2005 Edition

Administrative divisions

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 26.7% (male 520,270/female 499,609) 15-64 years: 66.4% (male 1,216,738/female 1,324,031) 65 years and over: 6.9% (male 120,176/female 145,194) (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

8 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

5 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

3 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) 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 15-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, a radical Shia organization, retains its weapons. During Lebanon's civil war, the Arab League legitimized in the Ta'if Accord Syria's troop deployment, numbering about 16,000 based mainly east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Damascus justified 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 southern Lebanon in May 2000, however, encouraged some Lebanese groups to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well. The passage of UNSCR 1559 in early October 2004 - a resolution calling for Syria to withdraw from Lebanon and end its interference in Lebanese affairs - further emboldened Lebanese groups opposed to Syria's presence in Lebanon. Syria finally withdrew the remainder of its forces from Lebanon in April of 2005. Geography Lebanon

Birth rate

18.88 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$6.642 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

revenues

$4.895 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 (code)

Lebanese pound (LBP)

Currency code

LBP

Current account balance

$-2.389 billion (2004 est.)

Death rate

6.24 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$15.84 billion (2004 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Jeffrey D. FELTMAN

embassy

Awkar, Lebanon

FAX

[961] (4) 544136

mailing address

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

telephone

[961] (4) 542600, 543600

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Dr. Farid ABBOUD

consulate(s) general

Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles

FAX

[1] (202) 939-6324

telephone

[1] (202) 939-6300

Disputes - international

intense international pressure prompts the removal of Syrian troops and intelligence personnel from Lebanon; Lebanese Government claims Shab'a Farms area of Israeli-occupied Golan Heights; the roughly 2,000-strong UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been in place since 1978

Economic aid - recipient

$2.2 billion received (2003), out of the $4.2 billion in soft loans pledged at the 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. In the years since, Lebanon has rebuilt much of its war-torn physical and financial infrastructure by borrowing heavily - mostly from domestic banks. In an attempt to reduce the ballooning national debt, the HARIRI government began an austerity program, reining in government expenditures, increasing revenue collection, and privatizing state enterprises. In November 2002, the government met with international donors at the Paris II conference to seek bilateral assistance in restructuring its massive domestic debt at lower rates of interest. Substantial receipts from donor nations stabilized government finances in 2003, but did little to reduce the debt, which stood at nearly 180% of GDP. In 2004 the HARIRI government issued Eurobonds in an effort to manage maturing debt, and the KARAMI government has continued this practice. However, privatization of state-owned enterprises had not occurred by the end of 2004, as promised during the Paris II conference.

Electricity - consumption

8.591 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

1.09 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

8.066 billion kWh (2002)

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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Ethnic groups

Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%

Exchange rates

Lebanese pounds per US dollar - 1,507.5 (2004), 1,507.5 (2003), 1,507.5 (2002), 1,507.5 (2001), 1,507.5 (2000)

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

for 15 October 1998 election: 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 election date NA); note - on 3 September 2004 the National Assembly voted 96 to 29 to extend Emile LAHUD's six-year term by three years; the prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly; by agreement, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a Shia Muslim

head of government

Prime Minister Fuad SINIORA (since 30 June 2005); Deputy Prime Minister Elias MURR (since April 2005)

Exports

$1.783 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

authentic jewelry, inorganic chemicals, miscellaneous consumer goods, fruit, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper

Exports - partners

Syria 24.9%, UAE 10%, Turkey 6.9%, Switzerland 6.7%, Saudi Arabia 5.3% (2004)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Lebanon

Flag description

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

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

12%

industry

21%

services

67% (2000)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4% (2004 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$18.83 billion (2004 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

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

2,800 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 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 European markets and for Middle Eastern consumption This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005 ======================================================================

Imports

$8.162 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco

Imports - partners

Italy 11.2%, France 10.3%, Syria 9.8%, Germany 8.6%, China 5.8%, US 5.5%, UK 4.6% (2004)

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

21.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

male

27.19 deaths/1,000 live births

total

24.52 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (2004 est.)

International organization participation

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

Internet country code

.lb

Internet hosts

6,998 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

22 (2000)

Internet users

400,000 (2002) Transportation Lebanon

Investment (gross fixed)

26% of GDP (2004 est.)

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

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

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA

Land boundaries

border countries

Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km

total

454 km

Land use

arable land

16.62%

other

69.4% (2001)

permanent crops

13.98%

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 group - NA; seats by group - Future Movement Bloc 36; Democratic Gathering 15; Development and Resistance Bloc 15; Loyalty to the Resistance 14; Free Patriotic Movement 14; Lebanese Forces 6; Qornet Shewan 5; Popular Bloc 4; Tripoli Independent Bloc 3; Syrian National Socialist Party 2; Kataeb Reform Movement 2; Tachnaq Party 2; Democratic Renewal Movement 1; Democratic Left 1; Nasserite Popular Movement 1; Ba'th Party 1; Kataeb Party 1; independent 5

elections

last held in four rounds on 29 May, 5, 12, 19 June 2005 (next to be held 2009)

Life expectancy at birth

female

75.21 years (2005 est.)

male

70.17 years

total population

72.63 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

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 974,363 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 821,762 (2005 est.)

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

28.43 years (2005 est.)

male

26.28 years

total

27.34 years

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 4, cargo 26, livestock carrier 8, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 2, vehicle carrier 3

foreign-owned

6 (Austria 1, Greece 5)

registered in other countries

40 (2005)

total

44 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 198,602 GRT/248,313 DWT

Military branches

Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF)

Army, Navy, and Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$540.6 million (2002) (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

3.1% (FY99) (2004) Transnational Issues Lebanon

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)

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 (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

107,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Pipelines

oil 209 km (2004)

Political parties and leaders

Ba'th Party [leader NA]; Democratic Gathering [Walid JUNBLATT]; Democratic Left [leader NA]; Development and Resistance Bloc [Nabih BARRI, Amal leader/speaker]; Free Patriotic Movement [Michel AWN]; Future Movement Bloc [Sa'ad HARIRI]; Kataeb Party [leader NA]; Kataeb Reform Movement [leader NA]; Lebanese Forces [leader NA]; Loyalty to the Resistance [Mohammad RA'AD]; Nasserite Popular Movement [leader NA]; Popular Bloc [leader NA]; Qornet Shewan [leader NA]; Syrian National Socialist Party [leader NA]; Tripoli Independent Bloc [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

3,826,018 (July 2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

28% (1999 est.)

Population growth rate

1.26% (2005 est.)

Ports and harbors

Beirut, Chekka, Jounie, Tripoli

Public debt

177.9% of GDP (2004 est.)

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 became unusable because of damage during the civil war in the 1980s; short sections are operable (2004)

standard gauge

319 km 1.435-m

total

401 km

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

300,000 (1975-90 civil war, Israeli invasions) (2004)

refugees (country of origin)

394,532 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA))

Religions

Muslim 59.7% (Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant), other 1.3% note: seventeen religious sects recognized

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$16.3 billion (2004 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female 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

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

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

country code - 961; 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

678,800 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

775,100 (2002)

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

1.92 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

18% (1997 est.)