Zgharta District
District
زغرتا
Zgharta District
Location in Lebanon
Country	Lebanon
Governorate	North Governorate
Capital	Zgharta
Area
• Total	70 sq mi (182 km2)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)

Zgharta District (Arabic: زغرتا) is a district (qadaa) of the North Governorate, northern Lebanon. Its capital is the city of Zgharta.

Geography

The administrative center is the city of Zgharta. The district has 101 populated areas with 30 municipalities covering 37 villages. Some areas share the same municipality such as Ehden/Zgharta, Kfarsghab/Morh Kfarsghab, and Miziara/Harf Miziara. And there is one Municipalities Union.

The district has a population of around 150,000 people.

The district at elevations from 40–2,550 metres (130–8,370 ft), from near the coast to its highest point in the Mount Lebanon mountain range.

Aintourine, Zgharta District

The highest populated part of the district overlooks the Qozhaya Valley, which is the northern branch of the Holy Valley of Qadisha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve is in the mountains within the district. This higher part of the district is a visitor destination, including the Monastery of Mar Sarkis and the Monastery of Qozhaya areas.

Economy

Agriculture stays the main activity of the district with an important olive oil production in the coastal area and fruits (apple and pears) in the mountain area. The recent years saw the development of a modest service sector around the economic pole of Zgharta.

Population

The officially registered persons in the district are estimated to 90,000 (est. 1998). Around 50% of the district population lives in the economic pole of Zgharta: Zgharta, Rachiine, Kfardlakos, Kfarhata, Mijdlayiah, Ardeh, Harf Ardeh. The majority of the population is Maronite Catholics, with a minority of Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Sunnite Muslims and others.

Towns and villages

References