The coastal mountain range or Lebanon Mountains which are a series of crests and ridges. The Central Plateau which consists of the Syrian Plain and part of the Biqa valley. The eastern mountain range which comprises the remainder of the Biqa Valley and rises to form the Jabal ash Sharqi or Anti-Lebanon Mountains as well as the Jabal ash Shaikh or Mt. Hermon, which forms the eastern border with Syria. The two principal rivers are the Orontes and the Litani or Leontes. Lebanon has a Mediterranean climate with a wide variation in climatic conditions.
Summers are generally hot and dry while winters are warm and moist.
Temperatures and precipitation vary depending on altitude, while winters are cooler on the central plateau region and on the coast. Precipitation, in general, decreases from west to east, with most rainfall occurring in the winter months. The official language is Arabic, although French and English are used for government and diplomatic purposes. Other minority languages include Armenian, Kurdish, Assyrian and Syriac. Christian and Muslim leaders agreed to share power in the government and retained strong ties with the West after independence.