Ancient Near East, Phoenicia: Physical Geography

Ancient Phoenicia occupied the coastal regions of modern Lebanon, Syria and northern Israel. Lebanon consists of four major physical features running north-south parallel to the coast. East of a narrow coastal strip the Lebanon Mountains drop to the long fertile strip of the Bekaa Valley, about 1000 metres above sea level. Two rivers rise in the Bekaa – the Orontes flowing northwards into Syria, and the Litani flowing southwards then westwards before it joins the Mediterranean north of Tyre. North of Tripoli the Eleutheros River forms the northern border with Syria. To the east of the Bekaa plateau are the Anti-Lebanon Mountains.