1996 Edition

Description

three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the white band

Location

33 50 N, 35 50 E -- Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria Flag ----

Area

comparative area

about 0.8 times the size of Connecticut

land area

10,230 sq km

total area

10,400 sq km

Climate

Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows

Coastline

225 km

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

international agreements

party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

natural hazards

dust storms, sandstorms

Geographic coordinates

33 50 N, 35 50 E

Geographic note

Nahr al 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

International disputes

Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in northern, central, and eastern Lebanon since October 1976

Irrigated land

860 sq km (1990 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km

total

454 km

Land use

arable land

21%

forest and woodland

8%

meadows and pastures

1%

other

61%

permanent crops

9%

Location

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region

Terrain

narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa' (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains

highest point

Jabal al Makmal 3,087 m

lowest point

Mediterranean Sea 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 36% (male 687,631; female 662,100) 15-64 years: 59% (male 1,049,689; female 1,163,255) 65 years and over: 5% (male 98,406; female 115,236) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

27.93 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

6.35 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%

Infant mortality rate

36.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Arabic (official), French (official), Armenian, English

Life expectancy at birth

female

72.62 years (1996 est.)

male

67.49 years

total population

69.99 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

90.3%

male

94.7%

total population

92.4%

Nationality

adjective

Lebanese

noun

Lebanese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

3,776,317 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.16% (1996 est.)

Religions

Islam 70% (5 legally recognized Islamic groups - Alawite or Nusayri, Druze, Isma'ilite, Shi'a, Sunni), Christian 30% (11 legally recognized Christian groups - 4 Orthodox Christian, 6 Catholic, 1 Protestant), Judaism NEGL%

Sex ratio

all ages

0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

3.24 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Biqa', Al Janub, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan

Capital

Beirut

Constitution

23 May 1926, amended a number of times

Data code

LE

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Riyad TABBARAH

telephone

[1] (202) 939-6300

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet was chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the members of the National Assembly; the current Cabinet was formed in 1995

chief of state

President Ilyas HARAWI (since 24 November 1989) was elected for a six-year term by the National Assembly and in 1995 the National Assembly amended the constitution to extend his term by three years; note - 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

head of government

Prime Minister Rafiq al-HARIRI (since 22 October 1992) and Deputy Prime Minister Michel al-MURR (since NA) were appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly

FAX

[1] (202) 939-6324

[961] (1) 407112

consulate(s) general

Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles

Flag

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)

International organization participation

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, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Judicial branch

four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases)

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

Name of country

conventional long form

Republic of Lebanon

conventional short form

Lebanon

local long form

Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah

local short form

none

National Assembly (Arabic - Majlis Alnuwab French - Assembl

elections last held in the summer of 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (128 total, one-half Christian and one-half Muslim) independents 128

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 November (1943)

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

Suffrage

21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Richard H. JONES

embassy

Antelias, Beirut

mailing address

P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut; PSC 815, Box 2, FPO AE 09836-0002

telephone

[961] (1) 402200, 403300, 406650, 406651, 426183, 417774, 889926

Agriculture

citrus, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp (hashish); sheep, goats

Budget

expenditures

$3.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

revenues

$1.4 billion

Currency

1 Lebanese pound (LL) = 100 piasters

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic overview

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 has enabled the central government to restore control in Beirut, begin collecting taxes, and regain access to key port and government facilities. Economic recovery has been 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 are the main sources of foreign exchange. In the relatively settled year of 1991, industrial production, agricultural output, and exports showed substantial gains. The rebuilding of the war-ravaged country was delayed in 1992 because of an upturn in political wrangling. In October 1992, Rafiq al-HARIRI was appointed prime minister. A billionaire entrepreneur, al-HARIRI, announced ambitious plans for Lebanon's reconstruction, which involve a substantial influx of foreign aid and investment. The economy has posted considerable gains since 1992, with GDP rebounding, inflation falling, and foreign capital inflows jumping. Signs of strain have emerged in recent years, however, as the government budget deficit has risen and grassroots economic dissatisfaction has grown. Meantime, the future fate of Lebanon and its economy is being determined largely by outside forces - in Syria, other Arab nations, Israel, and the West.

Electricity

capacity

1,220,000 kW

consumption per capita

676 kWh (1993)

production

2.5 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Lebanese pounds (LL) per US$1 - 1,584.0 (March 1996), 1,621.4 (1995), 1,680.1 (1994), 1,741.4 (1993), 1,712.8 (1992), 928.2 (1991)

Exports

$1 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities

agricultural products, chemicals, textiles, precious and semiprecious metals and jewelry, metals and metal products

partners

Saudi Arabia 13%, Switzerland 12%, UAE 11%, Syria 9%, US 5%

External debt

$1.2 billion (July 1995)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $18.3 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

13%

industry

28%

services

59% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita

$4,900 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

6.5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of hashish and heroin for the international drug trade; hashish production is shipped to Western Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America; a key locus of cocaine processing and trafficking; a Lebanese/Syrian 1994 eradication campaign practically eliminated the opium crop and caused a 50% decrease in the cannabis crop

Imports

$7.3 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)

commodities

consumer goods, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products

partners

Italy 14%, France 9%, US 8%, 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)

9% (1995 est.)

Labor force

650,000

by occupation

services 60%, industry 28%, agriculture 12% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate

30% (1995 est.)

Branches

Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; includes Army, Navy, and Air Force)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $278 million, 5.5% of GDP (1994)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

889,517

males fit for military service

553,538 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 1

note

more than 100 AM and FM stations are operated sporadically by various factions

Radios

2.37 million (1992 est.)

Telephone system

telecommunications system severely damaged by civil war; rebuilding still 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

Telephones

150,000 (1990 est.)

Television broadcast stations

13

Televisions

1.1 million (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

total

7

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

1

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

2

with paved runways over 3 047 m

1

with paved runways under 914 m

2

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

1 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

6,265 km

total

7,370 km

unpaved

1,105 km (1990 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 4, cargo 39, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 1, container 2, livestock carrier 4, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 2 (1995 est.)

total

58 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 192,075 GRT/296,256 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil 72 km (none in operation)

Ports

Al Batrun, Al Mina, An Naqurah, Antilyas, Az Zahrani, Beirut, Jubayl, Juniyah, Shikka, Sidon, Tripoli, Tyre

Railways

standard gauge

222 km 1.435-m (from Beirut to the Syrian border)

total

222 km