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Lebanon - the biblical land of the "Song of Songs" and the homeland of the ancient Phoenicians - is one of the smallest and most fascinating countries in the world. Into its small area is packed a wealth of natural beauty and enormous human, historical and archaeological interest... Measuring only 130 miles (210 km) in length and 46 miles (75 km) in width, it has a population of three million and is situated along the east coast of the Mediterranean between Syria and Israel. Its tiny coastline is dotted with the ancient ports of Tyre, Sidon, Byblos, Tripoli and Beirut... One third of the total land mass is made up of mountains, which ascend suddenly in places to a height of 8000 feet (2450 meters) and are divided from north to south by the lush Bekaa Valley. On the steep mountain slopes, terraced villages perch precariously amid countless mountain springs and waterfalls.