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Introduction | Lebanon

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.

Geography | Lebanon

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 water: 170 sq km land: 10,230 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: 17.6% permanent crops: 12.51% other: 69.89% (1998 est.)
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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, 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

People | Lebanon

Population: | 3,727,703 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 27.1% (male 514,447; female 494,166) 15-64 years: 66.1% (male 1,177,773; female 1,286,433) 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 115,693; female 139,191) (2003 est.)
Median age: | total: 26.4 years male: 25.4 years female: 27.5 years (2002)
Population growth rate: | 1.34% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: | 19.68 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: | 6.32 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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 (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 26.43 deaths/1,000 live births female: 23.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 29.22 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 72.07 years male: 69.64 years female: 74.61 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 1.98 children born/woman (2003 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 70% (including Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 30% (including Orthodox Christian, Catholic, Protestant), Jewish NEGL%
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.)

Government | Lebanon

Country name: | conventional long form: Lebanese Republic conventional short form: Lebanon local short form: Lubnan local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
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 to be held NA 2004); 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, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, 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 consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles FAX: [1] (202) 939-6324 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6320 chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
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
Flag description: | three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red with a green cedar tree centered in the white band

Economy | Lebanon

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, and 1.5% in 2002. 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 2002, the government had successfully avoided a currency devaluation and debt default in 2002.
GDP: | purchasing power parity - $17.61 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 2% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $4,800 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 12% industry: 21% services: 67% (2000)
Population below poverty line: | 28% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 3.5% (2002 est.)
Labor force: | 1.5 million note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: | services NA%, industry NA%, agriculture NA%
Unemployment rate: | 18% (1997 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $3.1 billion expenditures: $5.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
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 - production by source: | fossil fuel: 97.2% hydro: 2.8% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
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)
Agriculture - products: | citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco; sheep, goats
Exports: | $1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities: | foodstuffs and tobacco, textiles, chemicals, precious stones, metal products, electrical products, jewelry, paper products
Exports - partners: | Switzerland 10.8%, Saudi Arabia 9%, UAE 8.6%, US 6.7%, Jordan 4.6%, Turkey 4.3% (2002)
Imports: | $6 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, electrical products, vehicles, minerals, chemicals, textiles, fuels
Imports - partners: | Italy 11.3%, France 10.7%, Germany 8.4%, US 5.6%, Syria 5.4%, China 4.8%, Belgium 4.5%, UK 4.2% (2002)
Debt - external: | $9.3 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: | $3.5 billion (pledges 1997-2001) $4.2 billion in pledges November 2002 Paris II Aid Conference
Currency: | Lebanese pound (LBP)
Currency code: | LBP
Exchange rates: | Lebanese pounds per US dollar - 1,507.5 (2002), 1,507.5 (2001), 1,507.5 (2000), 1,507.84 (1999), 1,516.13 (1998)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

Communications | Lebanon

Telephones - main lines in use: | 700,000 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 580,000 (1999)
Telephone system: | general assessment: telecommunications system severely damaged by civil war; rebuilding well underway domestic: primarily microwave radio relay and cable international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) (erratic operations); coaxial cable to Syria; microwave radio relay to Syria but inoperable beyond Syria to Jordan; 3 submarine coaxial cables
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 20, FM 22, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios: | 2.85 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: | 15 (plus 5 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: | 1.18 million (1997)
Internet country code: | .lb
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 22 (2000)
Internet users: | 300,000 (2001)

Transportation | Lebanon

Railways: | total: 401 km standard gauge: 319 km 1.435-m note: rail system is unusable because of damage in civil war (2002) narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050-m
Highways: | total: 7,300 km paved: 6,198 km unpaved: 1,102 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: | none
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: 56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 230,142 GRT/306,442 DWT ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 28, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, container 4, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 9, roll on/roll off 4, vehicle carrier 3 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: France 1, Greece 10, Netherlands 4, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Spain 1, Syria 2 (2002 est.)
Airports: | 8 (2002)
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 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Military | Lebanon

Military branches: | Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; includes Army, Navy, and Air Force)
Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 1,025,984 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 630,657 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $541 million (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 4.8% (FY99)

Transnational Issues | Lebanon

Disputes - international: | Syrian troops in central and eastern Lebanon since October 1976; Lebanese Government claims Shab'a Farms area of Israeli-occupied Golan Heights
Illicit drugs: | cannabis cultivation dramatically reduced to 2,500 hectares in 2002; opium poppy cultivation minimal; small amounts of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin transit country on way to US and European markets

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003