Koura, Lebanon

Forget the olive orchards and university - life in this district is a grind. The Koura District is home to just 52 villages, with a capital town of only 10,000 people as of 2010. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as evidenced by the district's 52,000 registered voters. While the olive cultivation may be extensive, the surrounding foothills and low-lying plain make for a rather unremarkable landscape. Overall, Koura is a sleepy, provincial backwater that will appeal only to the most dedicated olive oil connoisseurs.