Lebanon's long and very often turbulent history started at the very dawn of civilization, surely with a settlement of Phoenicians, who came from the Arabian Peninsula around 3,500 BC., and established cities at Beirut, Byblos, Tyre, Sidon, and Baalbek. Lebanon became part of the Roman Empire in 64 BC when Pompey the Great conquered the territory and governed it as part of the Roman province of Syria. During the early years of the Christian era Lebanon became a refuge for religious minorities fleeing persecution and, in the 7th century, the Christian sect that was later to become the Maronite church settled in the northern districts of the Lebanese Mountains to avoid conversion to Islam.

Lebanon has a Mediterranean climate -- hot and dry summers and cool, rainy winters. In summer humidity is high along the coast and temperatures average 30°C. while n the mountains daytime temperatures average 26°C and the nights are pleasantly cool. Winters are cold and it snows at the higher elevations with good skiing from December through April.