1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Introduction
Background
Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions and regaining its national sovereignty since the end of the devastating 16-year civil war, which ended in 1991. 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 civil war, the Lebanese have formed six cabinets, conducted two legislative elections, and held their first municipal elections in 35 years. Most of the militias have been weakened or disbanded. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has seized vast quantities of weapons used by the militias during the war and extended central government authority over about one-half of the country. Hizballah, the radical Shi'a party, retains its weapons. Foreign forces still occupy areas of Lebanon. Israel maintains troops in southern Lebanon and continues to support a proxy militia, the Army of South Lebanon (ASL), along a narrow stretch of territory contiguous to its border. The ASL's enclave encompasses this self-declared security zone and about 20 kilometers north to the strategic town of Jazzin. Syria maintains about 25,000 troops in Lebanon based mainly in Beirut, North Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley. Syria's deployment was legitimized by the Arab League during Lebanon's civil war and in the Ta'if Accord. Citing the continued weakness of the LAF, Beirut's requests, and failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the constitutional reforms in the Ta'if Accord, Damascus has so far refused to withdraw its troops from Lebanon.
Geography
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
Climate
Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows
Coastline
225 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal al Makmal 3,087 m
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, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
Geographic coordinates
33 50 N, 35 50 E
Geography--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
Irrigated land
860 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 454 km border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
Land use
arable land: 21% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 8% other: 61% (1993 est.)
Location
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria
Map references
Middle East
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards
dust storms, sandstorms
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
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 30% (male 535,596; female 515,776) 15-64 years: 64% (male 1,084,121; female 1,196,678) 65 years and over: 6% (male 105,133; female 125,395) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
22.5 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
6.45 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
Infant mortality rate
30.53 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian widely understood
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 70.93 years male: 68.34 years female: 73.66 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 86.4% male: 90.8% female: 82.2% (1997 est.)
Nationality
noun: Lebanese (singular and plural) adjective: Lebanese
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
3,562,699 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
1.61% (1999 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
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: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.25 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
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
Country name
conventional long form: Lebanese Republic conventional short form: Lebanon local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah local short form: Lubnan
Data code
LE
Executive branch
chief of state: President Emile LAHUD (since 24 November 1998) head of government: Prime Minister Salim al-HUSS (since 4 December 1998) cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and members of the National Assembly; the current Cabinet was formed in 1998 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
Flag description
three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the white band
Government type
republic
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, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Farid ABBOUD chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador David SATTERFIELD embassy: Antelias, Beirut mailing address: P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut; PSC 815, Box 2, FPO AE 09836-0002
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: 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
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 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 the summer of 1996 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--NA (one-half Christian and one-half Muslim)
National holiday
Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
Suffrage
21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education
Economy
Agriculture--products
citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp (hashish); sheep, goats
Budget
revenues: $4.9 billion expenditures: $7.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Currency
1 Lebanese pound (LL) = 100 piasters
Debt--external
$3 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid--recipient
$3.5 billion (pledges 1997-2001)
Economy--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 smalland medium-scale manufacturers, with family remittances, banking services, manufactured and farm exports, and international aid as the main sources of foreign exchange. Lebanon's economy has made impressive gains since the launch of "Horizon 2000," the government's $20 billion reconstruction program in 1993. Real GDP grew 8% in 1994 and 7% in 1995 before Israel's Operation Grapes of Wrath in April 1996 stunted economic activity. During 1992-98, annual inflation fell from more than 100% to 5%, and foreign exchange reserves jumped to more than $6 billion from $1.4 billion. Burgeoning capital inflows have generated foreign payments surpluses, and the Lebanese pound has remained relatively stable. Progress also has been made in rebuilding Lebanon's war-torn physical and financial infrastructure. Solidere, a $2-billion firm, is managing the reconstruction of Beirut's central business district; the stock market reopened in January 1996; and international banks and insurance companies are returning. The government nonetheless faces serious challenges in the economic arena. It has had to fund reconstruction by tapping foreign exchange reserves and boosting borrowing. Reducing the government budget deficit is a major goal of the LAHUD government. The stalled peace process and ongoing violence in southern Lebanon could lead to wider hostilities that would disrupt vital capital inflows. Furthermore, the gap between rich and poor has widened in the 1990's, resulting in grassroots dissatisfaction over the skewed distribution of the reconstruction's benefits and leading the government to shift its focus from rebuilding infrastructure to improving living conditions.
Electricity--consumption
6.01 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
310 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
8.4 billion kWh (1997 est.)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 87.72% hydro: 12.28% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Lebanese pounds (LL) per US$1--1,508.0 (January 1999), 1,516.1 (1998), 1,539.5 (1997), 1,571.4 (1996), 1,621.4 (1995), 1,680.1 (1994)
Exports
$711 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports--commodities
foodstuffs and tobacco 20%, textiles 12%, chemicals 11%, metal and metal products 11%, electrical equipment and products 10%, jewelry 10%, paper and paper products 8% (1997)
Exports--partners
Saudi Arabia 14%, UAE 9%, France 7%, Syria 6%, US 6%, Kuwait 4%, Jordan 4%, Turkey 4%
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$15.8 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 4% industry: 23% services: 73% (1997 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$4,500 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
3% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$7.5 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
Imports--commodities
foodstuffs 29%, machinery and transport equipment 28%, consumer goods 18%, chemicals 9%, textiles 5%, metals 5%, fuels 3%, agricultural foods 3% (1997)
Imports--partners
Italy 13%, US 9%, France 9%, Germany 8%, Switzerland 7%, Japan 4%, UK 4%, Syria 4% (1997)
Industrial production growth rate
25% (1993 est.)
Industries
banking; food processing; jewelry; cement; textiles; mineral and chemical products; wood and furniture products; oil refining; metal fabricating
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5% (1998 est.)
Labor force
1 million note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers (1996 est.)
Labor force--by occupation
services 62%, industry 31%, agriculture 7% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
18% (1997 est.)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 1 note: government is licensing a limited number of the more than 100 AM and FM stations operated sporadically by various factions that sprang up during the civil war
Radios
2.37 million (1992 est.)
Telephone system
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
Telephones
150,000 (1990 est.)
Television broadcast stations
28 (1997)
Televisions
1.1 million (1993 est.)
Transportation
Airports
9 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 6,270 km paved: 6,270 km unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 64 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 267,562 GRT/403,252 DWT ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 41, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 1, container 3, livestock carrier 6, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, vehicle carrier 3 (1998 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 72 km (none in operation) Ports and harbors: Al Batrun, Al Mina', An Naqurah, Antilyas, Az Zahrani, Beirut, Jubayl, Juniyah, Shikka, Sidon, Tripoli, Tyre
Railways
total: 222 km standard gauge: 222 km 1.435-m (from Beirut to the Syrian border)
Military and Security
Military branches
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; includes Army, Navy, and Air Force)
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$445 million (1997)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
5% (1997)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 925,834 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 573,093 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in northern, central, and eastern Lebanon since October 1976
Illicit drugs
inconsequential producer of hashish and heroin; some heroine and cocaine processing mostly in the Bekaa valley; a Lebanese/Syrian eradication campaign started in the early 1990s has practically eliminated the opium and cannabis crops