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Background:
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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 20,000 troops in Lebanon based
mainly in Beirut, North Lebanon, and 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 of 2000, however, has emboldened
some Lebanese Christians and Druze to demand that Syria withdraw
its forces as well. |
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Location:
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Middle East, bordering
the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria |
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Geographic coordinates:
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33 50 N, 35 50 E |
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Map references:
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Middle East |
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Area:
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total: 10,400
sq km
water: 170 sq km
land: 10,230 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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about 0.7 times the
size of Connecticut |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 454
km
border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km |
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Coastline:
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225 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea:
12 NM |
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Climate:
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Mediterranean; mild
to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience
heavy winter snows |
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Terrain:
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narrow coastal plain;
El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Qurnat as Sawda' 3,088 m |
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Natural resources:
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limestone, iron ore,
salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land
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Land use:
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arable land:
17.6%
permanent crops: 12.51%
other: 69.89% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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1,200 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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dust storms, sandstorms
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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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
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Population:
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3,677,780 (July 2002
est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
27.3% (male 511,902; female 491,804)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 1,157,688; female 1,267,106)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 113,341; female 135,939) (2002
est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.36% (2002 est.)
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Birth rate:
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19.96 births/1,000
population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.35 deaths/1,000
population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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27.39 deaths/1,000
live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
71.79 years
female: 74.32 years (2002 est.)
male: 69.38 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.02 children born/woman
(2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.09% (1999 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Lebanese
(singular and plural)
adjective: Lebanese |
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Ethnic groups:
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Arab 95%, Armenian
4%, other 1% |
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Religions:
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Muslim 70% (including
Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian
30% (including Orthodox Christian, Catholic, Protestant), Jewish
NEGL% |
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Languages:
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Arabic (official),
French, English, Armenian |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4%
male: 90.8%
female: 82.2% (1997 est.)
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Country name:
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conventional long
form: Lebanese Republic
conventional short form: Lebanon
local short form: Lubnan
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Beirut |
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Administrative divisions:
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6 governorates (mohafazat,
singular - mohafazah); Beyrouth, Beqaa, Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban,
Nabatiye |
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Independence:
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22 November 1943 (from
League of Nations mandate under French administration) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day,
22 November (1943) |
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Constitution:
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23 May 1926, amended
a number of times, most recently Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation
(Ta'if Accord) of October 1989 |
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Legal system:
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mixture of Ottoman
law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial review
of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage:
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21 years of age; compulsory
for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education
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Executive branch:
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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)
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 |
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Legislative branch:
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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) |
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Judicial branch:
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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) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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 |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD,
AL, AMF, CCC, 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, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
(observer) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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:
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three horizontal bands
of red (top), white (double width), and red with a green cedar tree
centered in the white band
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Economy - overview:
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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 2% in 1998, -1% in
1999, and -0.5% in 2000. Growth recovered slightly in 2001 to 1%.
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 reign 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 in order to restructure
its higher interest rate bearing domestic debt obligations at lower
rates. While privatization of state-owned enterprises had not occurred
by the end of 2002, the government had successfullly avoided a currency
devaluation and debt default in 2002. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity
- $18.8 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity
- $5,200 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
12%
industry: 21%
services: 67% (2000) |
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Population below poverty line:
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28% (1999 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share:
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lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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0.5% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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1.5 million
note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign
workers (1999 est.) (2001 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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services NA%, industry
NA%, agriculture NA% |
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Unemployment rate:
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18% (1997 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $4.6
billion
expenditures: $8.9 billion, including capital expenditures
of $NA (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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banking; food processing;
jewelry; cement; textiles; mineral and chemical products; wood and
furniture products; oil refining; metal fabricating |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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7.95 billion kWh (2000)
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
97%
hydro: 3%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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8.643 billion kWh
(2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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1.25 billion kWh (2000)
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Agriculture - products:
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citrus, grapes, tomatoes,
apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco; sheep, goats |
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Exports:
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$700 million f.o.b.
(2001 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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foodstuffs and tobacco,
textiles, chemicals, precious stones, metal and metal products,
electrical equipment and products, jewelry, paper and paper products
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Exports - partners:
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Saudi Arabia 11%,
UAE 11%, Switzerland 7%, US 7%, France 5%, Iraq 4%, Jordan 4%, Kuwait
4%, Syria 4% (2000) |
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Imports:
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$6.6 billion f.o.b.
(2001 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs, machinery
and transport equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, textiles, metals,
fuels, agricultural foods |
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Imports - partners:
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Italy 11%, France
8%, Germany 8%, US 7%, Switzerland 6%, China 5%, Syria 5%, UK 4%
(2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$8.4 billion (2001
est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$3.5 billion (pledges
1997-2001) |
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Currency:
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Lebanese pound (LBP)
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Currency code:
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LBP |
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Exchange rates:
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Lebanese pounds per
US dollar - 1,507.5 (January 2002), 1,507.5 (2001), 1,507.5 (2000),
1,507.8 (1999), 1,516.1 (1998), 1,539.5 (1997) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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700,000 (1999) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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580,000 (1999) |
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Telephone system:
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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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 20,
FM 22, shortwave 4 (1998) |
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Radios:
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2.85 million (1997)
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Television broadcast stations:
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15 (plus 5 repeaters)
(1995) |
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Televisions:
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1.18 million (1997)
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Internet country code:
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.lb |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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22 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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300,000 (2001)
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Railways:
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total: 399
km
standard gauge: 317 km 1.435-m
note: entire system is unusable because of damage in civil
war (2001)
narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050-m |
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Highways:
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otal: 7,300
km
paved: 6,350 km
unpaved: 950 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Pipelines:
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crude oil 72 km (none
in operation) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Antilyas, Batroun,
Beirut, Chekka, El Mina, Ez Zahrani, Jbail, Jounie, Naqoura, Sidon,
Tripoli, Tyre |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 67 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 320,770 GRT/468,293 DWT
ships by type: bulk 8, cargo 38, chemical tanker 1, combination
bulk 1, container 4, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 7, refrigerated
cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3, 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.)
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Airports:
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8 (2001) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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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) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2002)
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Military branches:
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Lebanese Armed Forces
(LAF; includes Army, Navy, and Air Force) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age 15-49:
1,003,174 (2002 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age 15-49:
618,129 (2002 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$343 million (FY99/00)
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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4.8% (FY99/00)
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