Barouk () is a village in the

Chouf District Chouf (also spelled Shouf, Shuf or Chuf; ) is a historic region of Lebanon, as well as an administrative district in the governorate ( muhafazat) of Mount Lebanon. Geography Located south-east of Beirut, the region comprises a narrow coastal stri ...

Mount Lebanon Governorate Mount Lebanon Governorate () is one of the nine governorates of Lebanon, of which it is the most populous. Its capital is Baabda. Other notable towns and cities include Aley, Bikfaya, and Beit Mery. This governorate is named after the mount ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

. Barouk is located 52 kilometers southeast of

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

. Its average elevation is 1000 to 1200 meters above sea level and its total land area consists of 2,762

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. ...

s. The village had 5,197 registered voters in 2010. Its inhabitants are predominantly

Druze The Druze ( ; , ' or ', , '), who Endonym and exonym, call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (), are an Arabs, Arab Eastern esotericism, esoteric Religious denomination, religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic ...

and

Maronite Maronites (; ) are a Syriac Christianity, Syriac Christian ethnoreligious group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant (particularly Lebanon) whose members belong to the Maronite Church. The largest concentration has traditionally re ...

and

Melkite The term Melkite (), also written Melchite, refers to various Eastern Christian churches of the Byzantine Rite and their members originating in West Asia. The term comes from the common Central Semitic root ''m-l-k'', meaning "royal", referrin ...

Christians. Historically, Barouk is known for being the "land of good", because of its fountain, Nabeh-el-Barouk. The poet Rachid Nakhle, the writer of the national anthem, ''"Kulluna lel watan"'', was born in Barouk. The village is also well known for its apples and other fruits, and for its many pine and oak forests. Barouk is named after the adjacent mountain of Jabal el-Barouk ('Mount Barouk'), which stands 1,943 meters above sea level. The mountain also has the largest nature reserve in Lebanon, the

Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in the Chouf and Aley districts of Lebanon. It is located on the slopes of Jebel Baruk mountain and has an area of , nearly 5.3% of the Lebanese territory, making it the largest natural reserve ...

Economy

Agriculture

The town of Barouk is mostly reputed for their Apple orchards, which constitutes most of their agricultural output. The village also possesses several industrial-scale refrigerators meant to keep the apples fresh throughout the year. Merhi, N. (2019, July 12). Barouk, blessed by gods and men. L’Orient Today. https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1178596/barouk-blessed-by-gods-and-men.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Industry

Aside from many local workshops and factories, the town is home to an

Aquafina Aquafina () is an American brand of water purification, purified bottled water that is produced by PepsiCo, consisting of both water, unflavored and flavored water, flavored water. The Aquafina brand name is also licensed for use on multiple s ...

water bottling plant, whose output can be found in most Lebanese retailers. Aquafina Bottling Plant – Barouk – LEH – Louis El Hachem. (n.d.). https://lehengineering.com/projects/aquafina-bottling-plant-at-barouk/

Hospitality and Tourism

The town hosts Birak Park, an

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

and

karting Kart racing or karting is a motorsport discipline using open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on full-size motor ...

circuit . The town is also home to a multitude of hotels, such as the Cedar palace. The

has several trails starting and ending in the village. It is also home to a multitude of restaurants, many of which closed during the

covid pandemic Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fev ...

and then re-opened a few years later when things stabilized.

Education

There is only one public school in the village, the Barouk Public School. The village has no private schools nor any university campuses. The Barouk Public School has seen extensive renovations between 2018 and 2019, reconfiguring the building's layout to promote generational inter-dialogue between students and allow a dynamic exchange of ideas and experiences.Najjar Najjar Architects. (2020, August 15). Barouk School by Najjar Najjar Architects. https://najjar-najjar.com/projects/civic-projects/barouk-school

Notable people

* Rachid Nakhle, author of the Lebanese national anthem. * Amine Nakhle, writer and ex-member of the Lebanese parliament. * , important religious figure of the Druze faith. * Nouhad Mahmoud, Lebanese diplomat to Mexico and special envoy to the UN.

References

Populated places in Chouf District Druze communities in Lebanon Maronite Christian communities in Lebanon Melkite Christian communities in Lebanon Tourist attractions in Lebanon {{Lebanon-geo-stub