The
Litani River (,
Nahr al-Līṭānī), the
classical Leontes (,
Léontes, "
Lions"), is an important
water resource in southern
Lebanon. The river rises in the fertile
Beqaa Valley, west of
Baalbek, and empties into the
Mediterranean Sea north of
Tyre. Exceeding 140 km in length, the Litani River is the longest
river in Lebanon and provides an average annual flow estimated at 920 million cubic meters. The waters of the Litani both originate and flow entirely within the borders of Lebanon. It provides a major source for
water supply,
irrigation and
hydroelectricity both within
Southern Lebanon, and the country as a whole.