Chekka

Name	Chekka
Native name	شكا
Native name lang	ara
Settlement type	City
Pushpin map	Lebanon
Pushpin map alt	Map showing the location of Chekka within Lebanon
Pushpin map caption	Location within Lebanon
Coordinates type	region:LB_type:city
Coordinates display	inline,title
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name
Subdivision type1	Governorate
Subdivision name1	North Governorate
Subdivision type2	District
Subdivision name2	Batroun District
Established title
Elevation min m	22
Elevation max m	200
Population density km2	auto
Timezone1	EET
Utc offset1	+2
Timezone1 dst	EEST
Utc offset1 dst	+3
Postal code type	Postal code
Area code type	Dialing code
Area code	+961

Chekka is coastal town located in the South of North Lebanon. It is located north of Râs ach-Chaq’a’ and Herri beaches, or Theoprosopon of classical times and south of the ancient Phoenician port of Enfeh and the city of Tripoli. The origin of the word is believed to be Canaanite from the word Chikitta. Chikitta was mentioned Amarna letters in Egypt as a coastal town situated in the geographical area of modern Chekka. Until now there are no Canaanite archeological findings in Chekka backing this hypothesis. Chekka's modern history is clear. The high land in Chekka now known as Chekka Al-Atika was resettled around 300 years ago and the fertile valley of Chekka was cultivated in the intention of making Chekka a Maronite stronghold on the Lebanese coast. Many families moved from Mount Lebanon to Chekka at that time.

Chekka is rich in freshwater submarine springs. The American University of Beirut's Faculty of Engineering investigated the potential of sustainable exploitation of the Chekka Bay submarine springs in 2000. Companies such as Holcim Liban, Cimenterie Nationale S.A.L and Société Libanaise des Ciments Blancs S.A.L.B,, headquartered in Chekka. The ancient process of extracting salt from the sea is still practiced in Chekka but without traditional wind powered water pumps.

Chekka is also an agricultural city. It is known for producing the best figs in Lebanon. It is the headquarters of the second largest Lebanese poultry producer with a slaughterhouse, farms, hatcheries and feed mill plant located in it. It has large public and private sand beaches and a good view over the sea.

Education and youth

Chekka is considered as the center for education for the neighboring regions. There are many public and private schools in Chekka most notably ''Sainte Famille Maronite" and "Les moines Libanais" private maronite schools. Universite Saint-Esprie de Kaslik has a branch in Chekka for law and business majors and is currently considering expanding to other fields. I t is the home town for Groupe Saint Maron Chekka فوج مار مارون شكا a member of L'Association des Scouts du Liban and a vibrant member in the community.

People and diaspora

---- Hallal (Abboud), Mkesh (Khoury, Boutros, Abi Badra), Chalfoun, Farah (Nehme, Ghabour, Romanos, Riskallah, Nasrallah, Yaacoub), Sayfi (Boulos, Fadous, Khoury, Semaan),Sarkis are 6 of the most notable founding Maronite families of Chekka. Today Chekka has a Christian majority and a Muslim minority. It has many Maronite Christian, Greek Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches.

Around 17,000 people are currently residing in Chekka many of which come originally from villages such as Tannourin, Zgharta and Bcharre. Chekka has a rich diaspora in USA ,Australia, Canada, France and the Gulf.

Joseph Soueif, the Eastern Catholic Church Maronite Rite Archbishop of Cyprus, was born in Chekka in 1962.

References

Category:Populated places in the North Governorate Category:Batroun District