Beirut Beirut, or Beyrouth, is the capital city of the republic of
Lebanon it is an
important seaport on the Mediterranean Sea.
Beirut Beirut, or Beyrouth, is the capital city of the republic of Lebanon. (Lebanon is north of Israel, in the Middle East.) Beirut is an important seaport on the Mediterranean Sea, and more than 230,000 people live there. Many of them manufacture silk, gold and silver thread, and soap. The farmers in the surrounding region send tobacco and olive oil to Beirut, where it is shipped by boat to other parts of the world. Some sections of the city are very old, but parts of it have fine streets and houses like a modern city. If you visit Beirut, you will see many mosques, which are churches with round domes, where people of the Mohammedan religion worship. There are also universities in Beirut.
One was established by the French and the other by Americans. The mild, warm climate of Beirut, and the good water supply have made it one of the most healthful places in this part of Asia. Beirut is a very ancient city—more than two thousand years old. It has been ruled by the Romans, Egyptians, and Turks. After World War I, it became the capital of Lebanon, which was then a possession of France. In 1941, Lebanon became an independent republic, with Beirut as its capital.
