 Definition  Field Listing  Rank
Order
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Background: |
Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its
political institutions since 1991 and the end of the devastating
16-year civil war. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for
national reconciliation - the Lebanese have established a more
equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater
say in the political process while institutionalizing sectarian
divisions in the government. Since the end of the war, the Lebanese
have conducted several successful elections, most of the militias
have been weakened or disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF)
have extended central government authority over about two-thirds of
the country. Hizballah, the radical Shi'a party, retains its
weapons. Syria maintains about 16,000 troops in Lebanon, based
mainly east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Syria's troop
deployment was legitimized by the Arab League during Lebanon's civil
war and in the Ta'if Accord. Damascus justifies its continued
military presence in Lebanon by citing Beirut's requests and the
failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the
constitutional reforms in the Ta'if Accord. Israel's withdrawal from
its security zone in southern Lebanon in May 2000, however, has
emboldened some Lebanese Christians and Druze to demand that Syria
withdraw its forces as well. Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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|
Location: |
Middle East,
bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria |
|
Geographic coordinates: |
33 50 N, 35
50 E |
|
Map references: |
Middle
East |
|
Area: |
total:
10,400 sq km
land: 10,230 sq km
water: 170 sq
km |
|
Area - comparative: |
about 0.7
times the size of Connecticut |
|
Land boundaries: |
total: 454 km
border countries: Israel 79 km,
Syria 375 km |
|
Coastline: |
225 km
|
|
Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm |
|
Climate: |
Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers;
Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows |
|
Terrain: |
narrow
coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and
Anti-Lebanon Mountains |
|
Elevation extremes: |
lowest
point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Qurnat as
Sawda' 3,088 m |
|
Natural resources: |
limestone,
iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region,
arable land |
|
Land use: |
arable
land: 16.62%
permanent crops: 13.98%
other: 69.4% (2001) |
|
Irrigated land: |
1,200 sq km
(1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards: |
dust storms,
sandstorms |
|
Environment - current issues: |
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in
Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes;
pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills |
|
Environment - international agreements: |
party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental
Modification, Marine Life Conservation |
|
Geography - note: |
Nahr el
Litani only major river in Near East not crossing an international
boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and
develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and
ethnicity Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Population: |
3,777,218
(July 2004 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14
years: 26.9% (male 517,356; female 496,888)
15-64
years: 66.3% (male 1,197,430; female 1,305,339)
65 years
and over: 6.9% (male 117,930; female 142,275) (2004 est.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 26.9 years
male: 25.9 years
female: 27.9 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate: |
1.3% (2004
est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
19.31
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
6.28
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65
years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population:
0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total:
25.48 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 28.21 deaths/1,000
live births
female: 22.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 72.35 years
male: 69.91 years
female: 74.91 years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
1.95 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.09% (2001
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
NA |
|
Nationality: |
noun:
Lebanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Lebanese |
|
Ethnic groups: |
Arab 95%,
Armenian 4%, other 1% |
|
Religions: |
Muslim 59.7%
(Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39%
(Maronite Catholic, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian
Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Roman Catholic, Protestant), other 1.3%
note: seventeen religious sects recognized |
|
Languages: |
Arabic
(official), French, English, Armenian |
|
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.4%
male: 93.1%
female: 82.2% (2003 est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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|
Country name: |
conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
conventional short form: Lebanon
local long
form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
local short form:
Lubnan |
|
Government type: |
republic
|
|
Capital: |
Beirut
|
|
Administrative divisions: |
6
governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Beyrouth, Beqaa,
Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban, Nabatiye |
|
Independence: |
22 November
1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
|
|
National holiday: |
Independence
Day, 22 November (1943) |
|
Constitution: |
23 May 1926,
amended a number of times, most recently Charter of Lebanese
National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989 |
|
Legal system: |
mixture of
Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial
review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction |
|
Suffrage: |
21 years of
age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with
elementary education |
|
Executive branch: |
chief of
state: President Emile LAHUD (since 24 November 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Rafiq HARIRI (since 23
October 2000); Deputy Prime Minister Issam FARES (since 23 October
2000); note - HARIRI resigned on 15 April 2003, but was reappointed
the next day
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime
minister in consultation with the president and members of the
National Assembly
elections: president elected by the
National Assembly for a six-year term; election last held 15 October
1998 (next scheduled for 2004); note - on 3 September 2004
Parliament voted 96 to 29 to extend Emile LAHUD's six-year term by
three years; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by
the president in consultation with the National Assembly; by custom,
the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni
Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a Shi'a Muslim
election results: Emile LAHUD elected president; National
Assembly vote - 118 votes in favor, 0 against, 10 abstentions |
|
Legislative branch: |
unicameral
National Assembly or Majlis Alnuwab (Arabic) or Assemblee Nationale
(French) (128 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of
sectarian proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 August and 3 September 2000 (next
to be held NA 2004)
election results: percent of vote by
party - Muslim 57% (of which Sunni 25%, Sh'ite 25%, Druze 6%,
Alawite less than 1%), Christian 43% (of which Maronite 23%); seats
by party - Muslim 64 (of which Sunni 27, Sh'ite 27, Druze 8, Alawite
2), Christian 64 (of which Maronite 34) |
|
Judicial branch: |
four Courts
of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one
court for criminal cases); Constitutional Council (called for in
Ta'if Accord - rules on constitutionality of laws); Supreme Council
(hears charges against the president and prime minister as needed)
|
|
Political parties and leaders: |
political
party activity is organized along largely sectarian lines; numerous
political groupings exist, consisting of individual political
figures and followers motivated by religious, clan, and economic
considerations |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
|
International organization participation: |
ABEDA, ACCT,
AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, LAS, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO (observer) |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Dr. Farid ABBOUD
chancery: 2560
28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202)
939-6320
FAX: [1] (202) 939-6324
consulate(s)
general: Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Vincent Martin BATTLE
embassy:
Awkar, Lebanon
mailing address: P. O. Box 70840, Awkar,
Lebanon; PSC 815, Box 2, FPO AE 09836-0002
telephone:
011-961-4-543-600/542-600
FAX: 011-961-4-544-136 |
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Flag description: |
three
horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red with a
green cedar tree centered in the white band Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
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Economy - overview: |
The 1975-91
civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut
national output by half, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a
Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. Peace enabled the central
government to restore control in Beirut, begin collecting taxes, and
regain access to key port and government facilities. Economic
recovery was helped by a financially sound banking system and
resilient small- and medium-scale manufacturers. Family remittances,
banking services, manufactured and farm exports, and international
aid provided the main sources of foreign exchange. Lebanon's economy
made impressive gains since the launch in 1993 of "Horizon 2000,"
the government's $20 billion reconstruction program. Real GDP grew
8% in 1994, 7% in 1995, 4% in 1996 and in 1997, but slowed to 1.2%
in 1998, -1.6% in 1999, -0.6% in 2000, 0.8% in 2001, 1.5% in 2002,
and 3% in 2003. During the 1990s, annual inflation fell to almost 0%
from more than 100%. Lebanon has rebuilt much of its war-torn
physical and financial infrastructure. The government nonetheless
faces serious challenges in the economic arena. It has funded
reconstruction by borrowing heavily - mostly from domestic banks. In
order to reduce the ballooning national debt, the re-installed
HARIRI government began an economic austerity program to rein in
government expenditures, increase revenue collection, and privatize
state enterprises. The HARIRI government met with international
donors at the Paris II conference in November 2002 to seek bilateral
assistance restructuring its domestic debt at lower rates of
interest. While privatization of state-owned enterprises had not
occurred by the end of 2003, massive receipts from donor nations
stabilized government finances throughout 2002 and 2003. |
|
GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $17.82 billion (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
3% (2003
est.) |
|
GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $4,800 (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 12%
industry: 21%
services: 67% (2000) |
|
Investment (gross fixed): |
24.8% of GDP
(2003) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
28% (1999
est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
2.5% (2003
est.) |
|
Labor force: |
1.5 million
note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign
workers (2001 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture
NA, industry NA, services NA |
|
Unemployment rate: |
18% (1997
est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $4.414 billion
expenditures: $7.026
billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) |
|
Public debt: |
185.1% of GDP
(2003) |
|
Agriculture - products: |
citrus,
grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco;
sheep, goats |
|
Industries: |
banking;
food processing; jewelry; cement; textiles; mineral and chemical
products; wood and furniture products; oil refining; metal
fabricating |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
NA |
|
Electricity - production: |
6.728 billion
kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption: |
7.44 billion
kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2001)
|
|
Electricity - imports: |
1.183
billion kWh (2001) |
|
Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
107,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports: |
NA (2001)
|
|
Oil - imports: |
NA (2001)
|
|
Current account balance: |
$-2.865
billion (2003) |
|
Exports: |
$1.359
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
authentic
jewelry, inorganic chemicals, miscellaneous consumer goods, fruit,
tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and
switchgear, textile fibers, paper |
|
Exports - partners: |
UAE 10.3%,
Switzerland 9.3%, Saudi Arabia 7.7%, US 7.5%, Turkey 4.6%, Jordan
4.5% (2003 est.) |
|
Imports: |
$6.073
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
petroleum
products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals,
consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco |
|
Imports - partners: |
France
13.1%, Germany 11.4%, Italy 10.5%, Syria 5.2%, China 5.1%, UK 4.8%,
US 4.4% (2003 est.) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: |
$16.35
billion (2003) |
|
Debt - external: |
$20.79
billion (2003 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$3.5 billion
(pledges 1997-2001); $4.2 billion in soft loan pledges November 2002
Paris II Aid Conference (2002) |
|
Currency: |
Lebanese
pound (LBP) |
|
Currency code: |
LBP |
|
Exchange rates: |
Lebanese
pounds per US dollar - 1,507.5 (2003), 1,507.5 (2002), 1,507.5
(2001), 1,507.5 (2000), 1,507.84 (1999) |
|
Fiscal year: |
calendar
year Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
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Railways: |
total:
401 km
standard gauge: 319 km 1.435-m
narrow
gauge: 82 km 1.050-m
note: rail system was unusable
because of damage during the civil war in the 1980s; short sections
are operable (2003) |
|
Highways: |
total:
7,300 km
paved: 6,198 km
unpaved: 1,102 km
(1999 est.) |
|
Pipelines: |
oil 209 km
(2003) |
|
Ports and harbors: |
Antilyas,
Batroun, Beirut, Chekka, El Mina, Ez Zahrani, Jbail, Jounie,
Naqoura, Sidon, Tripoli, Tyre |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 49 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 198,602 GRT/248,313
DWT
by type: bulk 5, cargo 23, chemical tanker 1,
combination bulk 1, container 2, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier
8, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 4, vehicle carrier 3
foreign-owned: Greece 7, India 1, Netherlands 4, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Spain 1, Syria 2
registered in
other countries: 52 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports: |
8 (2003
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047
m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1
(2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914
m: 1 (2003 est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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