Lebanon
Physical. Lebanon is located in the Middle East bordering the
Mediterranean Sea between Israel and Syria. It covers an area about seven-tenths
the size of Connecticut. The climate is Mediterranean with mild to cool, wet
winters and hot, dry summers. The terrain is a narrow coastal plain. The
mountain ranges in the east are divided by the Bekaa Valley. Natural resources
include limestone, iron ore, salt, water (in a water-deficit region) and arable
land.
People. Almost 3.9 million people live in Lebanon. Arabic is the
official language with French, English and Armenian in use. Lebanon is mostly
Arabic (95%). The other major ethnic group is Armenian (4%). Religious practices
are mainly Muslim (60% Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite, or Nusayri) and
Christian (39% Christian Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant).
Government. The country is officially known as the Lebanese Republic
and has five governorates. The capital is Beirut, located in the middle of the
western coastline. Lebanon gained independence on November 22, 1943. In 1991, a
16-year civil war ended and the Ta'if Accord instituted a more equitable
political system. Muslims have a greater voice in the political process. Members
of the National Assembly are elected by popular vote to four-year terms. The
president is elected by the National Assembly and appoints the prime minister.
Traditionally, the president is Maronite Christian, the prime minister is Sunni
and the speaker is Shi'a. In May-June 2005, Lebanon held its first legislative
elections since the end of the civil war free of foreign interference. This
election gave a two-thirds majority to the bloc led by Saad Hariri, the slain
prime minister's son.
Economy. The 1975-91 civil war damaged Lebanon's economic structure.
Strong banking, resilient manufacturers, and international aid have led the
recovery. Lebanon's gross domestic product (GDP) has exhibited overall growth
since 1994 (negative growth only in 1999) and is currently comprised of:
agriculture (12%), industry (21%), and services (67%). At the end of 2000, the
government introduced a major reform program based on privatization and
promotion of foreign investment. Substantial receipts from donor nations
stabilized government finances in 2003 but did little to reduce the debt, which
stands at nearly 170% of GDP. A Donor's Conference is planned to assist Lebanon
in restructuring its debt and increasing foreign investment.
Areas of Concern. Environmental concerns include deforestation, soil
erosion, desertification, air pollution in Beirut, and pollution of coastal
waterways. Since the end of the civil war, Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have
extended central government authority over 2/3 of the country. However,
Hezbollah, a radical Shi'a party, retains its weapons and Syria maintains troops
in Beirut. Economically, the widening gap between rich and poor (28% of the
population falls below the poverty level) has caused grassroots dissatisfaction.
For additional information on Lebanon, contact the Embassy of Lebanon at 2560
28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; check the U.S. State Department or World
Factbook country sites; or type in the country's name on the Internet using a
broad-based World Wide Web search engine.
Lebanon statistics
Geography
Area: 10,400 sq km
Capital: Beirut; (1.2 million)
Environmental concerns: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air
pollution in Beirut; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills
Geographical features: narrow coastal plain; Bekaa Valley separates Lebanon and
Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Climate: Mediterranean with mild to cool, wet winters, heavy snowfall in the
mountains and hot, dry summers
People
3,874,000 (July 2006 est.) Arab (95%), Armenian (4%)
Annual growth rate: 1.23% (2006 est.)
Major languages are Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian.
Religions: Muslim (60%), Christian (39% - 17 different religious sects
recognized), other 1.3%
Health and social issues
Life expectancies: male 70; female 75
Infant mortality: 23.72 deaths/1,000 live births
Population below the poverty line: 28% (1999 est.)
1 physicians for 529 people (2004)
HIV/AIDS Rate in Adults: 0.1% (2001 est.)
87.4% of adults were literate
Compulsory education (Ages): NA
Communication and transportation
630,000 (2004) main telephone lines in use
600,000 (2005) Internet users
7,300 km of roadways
401 km railroads
7 (2005) airports
1.183 million motor vehicles (2004)
Government
Lebanon is a republic.
The chief of state is President Emile Lahud (since 24 November 1998) and the
head of government is Prime Minister Fuad Siniora (since 30 June 2005).
Universal suffrage 21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for
women 21 with elementary education
Military
Military expenditures as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is
3.1% (2004).
Current disputes: Lebanese Government claims Shab'a Farms area of
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights; the roughly 2,000-strong UN Interim Force has
been in Lebanon (UNIFIL) since 1978; there are almost three quarters of a
million refugees in Lebanon
Economy
Currency: Lebanese pound
Per capita GDP: $6,200 (2005 est.)
GDP: $23.69 billion (2005 est.)
GDP growth rate: 0.5% (2005 est.)
Inflation rate: 2.4% (2005 est.)
Labor force: NA
Resources and industry
Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt, water (in a water-deficit region),
arable land
Agriculture: citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives,
tobacco; sheep, goats
Industry: banking, tourism, food processing, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral
and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal
fabricating
Exports: $1.782 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports: $8.855 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Suggested web sites
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/lbtoc.html