2000 Edition

Background

Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions and regaining its national sovereignty since 1991 and the end of the devastating 16-year civil war. 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 war, the Lebanese have conducted several successful elections, most of the militias have been weakened or disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have extended central government authority over about two-thirds 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. Syria maintains about 25,000 troops in Lebanon based mainly in Beirut, North Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley. Syria's troop deployment was legitimized by the Arab League during Lebanon's civil war and in the Ta'if Accord. Damascus justifies its continued military presence in Lebanon by citing the continued weakness of the LAF, Beirut's requests, and the failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the constitutional reforms in the Ta'if Accord.

Area

land

10,230 sq km

total

10,400 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

highest point

Qurnat as Sawda' 3,088 m

lowest point

Mediterranean Sea 0 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, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands 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

border countries

Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km

total

454 km

Land use

arable land

21%

forests and woodland

8%

other

61% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

9%

permanent pastures

1%

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, arable land

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 28% (male 508,936; female 489,122) 15-64 years: 65% (male 1,115,457; female 1,226,448) 65 years and over: 7% (male 108,706; female 129,367) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

20.26 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

6.42 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%

Infant mortality rate

29.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

73.74 years (2000 est.)

male

68.87 years

total population

71.25 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

82.2% (1997 est.)

male

90.8%

total population

86.4%

Nationality

adjective

Lebanese

noun

Lebanese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

3,578,036 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.38% (2000 est.)

Religions

Muslim 70% (5 legally recognized Islamic groups - Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 30% (11 legally recognized Christian groups - 4 Orthodox Christian, 6 Catholic, 1 Protestant), Jewish 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 (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.08 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

5 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Beyrouth, Ech Chimal, Ej Jnoub, El Bekaa, Jabal Loubnane

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

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

telephone

(4) 543600, 542600, 544133, 544130, 544131

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Dr. Farid ABBOUD

telephone

(202) 939-6300

Executive branch

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

chief of state

President Emile LAHUD (since 24 November 1998)

election results

Emile LAHUD elected president; National Assembly vote - 118 votes in favor, 0 against, 10 abstentions

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

head of government

Prime Minister Salim al-HUSS (since 4 December 1998)

FAX

(202) 939-6324

(4) 544136

consulate(s) general

Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles

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

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)

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)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA (one-half Christian and one-half Muslim)

elections

last held 18 August-15 September 1996 (next to be held NA 2000)

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

Agriculture - products

citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco; sheep, goats

Budget

expenditures

$8.36 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

revenues

$4.9 billion

Currency

1 Lebanese pound = 100 piasters

Debt - external

$8.8 billion (1999 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 small- and 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. Real GDP grew at an average annual rate of less than 3% per year for 1997 and 1998 and only 1% in 1999. 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

9.629 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

608 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

9.7 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

90.72%

hydro

9.28%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Lebanese pounds per US$1 - 1,507.5 (January 2000), 1,507.8 (1999), 1,516.1 (1998), 1,539.5 (1997), 1,571.4 (1996), 1,621.4 (1995)

Exports

$866 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities

foodstuffs and tobacco, textiles, chemicals, metal and metal products, electrical equipment and products, jewelry, paper and paper products

Exports - partners

Saudi Arabia 12%, UAE 10%, France 9%, Syria 7%, US 7%, Kuwait 4%, Jordan, Turkey (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $16.2 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

12%

industry

27%

services

61% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $4,500 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$5.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, textiles, metals, fuels, agricultural foods

Imports - partners

Italy 12%, France 10%, US 9%, Germany 9%, Switzerland 6%, Japan, UK, Syria (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

banking; food processing; jewelry; cement; textiles; mineral and chemical products; wood and furniture products; oil refining; metal fabricating

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.5% (1999 est.)

Labor force

1.3 million (1999 est.)

note

in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

services 62%, industry 31%, agriculture 7% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line

28% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate

18% (1997 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

19 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 20, FM 22, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios

2.85 million (1997)

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 - main lines in use

330,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

120,000 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

28 (1997)

Televisions

1.18 million (1997)

Airports

9 (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

6,200 km

total

7,300 km

unpaved

1,100 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 8, cargo 44, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 1, container 4, livestock carrier 4, roll-on/roll-off 2, vehicle carrier 3 (1999 est.)

total

68 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 346,029 GRT/536,861 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil 72 km (none in operation)

Ports and harbors

Antilyas, Batroun, Beirut, Chekka, El Mina, Ez Zahrani, Jbail, Jounie, Naqoura, Sidon, Tripoli, Tyre

Railways

narrow gauge

82 km (1999)

standard gauge

317 km 1.435-m

total

399 km (mostly unusable because of damage in civil war)

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$500 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

4% (FY98)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 957,729 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 592,264 (2000 est.)

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; some heroin processing mostly in the Bekaa valley; a Lebanese/Syrian eradication campaign started in the early 1990s has practically eliminated the opium and cannabis crops

LESOTHO