2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

6 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Beyrouth, Beqaa, Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban, Nabatiye

Age structure

0-14 years: 27.1% (male 514,447; female 494,166) 15-64 years: 66.1% (male 1,177,773; female 1,286,433) 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 115,693; female 139,191) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

8 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

total

5

under 914 m

1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

3 914 to 1,523 m: 2

under 914 m

1 (2002) Military Lebanon

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

Background

Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions 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. Syria maintains about 16,000 troops in Lebanon, based mainly east of Beirut and in 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 Beirut's requests and the failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the constitutional reforms in the Ta'if Accord. Israel's withdrawal from its security zone in southern Lebanon in May 2000, however, has emboldened some Lebanese Christians and Druze to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well. Geography Lebanon

Birth rate

19.68 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$5.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

revenues

$3.1 billion

Capital

Beirut

Climate

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

Coastline

225 km

Constitution

23 May 1926, amended a number of times, most recently Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989

Country name

conventional long form

Lebanese Republic

conventional short form

Lebanon

local long form

Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah

local short form

Lubnan

Currency

Lebanese pound (LBP)

Currency code

LBP

Death rate

6.32 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$9.3 billion (2002 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Vincent Martin BATTLE

embassy

Awkar, Lebanon

mailing address

P. O. Box 70840, Awkar, Lebanon; PSC 815, Box 2, FPO AE 09836-0002

telephone

011-961-4-543-600/542-600

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Dr. Farid ABBOUD

consulate(s) general

Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles

Disputes - international

Syrian troops in central and eastern Lebanon since October 1976; Lebanese Government claims Shab'a Farms area of Israeli-occupied Golan Heights

Economic aid - recipient

$3.5 billion (pledges 1997-2001) $4.2 billion in pledges November 2002 Paris II Aid Conference

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 enabled the central government to restore control in Beirut, begin collecting taxes, and regain access to key port and government facilities. Economic recovery was 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 provided the main sources of foreign exchange. Lebanon's economy made impressive gains since the launch in 1993 of "Horizon 2000," the government's $20 billion reconstruction program. Real GDP grew 8% in 1994, 7% in 1995, 4% in 1996 and in 1997, but slowed to 1.2% in 1998, -1.6% in 1999, -0.6% in 2000, 0.8% in 2001, and 1.5% in 2002. During the 1990s annual inflation fell to almost 0% from more than 100%. Lebanon has rebuilt much of its war-torn physical and financial infrastructure. The government nonetheless faces serious challenges in the economic arena. It has funded reconstruction by borrowing heavily - mostly from domestic banks. In order to reduce the ballooning national debt, the re-installed HARIRI government began an economic austerity program to rein in government expenditures, increase revenue collection, and privatize state enterprises. The HARIRI government met with international donors at the Paris II conference in November 2002 to seek bilateral assistance restructuring its domestic debt at lower rates of interest. While privatization of state-owned enterprises had not occurred by the end of 2002, the government had successfully avoided a currency devaluation and debt default in 2002.

Electricity - consumption

7.44 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

1.183 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

6.728 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

97.2%

hydro

2.8%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Ethnic groups

Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%

Exchange rates

Lebanese pounds per US dollar - 1,507.5 (2002), 1,507.5 (2001), 1,507.5 (2000), 1,507.84 (1999), 1,516.13 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and members of the National Assembly

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 Rafiq HARIRI (since 23 October 2000); Deputy Prime Minister Issam FARES (since 23 October 2000); note - HARIRI resigned on 15 April 2003, but was reappointed the next day

Exports

$1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

foodstuffs and tobacco, textiles, chemicals, precious stones, metal products, electrical products, jewelry, paper products

Exports - partners

Switzerland 10.8%, Saudi Arabia 9%, UAE 8.6%, US 6.7%, Jordan 4.6%, Turkey 4.3% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 939-6324

011-961-4-544-136

chancery

2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

[1] (202) 939-6320

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Lebanon

Flag description

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

GDP

purchasing power parity - $17.61 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

12%

industry

21%

services

67% (2000)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $4,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

33 50 N, 35 50 E

Geography - note

Nahr el 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 People Lebanon

Government type

republic

Highways

paved

6,198 km

total

7,300 km

unpaved

1,102 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.09% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Illicit drugs

cannabis cultivation dramatically reduced to 2,500 hectares in 2002; opium poppy cultivation minimal; small amounts of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin transit country on way to US and European markets This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Imports

$6 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, electrical products, vehicles, minerals, chemicals, textiles, fuels

Imports - partners

Italy 11.3%, France 10.7%, Germany 8.4%, US 5.6%, Syria 5.4%, China 4.8%, Belgium 4.5%, UK 4.2% (2002)

Independence

22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

23.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

29.22 deaths/1,000 live births

total

26.43 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.5% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Internet country code

.lb

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

22 (2000)

Internet users

300,000 (2001) Transportation Lebanon

Irrigated land

1,200 sq km (1998 est.)

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)

Labor force

1.5 million

note

in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

services NA%, industry NA%, agriculture NA%

Land boundaries

border countries

Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km

total

454 km

Land use

arable land

17.6%

other

69.89% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

12.51%

Languages

Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian

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 - Muslim 57% (of which Sunni 25%, Sh'ite 25%, Druze 6%, Alawite less than 1%), Christian 43% (of which Maronite 23%); seats by party - Muslim 64 (of which Sunni 27, Sh'ite 27, Druze 8, Alawite 2), Christian 64 (of which Maronite 34)

elections

last held 27 August and 3 September 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)

Life expectancy at birth

female

74.61 years (2003 est.)

male

69.64 years

total population

72.07 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

82.2% (2003 est.) Government Lebanon

male

93.1%

total population

87.4%

Location

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

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

27.5 years (2002)

male

25.4 years

total

26.4 years

Merchant marine

convenience

France 1, Greece 10, Netherlands 4, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Spain 1, Syria 2 (2002 est.)

note

includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of

ships by type

bulk 5, cargo 28, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, container 4, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 9, roll on/roll off 4, vehicle carrier 3

total

56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 230,142 GRT/306,442 DWT

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$541 million (2002)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

4.8% (FY99) Transnational Issues Lebanon

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

1,025,984 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

630,657 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 November (1943)

Nationality

adjective

Lebanese

noun

Lebanese (singular and plural)

Natural hazards

dust storms, sandstorms

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

107,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Pipelines

oil 209 km (2003)

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

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

3,727,703 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

28% (1999 est.)

Population growth rate

1.34% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 20, FM 22, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios

2.85 million (1997)

Railways

narrow gauge

82 km 1.050-m

note

rail system is unusable because of damage in civil war (2002)

standard gauge

319 km 1.435-m

total

401 km

Religions

Muslim 70% (including Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 30% (including Orthodox Christian, Catholic, Protestant), Jewish NEGL%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female

Suffrage

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

Telephone system

domestic

primarily microwave radio relay and cable

general assessment

telecommunications system severely damaged by civil war; rebuilding well underway

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

700,000 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular

580,000 (1999)

Television broadcast stations

15 (plus 5 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions

1.18 million (1997)

Terrain

narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains

Total fertility rate

1.98 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

18% (1997 est.)

Waterways

none