from Beirut. History Shemlan is first mentioned in chronicles as early as ...

* Chiyah * Damour *

Dahieh Dahieh ( ar, الضاحية الجنوبية, lit=the southern suburb, french: Banlieue Sud de Beyrouth, Dâhiye de Beyrouth) is a predominantly Shia Muslim suburb, located south of Beirut, in the Baabda District of Lebanon. It is composed of s ...

* Dbayeh * Dora *

Dekwaneh Dekwaneh ( ar, دكوانة translit. Dikwene) (also Dekweneh) is a suburb north of Beirut in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon. The population is predominantly Maronite Christian. Tel al-Zaatar, an UNRWA administere ...

* Hadath *

Hazmieh Hazmieh (also Romanized as Hazmiyé, Hazmie, Hasmiyeh, Al Ḩāzimīyah, and El Hâzmîyé) is a town in Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon, and a suburb of Beirut, part of Greater Beirut. Geography Hazmieh covers an area of 2.73 square kilom ...

Jal el Dib Jal El Dib or Jal Ed Dib ( ar, جل الدّيب) is a Lebanese city in the kaza of Matn District, Matn in the Mount Lebanon Governorate11 kilometers north of the capital city of Beirut. History Jal el Dib was originally a small village that gr ...

* Jdeideh * Khaldeh *

Kfarshima Kfarshima ( ar, كفرشيما), also spelled Kfarchima, is a town in the Baabda District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, southeast of Beirut and is part of Greater Beirut. The town is populated by Lebanese Christians: mainly Melkite Greek C ...

* Mansourieh * Mkalles *

Na'ameh Na'ameh ( ar, الناعمة), or Haret en Naameh ( ar, حارة الناعمة, links=no), is a Lebanese coastal town located in the Chouf District, an administrative division of the Mount Lebanon Governorate. Naameh was the site of protests ...

Naccache Naccache ( ar, نقاش) is a suburban area located on the northern edge of Beirut, Lebanon. "It is located on Mount Lebanon and is administered by the municipality of Antelias. It also the headquarters of Murr Television and Studio. Geography It ...

* Qornet Shehwan *

Rabieh Rabieh () is a suburban area on the northern edge of Greater Beirut, Lebanon, about 13 kilometers driving distance from Beirut. It is located in the foothills of Mount Lebanon, on the road to Bikfaya. Rabieh saw its population increase sharply in ...

* Roumieh * Yarze * Zalka

References

Beirut Metropolitan areas of Lebanon {{Lebanon-geo-stub