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
16.35%
permanent crops
13.75%
other
69.9% (2005)
Irrigated land
1,040 sq km (2003)
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
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
Population
3,925,502 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
26.2% (male 525,199/female 504,240)
15-64 years
66.7% (male 1,255,624/female 1,361,265)
65 years and over
7.1% (male 125,904/female 153,270) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
28.3 years
male
27.2 years
female
29.5 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.198% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
18.08 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.042 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.922 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.821 male(s)/female
total population
0.944 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
23.39 deaths/1,000 live births
male
25.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female
20.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
73.15 years
male
70.67 years
female
75.77 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.88 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
2,800 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
less than 200 (2003 est.)
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
Religions
Muslim 59.7% (Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant), other 1.3%
note: 17 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.)
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
Government type
republic
Capital
name
Beirut
geographic coordinates
33 53 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
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 Fuad SINIORA (since 30 June 2005); Deputy Prime Minister Elias MURR (since April 2005)
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 (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 15 October 1998 (next to be held in 2007 based on three-year extension); note - on 3 September 2004 the National Assembly voted 96 to 29 to extend Emile LAHUD's six-year term by three years; the prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly; by agreement, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the National Assembly is a Shi'a Muslim
election results
for 15 October 1998 election: 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 in four rounds on 29 May, 5, 12, 19 June 2005 (next to be held 2009)
election results: percent of vote by group - NA; seats by group - Future Movement Bloc 36; Democratic Gathering 15; Development and Resistance Bloc 15; Free Patriotic Movement 15; Loyalty to the Resistance 14; Qornet Shewan 6; Lebanese Forces 5; Popular Bloc 4; Tripoli Independent Bloc 3; Kataeb Reform Movement 2; Syrian National Socialist Party 2; Tachnaq Party 2; Ba'th Party 1; Democratic Left 1; Democratic Renewal Movement 1; Kataeb Party 1; Nasserite Popular Movement 1; independent 4
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
14 March Coalition
Democratic Gathering [Walid JUNBLATT, leader of Progressive Socialist Party]; Democratic Left [Ilyas ATALLAH]; Democratic Renewal Movement [Nassib LAHUD]; Future Movement Bloc [Sa'ad HARIRI]; Kataeb Reform Movement [Amine GEMAYEL]; Lebanese Forces [Samir JA'JA]; Nasserite Popular Movement [Ussama SAAD]; Qornet Shewan Gathering (a grouping composed of political parties and independent members of the National Assembly [no individual leader]); Tripoli Independent Bloc
Change and Reform Alliance
Free Patriotic Movement [Michel AWN]; Metn Bloc [Michel MURR]; Popular Bloc [Elias SKAFF]; Tachnaq
Hizballah and Amal Alliance
Ba'th Party [Muhammad MUHAMMADIYAH]; Development and Resistance Bloc [Nabih BERRI, leader of Amal Movement]; Kataeb Party [Karim PAKRADONI]; Loyalty to the Resistance [Mohammad RA'AD]; Syrian Social Nationalist Party [Dr. Issam al-MAYHAYRI, secretary general]
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Carla JAZZAR; note - ambassador designate is Antoine CHEDID
chancery
2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 939-6320
FAX
[1] (202) 939-6324
consulate(s) general
Detroit, New York, Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
Ambassador Jeffrey D. FELTMAN
embassy
Awkar, Lebanon; (Awkar facing the Municipality)
mailing address
P. O. Box 70-840, Antelias, Lebanon; PSC 815, Box 2, FPO AE 09836-0002; 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
Economy - overview
The 1975-90 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. In the years since, Lebanon has rebuilt much of its war-torn physical and financial infrastructure by borrowing heavily - mostly from domestic banks. In an attempt to reduce the ballooning national debt, the Rafiq HARIRI government began an austerity program, reining in government expenditures, increasing revenue collection, and privatizing state enterprises, but economic and financial reform initiatives stalled and public debt continued to grow despite receipt of more than $2 billion in bilateral assistance at the Paris II Donors Conference. The Israeli-Hizballah conflict caused an estimated $3.6 billion in infrastructure damage in July and August 2006, and internal Lebanese political tension continues to hamper economic activity.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$22.02 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$19.89 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
-6.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$5,700 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
7%
industry
21%
services
72% (2005)
Labor force
1.5 million
note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
NA%
industry
NA%
services
NA%
Unemployment rate
20% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
28% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
4.8% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
17.8% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$4.444 billion
expenditures
$7.429 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
Public debt
209% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products
Industries
banking, tourism, food processing, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Electricity - production
9.762 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
97.2%
hydro
2.8%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
9.529 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
450 million kWh (2004)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption
107,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports
NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Current account balance
-$5.339 billion (October 2006)
Exports
$1.881 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities
authentic jewelry, inorganic chemicals, miscellaneous consumer goods, fruit, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper
petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco
Imports - partners
Syria 11.4%, Italy 9.6%, US 9.2%, France 7.6%, Germany 5.9%, China 4.9%, Saudi Arabia 4.7% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$16.78 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$31.1 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$2.2 billion received (2003) from the $4.2 billion in soft loans pledged at the November 2002 Paris II Aid Conference
Currency (code)
Lebanese pound (LBP)
Currency code
LBP
Exchange rates
Lebanese pounds per US dollar - 1,507.5 (2006), 1,507.5 (2005), 1,507.5 (2004), 1,507.5 (2003), 1,507.5 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
990,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
1.178 million (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
repair of the telecommunications system, severely damaged during the civil war, now complete
domestic
2 commercial wireless networks provide good service; political instability hampers privatization and deployment of new technologies
international
country code - 961; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) (erratic operations); coaxial cable to Syria; 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 hosts
3,307 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
22 (2000)
Internet users
700,000 (2005)
Airports
7 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
5
over 3,047 m
1
2,438 to 3,047 m
2
914 to 1,523 m
1
under 914 m
1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
2
914 to 1,523 m
2 (2006)
Pipelines
gas 43 km (2006)
Railways
total
401 km
standard gauge
319 km 1.435 m
narrow gauge
82 km 1.050 m
note
rail system became unusable because of damage done during fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2006)
Roadways
total
7,300 km
paved
6,198 km
unpaved
1,102 km (1999)
Merchant marine
total
39 ships (1000 GRT or over) 150,598 GRT/178,295 DWT
by type
bulk carrier 4, cargo 18, livestock carrier 10, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 3
foreign-owned
4 (Greece 3, Syria 1)
registered in other countries
59 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Barbados 1, Cambodia 6, Comoros 6, Egypt 2, Georgia 7, Honduras 1, North Korea 6, Liberia 2, Malta 10, Mongolia 1, Panama 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Syria 7, unknown 2) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Beirut, Chekka, Jounie, Tripoli
Military branches
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Army, Navy, and Air Force (2007)
Military service age and obligation
18-30 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; in May 2005, conscript service obligation reduced from 12 to 6 months over a 2-year period; conscripts eligible to volunteer for 5 years of military service upon completing 6 months of conscript service; Lebanon is moving toward a predominantly professional armed forces (2005)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
974,363
females age 18-49
1,024,273 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
821,762
females age 18-49
865,770 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
3.1% (2005 est.)
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 (UNIFIL) has been in place since 1978
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
