Tripoli (Formal Arabic: طرابلس / ALA-LC: Ṭarābulus[a 1]; Lebanese Arabic: Ṭrāblus; Greek: Τρίπολις / Tripolis) is the largest city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in Lebanon. Situated 85 km north of the capital Beirut, Tripoli is the capital of the North Governorate and the Tripoli District. Geographically located on the east of the Mediterranean, the city's history dates back to the 14th century BC. Tripoli is home to the easternmost port in Lebanon, and holds offshore a remarkable string of four small islands, the only surviving islands of Lebanon. The largest of these islands, the Island of Palm Trees, was declared a protected reserve by UNESCO in 1992 for its rich ecosystem of green sea turtles and rare birds.