Chouf (also spelled Shouf, Shuf or Chuf, in Arabic جبل الشوف Jebel ash-Shouf) is a historical region of Lebanon, and also an administrative district in the governorate (mohafazat) of Mount Lebanon. Arabic (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... The 6 Governorates of Lebanon are divided into 25 Districts (Aqdya, singular - qadaa) -- or 26, counting the Governorate of Beirut which is not subdivided into districts. ... Lebanon is divided into 6 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah). ... Mount Lebanon is one of the Governorates of Lebanon. ...

Located in the south-east of Beirut, the historical region comprises a narrow coastal strip with notably the town of Damour and the valleys and mountains of the western slopes of Jabal Barouk, the name of the local Mount Lebanon massif. Chouf is the heartland of Lebanese Druze community, and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt has its residence in the Jumblatt palace in the town of Moukhtara. The Emirs of Lebanon used to have their residence in Chouf. Most notably, Bachir Chehab II built the magnificient palace of Beiteddine during the first half of the 19th century. Another historical town, just below Beiteddine, is Deir al Qamar (the monastery of the Moon). Central Beirut (2004) Beirut (Arabic: , Bayrūt) is the capital, largest city, and chief seaport of Lebanon. ... Damour is a Lebanese Christian town that is 12 miles south of Beirut. ... The Druze (Arabic: duruzī درزي, pl. ... Walid Jumblatt Walid Jumblatt (Arabic: وليد جنبلاط‎) (born August 7, 1949), is the current leader of the Progressive Socialist Party of Lebanon and the most prominent leader of the Druze community. ... Beit ed-Dine (in Arabic بيت الدين) is a small Lebanese town in the Chouf District, approx. ... Deir el Qamar (in Arabic دير القمر, meaning monastery of the Moon) is a village in south-central Lebanon, 5 kilometres outside of Beiteddine, consisting of stone houses with red-tiled roofs. ...

Chouf has seen violent clashes between its Druze and Christian (mostly Maronite) population in 1848, 1860 and most lately during the Lebanese Civil War in 1983-1984 (War of the Mountain - Harb el Jabal). Many Christian residents have fled following these events and have still not returned, although some of them have come back and rebuilt the numerous villages destroyed by the Druze PSP militia. Maronites (Marunoye ܡܪܘܢܝܐܶ; in Syriac, Mâruniyya مارونية in Arabic) are members of an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Pope of Rome. ... For the civil conflict of 1958, see Lebanon crisis of 1958. ... The Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) (Arabic al-hizb al-taqadummi al-ishtiraki) is a political party in Lebanon. ...

Despite a bloody history, Chouf is one of the best-preserved Lebanese districts and its nature has been generally spared from the intense building frenzy that has spoiled neighbouring Metn and Kesrouan. The biggest forest of Cedars of Lebanon is found on the flanks of Jabal Barouk. Binomial name Cedrus libani A. Rich. ...