1989 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1989 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Climate
Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers
Coastline
225 km
Comparative area
about 0.8 times the size of Connecticut
Disputes
separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in northern Lebanon since October
Environment
rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, ethnicity; deforestation; soil erosion; air and water pollution; desertification
Land boundaries
454 km total; Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
Land use
21% arable land; 9% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 8% forest and woodland; 61% other; includes 7% irrigated
Natural resources
limestone, iron ore, salt; water-surplus state in a water-deficit region
Note
Nahr al Ll|anl only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary
Terrain
narrow coastal plain; AI Biqa" separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Territorial sea
\ 2 nm
Total area
10,400 km2; land area: 10,230 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
28 births/ 1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
7 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
93% Arab, 6% Armenian, 1% other
Infant mortality rate
49 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
650,000; 79% industry, commerce, and services, 11% agriculture, 10% goverment (1985)
Language
Arabic and French (both official); Armenian, English
Life expectancy at birth
66 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Literacy
75%
Nationality
noun — Lebanese (sing., pi.); adjective — Lebanese
Net migration rate
— 8 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
250,000 members (est.)
Population
3,339,331 (July 1990), growth rate 1.3% (1990)
Religion
75% Islam, 25% Christian, NEGL% Judaism; 17 legally recognized sects — 4 Orthodox Christian (Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Nestorean, Syriac Orthodox), 7 Uniate Christian (Armenian Catholic, Caldean, Greek Catholic, Maronite, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Syrian Catholic), 5 Islam (Alawite or Nusayri, Druze, Isma'ilite, Shi'a, Sunni), and 1 Jewish
Total fertility rate
3.7 children born/ woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
5 governorates (muhafazat, singular — muhafa/ah); Al Biqa', Al JanGb, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan
Capital
Beirut
Communists
the Lebanese Communist Party was legalized in 1970; members and sympathizers estimated at 2,000-3,000
Constitution
26 May 1926 (amended)
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires Suleiman RASSI; note — the former Lebanese Ambassador, Dr. Abdallah Bouhabib, is loyal to Gen. 'Awn and has refused to abandon his residence or relinquish his post; Chancery at 2560 28th Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6300; there are Lebanese Consulates General in Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles; US— Ambassador John T. MCCARTHY; Embassy at Avenue de Paris, Beirut (mailing address is P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut); telephone [961] 417774 or 415802, 415803,402200,403300
Elections
National Assembly — elections should be held every four years but security conditions have prevented elections since May 1972
Executive branch
president, prime minister, Cabinet; note — by custom, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the president of the legislature is a Shi'a Muslim
Hag
three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the white band
Independence
22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Judicial branch
four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases)
Leaders
Chief of State— Elias HARAWI (since 24 November 1989); Head of Government — Prime Minister Salim AL-HUSS (since 24 November 1989) 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; most parties have well-armed militias, which are still involved in occasional clashes
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
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (Arabic — Majlis Alnuwab, French — Assemblee Nationale)
Long-form name
Republic of Lebanon; note — may be changed to Lebanese Republic
Member of
Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, I MO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC— International Wheat Council, NAM, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WSG, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 22 November (1943) Lebanon (continued)
Note
Between early 1975 and late 1976 Lebanon was torn by civil war between its Christians — then aided by Syrian troops — and its Muslims and their Palestinian allies. The cease-fire established in October 1 976 between the domestic political groups generally held for about six years, despite occasional fighting. Syrian troops constituted as the Arab Deterrent Force by the Arab League have remained in Lebanon. Syria's move toward supporting the Lebanese Muslims and the Palestinians and Israel's growing support for Lebanese Christians brought the two sides into rough equilibrium, but no progress was made toward national reconciliation or political reforms — the original cause of the war. Continuing Israeli concern about the Palestinian presence in Lebanon led to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982. Israeli forces occupied all of the southern portion of the country and mounted a summer-long siege of Beirut, which resulted in the evacuation of the PLO from Beirut in September under the supervision of a multinational force (MNF) made up of US, French, and Italian troops. Within days of the departure of the MNF, Lebanon's newly elected president, Bashir Gemayel, was assassinated. In the wake of his death, Christian militiamen massacred hundreds of Palestinian refugees in two Beirut camps. This prompted the return of the MNF to ease the security burden on Lebanon's weak Army and security forces. In late March 1984 the last MNF units withdrew. Lebanese Parliamentarians met in Ta'if, Saudi Arabia in late 1989 and concluded a national reconciliation pact that codified a new power-sharing formula, specifiying a Christian president but giving Muslims more authority. Rene Muawad was subsequently elected president on 4 November 1989, ending a 13-month period during which Lebanon had no president and rival Muslim and Christian governments. Muawad was assassinated 17 days later, on 22 November; on 24 November Elias Harawi was elected to succeed Muawad. Progress toward lasting political compromise in Lebanon has been stalled by opposition from Christian strongman Gen. Michel 'Awn. 'Awn — appointed acting Prime Minister by outgoing president Amin Gemayel in September 1988 — called the national reconciliation accord illegitimate and has refused to recognize the new Lebanese Government. Lebanon continues to be partially occupied by Syrian troops. Syria augmented its troop presence during the weeks following Muawad's assassination. Troops are deployed in West Beirut and its southern suburbs, in Al Biqa", and in northern Lebanon. Iran also maintains a small contingent of revolutionary guards in Al Biqa', from which it supports Lebanese Islamic fundamentalist groups. Israel withdrew the bulk of its forces from the south in 1985, although it still retains troops in a 10-km-deep security zone north of its border with Lebanon. Israel arms and trains the Army of South Lebanon (ASL), which also occupies the security zone and is Israel's first line of defense against attacks on its northern border. The following description is based on the present constitutional and customary practices of the Lebanese system.
Suffrage
compulsory for all males at age 21; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for about one-third of GDP; principal products — citrus fruits, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp (hashish), sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in grain
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $356 million; Western (nonUS) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $509 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $962 million; Communist countries (1970-86), $9 million
Budget
revenues $50 million; expenditures $650 million, including capital expenditures of $N A (1988 est.)
Currency
Lebanese pound (plural — pounds); 1 Lebanese pound (£L) = 100 piasters
Electricity
1,381,000 kW capacity; 3,870 million kWh produced, 1,170 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Lebanese pounds (£L) per US$1— 474.21 (December 1989), 496.69 (1989), 409.23 (1988), 224.60 (1987), 38.37 (1986), 16.42 (1985) Fiscal yean calendar year
Exports
$1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1987); commodities— agricultural products, chemicals, textiles, precious and semiprecious metals and jewelry, metals and metal products; partners — Saudi Arabia 1 6%, Switzerland 8%, Jordan 6%, Kuwait 6%, US 5%
External debt
$935 million (December 1988)
GDP
$2.3 billion, per capita $700; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Illicit drugs
illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; opium poppy production in Al Biqa" is increasing; most hashish production is shipped to Western Europe
Imports
$1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1987); commodities— N A; partners — Italy 14%, France 12%, US 6%, Turkey 5%, Saudi Arabia 3%
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
banking, food processing, textiles, cement, oil refining, chemicals, jewelry, some metal fabricating
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
60% (1989 est.)
Overview
Severe factional infighting in 1989 has been destroying physical property, interrupting the established pattern of economic affairs, and practically ending chances of restoring Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. The ordinary Lebanese citizen struggles to keep afloat in an environment of physical danger, high unemployment, and growing shortages. The central government's ability to collect taxes has suffered greatly from militia control and taxation of local areas. As the civil strife persists, the US dollar has become more and more the medium of exchange. Transportation, communications, and other parts of the infrastructure continue to deteriorate. Family remittances, foreign political money going to the factions, international emergency aid, and a small volume of manufactured exports help prop up the battered economy. Prospects for 1990 are grim, with expected further declines in economic activity and living standards.
Unemployment rate
33% (1987 est.)
Communications
Airports
9 total, 8 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m; none under the direct control of the Lebanese Government
Civil air
15 major transport aircraft
Highways
7,370 km total; 6,270 km paved, 450 km gravel and crushed stone, 650 km improved earth
Merchant marine
67 ships (1,000 CRT or over) totaling 325,361 GRT/494,319 DWT; includes 43 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 2 vehicle carrier, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 container, 7 livestock carrier, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 6 bulk, 1 combination bulk
Pipelines
crude oil, 72 km (none in operation)
Ports
Beirut, Tripoli, Ra's Sil'ata, Jflniyah, Sidon, Az ZahrSnl, Tyre, Shikka (none are under the direct control of the Lebanese Government); northern ports are occupied by Syrian forces and southern ports are occupied or partially quarantined by Israeli forces; illegal ports scattered along the central coast are owned and operated by various Christian, Druze, and Shi'a militias
Railroads
378 km total; 296 km 1.435meter standard gauge, 82 km 1.050-meter gauge; all single track; system almost entirely inoperable
Telecommunications
rebuilding program disrupted; had fair system of radio relay, cable; 325,000 telephones; stations — 5 AM, 3 FM, 1 5 TV; 1 inactive Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station; 3 submarine coaxial cables; radio relay to Jordan and Syria, inoperable