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The border between the Syrian Arab Republic and the Lebanese Republic runs for a total length of about 375 km; it accounts for most of the land border of Lebanon (except for the short border with Israel in the south). It runs eastward from the Mediterranean coast, following the Nahr al-Kabir al-Janoubi. The Lebanese border forms a salient to include the villages of Karha and Knaisse Akkar in the northwest of Akkar District, just west of the Syrian Lake Homs, and again turns to the south-east, cutting across the Orontes (at 34.455°N 36.490°E / 34.455; 36.490) and the trans-Beqaa road between Qaa and Al-Qusayr (at 34.4217°N 36.5433°E / 34.4217; 36.5433), reaching the Anti-Lebanon mountains at about 34.22°N 36.60°E / 34.22; 36.60.
The border now turns towards the south-west, generally following the Anti-Lebanon mountains, until Mount Hermon. The exact Lebanese-Syrian-Israeli tripoint is unclear due to Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights (the official tripoint during 1947 to 1949 was on the Hasbani River, a tributary of the Jordan, at 33.2422°N 35.6244°E / 33.2422; 35.6244).
The border was created in 1920 under the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon, with the establishment of Greater Lebanon (the "Greater" indicating the expansion of the territory of the Ottoman Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate). But due to the history of Syrian political involvement with Lebanon since the 1970s, the border has never been fixed officially with any precision, in spite of Lebanese demands to this effect, and the border's demarcation on Syrian and Lebanese maps shows considerable discrepancies in details. The village of Deir el Achayer (west of Damascus) is an example of a territory claimed by both countries on their respective official maps.
The Shebaa farms were long shown as Syrian territory on Lebanese maps during Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights, but after Israeli withdrawal from Southern Lebanon in 2000 it was claimed by Lebanon.