Western Beqaa District

Western Beqaa District (Arabic: قضاء البقاع الغربي) is an administrative district in the Beqaa Governorate of the Republic of Lebanon. The capital is Joub Jannine which has a population of 12,000.

Western Beqaa District قضاء البقاع الغربي
District
Joub Jannine
Location in Lebanon
Country	Lebanon
Governorate	Beqaa Governorate
Capital	Joub Jannine
Major Cities	Machgara, Joub Jannine
Area
• Total	164 sq mi (425 km2)
Population
• Estimate  (31 December 2017)	150,838
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)

Most of the residents of the district are Sunni Muslims, with a Christian and Shiite minority living alongside them. Many residents immigrate from the district to the major cities in Lebanon, such as Beirut.

In comparison to other regions of Lebanon, this region was not severely damaged during the Lebanese Civil War.

Geography

The geographic border of Wester Baqaa District are the Anti-Lebanon mountains, which border with Syria. Within this area is the artificial lake or reservoir of Lake Qaraoun which was created in 1959.^[1]

Economy and social aspects

Western Beqaa District, along with Rachaya, is considered to have a greater sense of security compared to other parts of the Bekaa region. The district has been affected by the halting of trade with and through Syria, which has impacted local economic activities.^[1]

The labor force in Western Beqaa faces challenges, with the presence of Syrian refugees sometimes leading to competition for jobs. This has contributed to some tension between host communities and refugees, especially following events in nearby areas like Aarsal in 2014.^[1]

Demographics

Year	Christians					Muslims			Druze
	Total	Greek Catholics	Maronites	Greek Orthodox	Other Christians	Total	Sunnis	Shias	Druze
2014[2]	23.51%	10.12%	9.56%	3.06%	0.77%	75.65%	53.99%	21.66%	0.51%

Main cities and towns

West Beqaa has a few main cities such as:

• Joub Jannine
• Kefraya
• Marj, Lebanon
• Dahr El Ahmar

Qaraoun Lake, Western Beqaa District

Other towns

Other smaller villages located in West Beqaa

• Aammiq
• Aana
• Ain el Tineh
• Ain Zebdeh
• Aitanite
• Baaloul
• Bab Mareaa
• Chabraqiyet Aammiq
• Chabraqiyet Tabet
• Dakouh
• Deir Ain Jaouzeh
• Deir Tahnich
• Ghazzeh
• Haouch Aammiq
• Haouch al Saalouk
• Haouch El Saiyad
• Haouch El Harimeh
• Kamid el-Loz
• Kelya
• Kfar Danis
• Kherbet Kanafar
• Khiara
• Lala
• Libbaya
• Machghara
• Manara
• Mansourah District
• Mazraat El Chmis
• Meidoun
• Nasrieyh
• Qaraoun
• Rawda
• Sawiri
• Saghbine
• Sohmor
• Sultan Yacoub Tahta
• Sultan Yacoub Fawqa
• Tal El Akhdar
• Tal Zaazaa
• Tell Zenoub
• Yohmor
• Zilaya

Notable residents

• Abir El Saghir

33.6264°N 35.7841°E / 33.6264; 35.7841