BIQA', AL-

also spelled Bekaa, or Beqaa, classical Coele Syria broad valley of central Lebanon, extending in a northeast-southwest direction for 75 miles (120 km) along the Litani and Orontes rivers, between the Lebanon Mountains to the west and Anti-Lebanon Mountains to the east. The valley contains nearly half of Lebanon's arable land but is not as intensively farmed as the country's coastal plain because of less rainfall and a wider variation in temperature. Crops grown in this mostly dry-farmed area are grains, with fruits and vegetables of secondary importance. Main towns include Zahlah, noted for its vineyards and for its production of arrack (an alcoholic beverage made from dates); Ba'labakk (Baalbek), the site of several outstanding Roman ruins; and Riyaq. In the late 20th century, Al-Biqa' was the scene of continued skirmishes between the Syrian and certain Lebanese and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) forces and Israel.