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Middle East :: Lebanon

- ## Introduction :: LEBANON

- Background:
  Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French demarcated the region of Lebanon in 1920 and granted this area independence in 1943. Since independence the country has been marked by periods of political turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on its position as a regional center for finance and trade. The country's 1975-90 civil war that resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities, was followed by years of social and political instability. Sectarianism is a key element of Lebanese political life. Neighboring Syria has historically influenced Lebanon's foreign policy and internal policies, and its military occupied Lebanon from 1976 until 2005. The Lebanon-based Hizballah militia and Israel continued attacks and counterattacks against each other after Syria's withdrawal, and fought a brief war in 2006. Lebanon's borders with Syria and Israel remain unresolved.

- ## 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
  land: 10,230 sq km
  water: 170 sq km
  country comparison to the world: 170
  Area - comparative:
  about one-third the size of Maryland
  Area comparison map:
  Land boundaries:
  total: 484 km
  border countries (2): Israel 81 km, Syria 403 km
  Coastline:
  225 km
  Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  Climate:
  Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; the 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: Qornet es Saouda 3,088 m
  Natural resources:
  limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land
  Land use:
  agricultural land: 63.3%
  arable land 11.9%; permanent crops 12.3%; permanent pasture 39.1%
  forest: 13.4%
  other: 23.3% (2011 est.)
  Irrigated land:
  1,040 sq km (2003)
  Total renewable water resources:
  4.5 cu km (2011)
  Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
  total: 1.31 cu km/yr (29%/11%/60%)
  per capita: 316.8 cu m/yr (2005)
  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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
  Geography - note:
  smallest country in continental Asia; Nahr el Litani is the 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 and Society :: LEBANON

- Nationality:
  noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)
  adjective: Lebanese
  Ethnic groups:
  Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
  note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians
  Languages:
  Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
  Religions:
  Muslim 54% (27% Sunni, 27% Shia), Christian 40.5% (includes 21% Maronite Catholic, 8% Greek Orthodox, 5% Greek Catholic, 6.5% other Christian), Druze 5.6%, very small numbers of Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, Hindus, and Mormons
  note: 18 religious sects recognized (2012 est.)
  religious affiliation:
  Population:
  6,184,701 (July 2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 109
  Age structure:
  0-14 years: 25.08% (male 793,837/female 757,120)
  15-24 years: 17.04% (male 539,232/female 514,394)
  25-54 years: 44.13% (male 1,378,852/female 1,350,506)
  55-64 years: 7.18% (male 205,933/female 237,849)
  65 years and over: 6.58% (male 179,983/female 226,995) (2015 est.)
  population pyramid:
  Dependency ratios:
  total dependency ratio: 47.3%
  youth dependency ratio: 35.4%
  elderly dependency ratio: 12%
  potential support ratio: 8.3% (2015 est.)
  Median age:
  total: 29.4 years
  male: 28.8 years
  female: 30 years (2015 est.)
  Population growth rate:
  0.86% (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 128
  Birth rate:
  14.59 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 133
  Death rate:
  4.88 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 191
  Net migration rate:
  -1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 150
  Urbanization:
  urban population: 87.8% of total population (2015)
  rate of urbanization: 3.18% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
  Major urban areas - population:
  BEIRUT (capital) 2.226 million (2015)
  Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  55-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
  Maternal mortality rate:
  15 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 130
  Infant mortality rate:
  total: 7.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.18 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 7.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 155
  Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.4 years
  male: 76.18 years
  female: 78.69 years (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 70
  Total fertility rate:
  1.73 children born/woman (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 169
  Health expenditures:
  7.2% of GDP (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 73
  Physicians density:
  3.2 physicians/1,000 population (2011)
  Hospital bed density:
  3.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)
  Drinking water source:
  improved:
  urban: 99% of population
  rural: 99% of population
  total: 99% of population
  unimproved:
  urban: 1% of population
  rural: 1% of population
  total: 1% of population (2015 est.)
  Sanitation facility access:
  improved:
  urban: 80.7% of population
  rural: 80.7% of population
  total: 80.7% of population
  unimproved:
  urban: 19.3% of population
  rural: 19.3% of population
  total: 19.3% of population (2015 est.)
  HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.06% (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 116
  HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  1,800 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 117
  HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  less than 100 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 117
  Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
  30.8% (2014)
  country comparison to the world: 40
  Education expenditures:
  2.6% of GDP (2012)
  country comparison to the world: 162
  Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 93.9%
  male: 96%
  female: 91.8% (2015 est.)
  School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
  total: 14 years
  male: 14 years
  female: 14 years (2013)
  Child labor - children ages 5-14:
  total number: 54,387
  percentage: 7% (2000 est.)
  Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
  total: 22.1%
  male: 22.3%
  female: 21.5% (2007 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 71

- ## Government :: LEBANON

- Country name:
  conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
  conventional short form: Lebanon
  local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
  local short form: Lubnan
  former: Greater Lebanon
  etymology: derives from the Semitic root "lbn" meaning "white" and refers to snow-capped Mount Lebanon
  Government type:
  republic
  Capital:
  name: Beirut
  geographic coordinates: 33 52 N, 35 30 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
  Administrative divisions:
  6 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Beqaa, Beyrouth (Beirut), Liban-Nord (North Lebanon), Liban-Sud (South Lebanon), Mont-Liban (Mount Lebanon), Nabatiye
  note: two new governorates - Aakkar and Baalbek-Hermel - have been legislated but not yet implemented
  Independence:
  22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
  National holiday:
  Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
  Constitution:
  drafted 15 May 1926, adopted 23 May 1926; amended several times, last in 2004 (2015)
  Legal system:
  mixed legal system of civil law based on the French civil code, Ottoman legal tradition, and religious laws covering personal status, marriage, divorce, and other family relations of the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian communities
  International law organization participation:
  has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
  Citizenship:
  citizenship by birth: no
  citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Lebanon
  dual citizenship recognized: yes
  residency requirement for naturalization: unknown
  Suffrage:
  21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education; excludes military personnel
  Executive branch:
  chief of state: President (vacant); note - President Michel SULAYMAN's term expired on 25 May 2014; the prime minister and his cabinet are temporarily assuming the duties of the president; as of December 2015, the National Assembly had failed to elect a president
  head of government: Prime Minister Tamam SALAM (since 6 April 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Samir MOQBIL (since 7 July 2011)
  cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and National Assembly
  elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 6-year term (eligible for non-consecutive terms); first round of election held on 23 April 2014 (next to be held in 2020); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly
  election results: NA; note - the April 2014 parliamentary vote failed to meet the required two-thirds majority vote threshold; subsequent voting from April 2014 through January 2016 also failed to meet a quorum or was postponed
  Legislative branch:
  description: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Nuwab in Arabic or Assemblee Nationale in French (128 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by majority vote; members serve 4-year terms); note - seats are apportioned among the Christian and Muslim denominations
  note: Lebanon’s Constitution states the National Assembly cannot conduct regular business until it elects a president when the position is vacant
  elections: last held on 7 June 2009 (next delayed due to a failure to elect a new president)
  election results: percent of vote by coalition - March 8 Coalition 54.7%, March 14 Coalition 45.3%; seats by coalition - March 14 Coalition 71; March 8 Coalition 57; seats by coalition following 16 July 2012 byelection held to fill one seat - March 14 Coalition 72, March 8 Coalition 56
  Judicial branch:
  highest court(s): Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (organized into 4 divisions, each with a presiding judge and 2 associate judges); Constitutional Council (consists of 10 members)
  judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation judges appointed by Supreme Judicial Council, headed by the chief justice, and includes other judicial officials; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Council members appointed - 5 by the Council of Ministers and 5 by parliament; members serve 5-year terms
  subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; specialized tribunals, religious courts; military courts
  Political parties and leaders:
  14 March Coalition:
  Democratic Left Movement or DLM [Elias ATALLAH]
  Future Movement Bloc [Sa'ad al-HARIRI]
  Kata'ib Party [Sami GEMAYEL]
  Lebanese Forces [Samir JA'JA]
  Marada Movement [Sulayman FRANJIEH]
  Social Democratic Hunchakian Party [Hagop DIKRANIAN]
  8 March Coalition:
  Amal Movement [Nabih BERRI]
  Free Patriotic Movement [Gibran BASSIL]
  Lebanese Democratic Party [Emir Talal ARSLAN]
  Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc [Mohammad RA'AD] (includes Hizballah [Hassan NASRALLAH])
  Marada Movement [Sulayman FRANJIEH]
  Syrian Ba'th Party [Abdel Mouin GHAZI]
  Syrian Social Nationalist Party [Ali QANSO]
  Independent: Metn Bloc [Michel MURR]
  Progressive Socialist Party or PSP [Walid JUNBLATT]
  Tashnag or ARF [Hagop DHATCHERIAN]
  Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Maronite Church [Patriarch Bishara al-Ra'i]
  note: most sects retain militias and a number of militant groups operate in Palestinian refugee camps
  International organization participation:
  ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
  Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Antoine CHEDID (since 4 June 2008)
  chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 939-6300
  FAX: [1] (202) 939-6324
  consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, Los Angeles
  Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Richard Henry JONES (since 6 November 2015)
  embassy: Awkar, Lebanon (Awkar facing the Municipality)
  mailing address: P. O. Box 70-840, Antelias, Lebanon; from US: US Embassy Beirut, 6070 Beirut Place, Washington, DC 20521-6070
  telephone: [961] (4) 542600, 543600
  FAX: [961] (4) 544136
  Flag description:
  three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in the white band; the red bands symbolize blood shed for liberation, the white band denotes peace, the snow of the mountains, and purity; the green cedar tree is the symbol of Lebanon and represents eternity, steadiness, happiness, and prosperity
  National symbol(s):
  cedar tree; national colors: red, white, green
  National anthem:
  name: "Kulluna lil-watan" (All Of Us, For Our Country!)
  lyrics/music: Rachid NAKHLE/Wadih SABRA
  note: adopted 1927; chosen following a nationwide competition

- ## Economy :: LEBANON

- Economy - overview:
  Lebanon has a free-market economy and a strong laissez-faire commercial tradition. The government does not restrict foreign investment; however, the investment climate suffers from red tape, corruption, arbitrary licensing decisions, complex customs procedures, high taxes, tariffs, and fees, archaic legislation, and weak intellectual property rights. The Lebanese economy is service-oriented; main growth sectors include banking and tourism. The 1975-90 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and derailed Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. Following the civil war, Lebanon rebuilt much of its war-torn physical and financial infrastructure by borrowing heavily, mostly from domestic banks, which saddled the government with a huge debt burden. Pledges of economic and financial reforms made at separate international donor conferences during the 2000s have mostly gone unfulfilled, including those made during the Paris III Donor Conference in 2007, following the July 2006 war. Spillover from the Syrian conflict, including the influx of more than 1 million Syrian refugees, has increased internal tension and slowed economic growth to the 1-2% range in 2011-13, after four years of averaging 8% growth. Syrian refugees have increased the labor supply, but pushed more Lebanese into unemployment. Chronic fiscal deficits have made Lebanon’s debt-to-GDP ratio the third highest in the world; most of the debt is held internally by Lebanese banks. Weak economic growth limits tax revenues, while the largest government expenditures remain debt servicing and transfers to the electricity sector. These limitations constrain other government spending and limit the government’s ability to invest in necessary infrastructure improvements, such as water, electricity, and transportation.
  GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $81.42 billion (2014 est.)
  $79.82 billion (2013 est.)
  $77.88 billion (2012 est.)
  note: data are in 2014 US dollars
  country comparison to the world: 88
  GDP (official exchange rate):
  $50.03 billion (2014 est.)
  GDP - real growth rate:
  2% (2014 est.)
  2.5% (2013 est.)
  2.8% (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 149
  GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $18,100 (2014 est.)
  $17,700 (2013 est.)
  $17,300 (2012 est.)
  note: data are in 2014 US dollars
  country comparison to the world: 91
  Gross national saving:
  -2% of GDP (2014 est.)
  -2.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
  -0.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 175
  GDP - composition, by end use:
  household consumption: 89.5%
  government consumption: 12.5%
  investment in fixed capital: 27.2%
  investment in inventories: 0.6%
  exports of goods and services: 22.9%
  imports of goods and services: -52.7%
  (2014 est.)
  GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
  agriculture: 5.5%
  industry: 24.8%
  services: 69.7% (2014 est.)
  Agriculture - products:
  citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco; sheep, goats
  Industries:
  banking, tourism, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating
  Industrial production growth rate:
  2% (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 105
  Labor force:
  1.628 million
  note: does not include as many as 1 million foreign workers (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 127
  Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: NA%
  industry: NA%
  services: NA%
  Unemployment rate:
  NA%
  Population below poverty line:
  28.6% (2004 est.)
  Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%
  Budget:
  revenues: $10.88 billion
  expenditures: $13.95 billion (2014 est.)
  Taxes and other revenues:
  21.7% of GDP (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 152
  Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
  -6.1% of GDP (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 187
  Public debt:
  134.8% of GDP (2014 est.)
  132.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
  note: data cover central government debt, and exclude debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment
  country comparison to the world: 4
  Fiscal year:
  calendar year
  Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  1.9% (2014 est.)
  4.8% (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 95
  Central bank discount rate:
  3.5% (31 December 2010)
  10% (31 December 2009)
  country comparison to the world: 102
  Commercial bank prime lending rate:
  7.27% (31 December 2014 est.)
  7.35% (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 119
  Stock of narrow money:
  $5.12 billion (11 December 2014 est.)
  $5.007 billion (11 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 98
  Stock of broad money:
  $48.69 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $45.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 69
  Stock of domestic credit:
  $89.13 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $83.21 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 56
  Market value of publicly traded shares:
  $11.22 billion (30 December 2014 est.)
  $10.55 billion (30 December 2013)
  $10.42 billion (28 December 2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 71
  Current account balance:
  -$12.45 billion (2014 est.)
  -$12.73 billion (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 182
  Exports:
  $3.787 billion (2014 est.)
  $4.499 billion (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 125
  Exports - commodities:
  jewelry, base metals, chemicals, consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper
  Exports - partners:
  Saudi Arabia 10.8%, UAE 9.7%, Syria 8.7%, Iraq 7.6%, South Africa 7%, Switzerland 4% (2014)
  Imports:
  $18.99 billion (2014 est.)
  $19.67 billion (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 80
  Imports - commodities:
  petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals
  Imports - partners:
  China 11.8%, Italy 7.7%, US 6.8%, France 6.2%, Germany 5.4%, Russia 4.5%, Greece 4.1% (2014)
  Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $49.61 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
  $50.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 39
  Debt - external:
  $31.59 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $32.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 72
  Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
  $NA
  Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
  $NA
  Exchange rates:
  Lebanese pounds (LBP) per US dollar -
  1,507.5 (2014 est.)
  1,507.5 (2013 est.)
  1,507.5 (2012 est.)
  1,507.5 (2011 est.)
  1,507.5 (2010 est.)

- ## Energy :: LEBANON

- Electricity - production:
  13.99 billion kWh (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 87
  Electricity - consumption:
  12.94 billion kWh (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 82
  Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 160
  Electricity - imports:
  323 million kWh (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 84
  Electricity - installed generating capacity:
  2.26 million kW (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 103
  Electricity - from fossil fuels:
  90.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 76
  Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
  0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 126
  Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
  9.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 117
  Electricity - from other renewable sources:
  0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 193
  Crude oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 156
  Crude oil - exports:
  0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 150
  Crude oil - imports:
  0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 213
  Crude oil - proved reserves:
  0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 155
  Refined petroleum products - production:
  0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 200
  Refined petroleum products - consumption:
  125,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 73
  Refined petroleum products - exports:
  0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 191
  Refined petroleum products - imports:
  126,600 bbl/day (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 45
  Natural gas - production:
  0 cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 210
  Natural gas - consumption:
  0 cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 163
  Natural gas - exports:
  0 cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 131
  Natural gas - imports:
  0 cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 91
  Natural gas - proved reserves:
  0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 157
  Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
  16.44 million Mt (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 88

- ## Communications :: LEBANON

- Telephones - fixed lines:
  total subscriptions: 970,000
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 77
  Telephones - mobile cellular:
  total: 4.4 million
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 75 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 125
  Telephone system:
  general assessment: repair of the telecommunications system, severely damaged during the civil war, now complete
  domestic: two mobile-cellular networks provide good service; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership roughly 100 per 100 persons
  international: country code - 961; submarine cable links to Cyprus, Egypt, and Syria; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean); coaxial cable to Syria (2011)
  Broadcast media:
  7 TV stations, 1 of which is state owned; more than 30 radio stations, 1 of which is state owned; satellite and cable TV services available; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible through partner stations (2007)
  Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 20, FM 30 (plus about a dozen unlicensed stations operating), shortwave 4 (2009)
  Television broadcast stations:
  12 (2009)
  Internet country code:
  .lb
  Internet users:
  total: 4 million
  percent of population: 67.2% (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 76

- ## Transportation :: LEBANON

- Airports:
  8 (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 161
  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 (2013)
  Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m:
  1 (2013)
  Heliports:
  1 (2013)
  Pipelines:
  gas 88 km (2013)
  Railways:
  total: 401 km
  standard gauge: 319 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050-m gauge
  note: rail system unusable due to damage sustained from fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2008)
  country comparison to the world: 117
  Roadways:
  total: 6,970 km (includes 170 km of expressways) (2005)
  country comparison to the world: 146
  Merchant marine:
  total: 29
  by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 7, carrier 17, vehicle carrier 1
  foreign-owned: 2 (Syria 2)
  registered in other countries: 34 (Barbados 2, Cambodia 5, Comoros 2, Egypt 1, Georgia 1, Honduras 2, Liberia 1, Malta 6, Moldova 1, Panama 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Sierra Leone 2, Togo 6, unknown 1) (2010)
  country comparison to the world: 85
  Ports and terminals:
  major seaport(s): Beirut, Tripoli
  container port(s) (TEUs): Beirut (1,034,249)

- ## Military :: LEBANON

- Military branches:
  Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Lebanese Army ((Al Jaysh al Lubnani) includes Lebanese Navy (Al Quwwat al Bahiriyya al Lubnaniya), Lebanese Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Lubnaniya)) (2013)
  Military service age and obligation:
  17-30 years of age for voluntary military service; 18-24 years of age for officer candidates; no conscription (2013)
  Manpower available for military service:
  males age 16-49: 1,081,016
  females age 16-49: 1,115,349 (2010 est.)
  Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 16-49: 920,825
  females age 16-49: 941,806 (2010 est.)
  Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
  male: 36,856
  female: 35,121 (2010 est.)
  Military expenditures:
  4.04% of GDP (2012)
  4.06% of GDP (2011)
  4.04% of GDP (2010)
  country comparison to the world: 11

- ## Transnational Issues :: LEBANON

- Disputes - international:
  lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute; since 2000, Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms area in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights; the roughly 2,000-strong UN Interim Force in Lebanon has been in place since 1978
  Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 449,957 (Palestinian refugees); 5,986 (Iraq) (2014); 1,070,189 (Syria) (2015)
  IDPs: 19,719 (2007 Lebanese security forces' destruction of Palestinian refugee camp) (2014)
  stateless persons: undetermined (2014); note - tens of thousands of persons are stateless in Lebanon, including many Palestinian refugees and their descendants, Syrian Kurds denaturalized in Syria in 1962, children born to Lebanese women married to foreign or stateless men; most babies born to Syrian refugees, and Lebanese children whose births are unregistered
  Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Lebanon is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Eastern European women and children are transported through Lebanon for sexual exploitation in other Middle Eastern countries; women from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Kenya, Bangladesh, Nepal, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Togo, Cameroon, and Nigeria are recruited by agencies to work in domestic service but are often subject to conditions indicative of forced labor, including the withholding of passports, nonpayment of wages, restricted movement, threats, and abuse; Lebanon’s artiste visa program enabling women to work as dancers for three months in the adult entertainment industry sustains a significant sex trade; anecdotal information indicates some Lebanese children are victims of forced labor, such as street begging and commercial sexual exploitation; Syrian refugee women and children in Lebanon are at increased risked of sex trafficking
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Lebanon does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute a significant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; in 2013, authorities conducted an increased number of investigations of human trafficking and prosecuted and convicted some trafficking offenders; the government identified and referred some trafficking victims to NGO-run safe houses but did not directly fund protective services; Lebanon’s sponsorship system and the withholding of passports continued to put domestic workers at risk of exploitation (2014)
  Illicit drugs:
  cannabis cultivation dramatically reduced to 2,500 hectares in 2002 despite continued significant cannabis consumption; opium poppy cultivation minimal; small amounts of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin transit country on way to European markets and for Middle Eastern consumption; money laundering of drug proceeds fuels concern that extremists are benefiting from drug trafficking

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