Etymology

The origin of the name ‘Al-Hariqa’ is not identified accurately. It is likely the town was named due to its scorching temperatures in the summer, which may cause ‘fire’, English equivalent for Arabic Hariqa.

Location

Al-Hariqa is located in the Qada’a of Hermel, 150 km from Beirut at an altitude of 850 meters above the sea level.

Population

Al-Hariqa’s registered population is estimated at 800, all of whom are Shia’a; the number of those residing in the town do not exceed 250.

Voters

In 2013, the number of registered voters was at 490, up from 325 in 2000. Voters are distributed across the following families:

• Rash’eeni: 450
• Jaafar: 15
• Moussa: 12
• Ismail: 9

Local Authorities

Al-Hariqa’s local authority is represented by a Mukhtar and a 3-member Ikhtiyariyah body.

Educational Institutions

The town is home to one public middle school that had 70 students and 19 teachers in 2010.

Economic Life

The income generated from agriculture and keeping cattle is highly negligible and puts Al-Hariqa among the poorest towns in Lebanon.