Antilebanon Mountains

The northern Anti-Lebanon forms a rugged mountain barrier between the Bekaa and the Syrian interior. Its ridges extend towards the plain of Homs, where the mountains open into a passage to the coast. Rain and melting snow sink into the limestone and emerge in springs that nourish the headwaters of rivers, including the Orontes and Litani. The high ground contrasts with the cultivated valleys and plains that border it.