South Governorate ( ar, الجنوب;
transliterated
Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters (thus ''trans-'' + '' liter-'') in predictable ways, such as Greek → , Cyrillic → , Greek → the digraph , Armenian → or L ...
: al-Janub) is one of the
governorates of Lebanon. South Lebanon has a population of 500,000 inhabitants and an area of 929.6 km
2. The capital is
Sidon
Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...
. The lowest elevation is sea-level; the highest is 1,000 meters. The local population is religiously diverse and includes
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, mo ...
and
Sunni Muslims,
Druze,
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...
,
Maronite,
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
, and Greek Catholic Christians. Temperatures can drop to 4 °C during winter with much rain and snow on the higher ground. In the humid summer, temperatures can rise to 30 °C in the coastal areas. The governorate has several rivers: the
Litani,
Deir El Zahrani,
Naqoura
Naqoura (, ''Enn Nâqoura, Naqoura, An Nāqūrah'') is a small city in southern Lebanon. Since March 23, 1978, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been headquartered in Naqoura.
Name
According to E. H. Palmer (1881), the nam ...
,
Awali,
Qasmiye, and
Hasbani. The area is famous for its citrus and banana farms. Its main cities are
Sidon
Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...
,
Tyre and
Jezzine.
Local attractions and events
The area offers a great number of attractions, including pristine white sandy beaches south of
Tyre, and the opportunity to snorkel or dive among submerged Phoenician and Roman ruins near the ancient cities of
Sidon
Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...
and
Tyre. Culture-lovers will enjoy the bustling Ottoman-era Pazars, and one can relax after a long day at a seafood restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean.
Southern Lebanon
Southern Lebanon () is the area of Lebanon comprising the South Governorate and the Nabatiye Governorate. The two entities were divided from the same province in the early 1990s. The Rashaya and Western Beqaa Districts, the southernmost distri ...
also hosts the
Tyre festival, which attracts thousands of tourists each year.
Religion in the South Governorate
Shias make up the majority of the governorate and are the main residents of the Zahrani Tyre districts. Sunnis are the main residents of Saida the capital of the governorate and the third largest city in Lebanon after Beirut and Tripoli. Christians are mainly residents of the Jezzine district and form a small community in the city of Tyre, which is the fourth-most-populous city in Lebanon.
Districts
*
Jezzine
*
Sidon
Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...
*
Tyre
Cities
*
Jezzine
*
Sidon
Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...
or Saida
*
Tyre
*
Ghazieh
Ghazieh ( ar, الغازية) is a town in South Lebanon, 4 kilometres south of Saida, (Sidon
Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. ...
See also
*
Southern Lebanon
Southern Lebanon () is the area of Lebanon comprising the South Governorate and the Nabatiye Governorate. The two entities were divided from the same province in the early 1990s. The Rashaya and Western Beqaa Districts, the southernmost distri ...
*
Ras al-Ain, Lebanon
Ras el Ain ( ar, راس العين) (Lit. Fountain-head; The head of the Spring) is a place abounding with immense fountains, with reservoirs and aqueducts south of Tyre, and ca. south of Beirut, in the South Governorate (Liban-Sud), in the mun ...
*
Sarafand Sarafand or Sarafend may refer to:
Places
* Sarafand, Lebanon, also spelled Sarafend
** Sarepta, an ancient Phoenician city at the location of the modern Lebanese town
* Tzrifin, area in central Israel previously known as "Sarafand" or "Sarafend", ...
*
Temple of Eshmun
The Temple of Eshmun ( ar, معبد أشمون) is an ancient place of worship dedicated to Eshmun, the Phoenician god of healing. It is located near the Awali river, northeast of Sidon in southwestern Lebanon. The site was occupied from the ...
References
Governorates of Lebanon
{{Lebanon-geo-stub