Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's coastline with the Mediterranean sea, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport and also forms the Beirut District area, which consists of the city and its suburbs. The city has been rebuilt several times, with modern architecture sharing space with Ottoman and colonial French buildings. Its former reputation as a crossroads between three continents and gateway to the East has been restored and modernized.

Beirut is positioned on a peninsula extending westward into the Mediterranean Sea. The city is flanked by the Lebanese mountains; it has taken on a triangular shape. The Beirut Governorate area is of 18 square kilometres (6.9 sq mi), and the city's metropolitan area is of 67 square kilometres (26 sq mi). Beirut's coast is rather diverse; rocky beaches, sandy shores, and cliffs are situated beside one another. Beirut International Airport is located 7 kilometers (4 miles) south of the city.

Beirut has a Mediterranean climate characterized by a hot and rain-free summer, pleasant fall and spring, and cool, rainy winter. August is the hottest month of the year with a monthly average high temperature of 29 °C (84 °F), and January and February are the coldest months with a monthly average low temperature of 10 °C (50 °F). During the afternoon and evening the prevailing wind direction is from the west, i.e., onshore, or inland from the Mediterranean Sea; at night the wind direction reverses to offshore, i.e., blowing from the land out to the sea.

Beirut has a bewildering composition of cultures and faiths. Bustling streets such as Hamra and Ashrafieh provide hopping nightlife while the National Museum and the Gibran Museum give visitors a taste of the city's history. The Corniche is the place for activities like jogging and biking. 

For more information, refer to the Daily Living section in the New Faculty Information Handbook.