Halba
Town
Native nameحلبا
Coordinates34°33′2″N 36°4′41″E
GovernorateAkkar Governorate
DistrictAkkar District
Leader partyIndependent
MayorAbdul Hamid Ahmad al-Halabi
Elevation167 m
Population total4,730 eligible voters
Population as of2013
Time zoneEET (UTC+2)
Time zone (DST)EEST (UTC+3)
Dialing code+961

Halba (Arabic: حلبا) is the capital of Akkar Governorate in northern Lebanon, close to the border with Syria. It is located at around 34°33′2″N 36°4′41″E. Its population is divided between Sunni Muslims, Greek Orthodox, Maronites, and followers of other religions.[1]

History

In 1838, American missionary Eli Smith noted the village – whose inhabitants were Greek Orthodox – located west of Cheikh Mohammad.[2]

In 1856, it was named Halba in the Kiepert maps of Palestine and Jerusalem published that year.[3]

Halba is home to the Sada Akkar newspaper,[4] the only privately owned news agency in Akkar District. Halba is also home to a Lebanese Red Cross First Aid Center.[5]

Demographics

In 2014, Muslims made up 61.49% and Christians made up 38.27% of registered voters in Halba. 60.76% of the voters were Sunni Muslims, 26.46% were Greek Orthodox and 8.50% were Maronite Catholics.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Municipal and ikhtiyariah elections in Northern Lebanon". The Monthly. March 2010. p. 21. Archived 3 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  2. ^ Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. 183
  3. ^ Kiepert, 1856, Map of Northern Palestine/Lebanon
  4. ^ "صدى عكار — من عكار إلى كل الوطن". Archived 2012-06-23 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
  5. ^ "Locate Us". Lebanese Red Cross. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  6. ^ "التوزيع حسب المذاهب للناخبين/ناخبات في بلدة حلبا، قضاء عكار محافظة الشمال في لبنان". lub-anan.com. Retrieved 2026-01-24.

Bibliography