Lebanon
Introduction Lebanon
--------------------
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 20,000 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 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 of 2000, however, has emboldened
some Lebanese Christians and Druze
to demand that Syria withdraw its
forces as well.
Geography Lebanon
-----------------
Location: Middle East, bordering the
Mediterranean Sea, between Israel
and Syria
Geographic coordinates: 33 50 N, 35 50 E
Map references: Middle East
Area: total: 10,400 sq km
water: 170 sq km
land: 10,230 sq km
Area - comparative: about 0.7 times the size of
Connecticut
Land boundaries: total: 454 km
border countries: Israel 79 km,
Syria 375 km
Coastline: 225 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet
winters with hot, dry summers;
Lebanon mountains experience heavy
winter snows
Terrain: narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa
(Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and
Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Qurnat as Sawda'
3,088 m
Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt, water-
surplus state in a water-deficit
region, arable land
Land use: arable land: 17.6%
permanent crops: 12.51%
other: 69.89% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,200 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms
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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: 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
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
--------------
Population: 3,677,780 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.3% (male 511,902;
female 491,804)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 1,157,688;
female 1,267,106)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male
113,341; female 135,939) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.36% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 19.96 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 6.35 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002
est.)
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: 0.83 male(s)/
female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 27.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.79 years
female: 74.32 years (2002 est.)
male: 69.38 years
Total fertility rate: 2.02 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.09% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Lebanese
Ethnic groups: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
Religions: Muslim 70% (including Shi'a, Sunni,
Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or
Nusayri), Christian 30% (including
Orthodox Christian, Catholic,
Protestant), Jewish NEGL%
Languages: Arabic (official), French, English,
Armenian
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 86.4%
male: 90.8%
female: 82.2% (1997 est.)
Government Lebanon
------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Lebanese
Republic
conventional short form: Lebanon
local short form: Lubnan
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al
Lubnaniyah
Government type: republic
Capital: Beirut
Administrative divisions: 6 governorates (mohafazat, singular
- mohafazah); Beyrouth, Beqaa,
Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban,
Nabatiye
Independence: 22 November 1943 (from League of
Nations mandate under French
administration)
National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
Constitution: 23 May 1926, amended a number of
times, most recently Charter of
Lebanese National Reconciliation
(Ta'if Accord) of October 1989
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
Suffrage: 21 years of age; compulsory for all
males; authorized for women at age
21 with elementary education
Executive branch: chief of state: President Emile
LAHUD (since 24 November 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister
Rafiq HARIRI (since 23 October
2000); Deputy Prime Minister Issam
FARES (since 23 October 2000)
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime
minister in consultation with the
president and members of the
National Assembly
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
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 27 August and 3
September 2000 (next to be held NA
2004)
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)
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
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC,
participation: 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, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dr.
Farid ABBOUD
consulate(s) general: Detroit, New
York, and Los Angeles
FAX: [1] (202) 939-6324
telephone: [1] (202) 939-6320
chancery: 2560 28th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Vincent
US: Martin BATTLE (since 11 Sep. 2001)
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
FAX: 011-961-4-544-136
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
Economy Lebanon
---------------
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 2% in
1998, -1% in 1999, and -0.5% in
2000. Growth recovered slightly in
2001 to 1%. 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. The re-installed
HARIRI government has failed to rein
in the ballooning national debt.
Without large-scale international
aid and rapid privatization of
state-owned enterprises, markets may
force a currency devaluation and
debt default in 2002.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $18.8
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,200
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12%
industry: 21%
services: 67% (2000)
Population below poverty line: 28% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.5% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 1.5 million (2001 est.)
note: in addition, there are as many
as 1 million foreign workers (1999
est.)
Labor force - by occupation: services NA%, industry NA%,
agriculture NA%
Unemployment rate: 18% (1997 est.)
Budget: revenues: $4.6 billion
expenditures: $8.9 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2001 est.)
Industries: banking; food processing; jewelry;
cement; textiles; mineral and
chemical products; wood and
furniture products; oil refining;
metal fabricating
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 7.95 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 96.86%
hydro: 3.14%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 8.643 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 1.25 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples,
vegetables, potatoes, olives,
tobacco; sheep, goats
Exports: $700 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: foodstuffs and tobacco, textiles,
chemicals, precious stones, metal
and metal products, electrical
equipment and products, jewelry,
paper and paper products
Exports - partners: Saudi Arabia 11%, UAE 11%,
Switzerland 7%, US 7%, France 5%,
Iraq 4%, Jordan 4%, Kuwait 4%, Syria
4% (2000)
Imports: $6.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and transport
equipment, consumer goods,
chemicals, textiles, metals, fuels,
agricultural foods
Imports - partners: Italy 11%, France 8%, Germany 8%, US
7%, Switzerland 6%, China 5%, Syria
5%, UK 4% (2000)
Debt - external: $8.4 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $3.5 billion (pledges 1997-2001)
Currency: Lebanese pound (LBP)
Currency code: LBP
Exchange rates: Lebanese pounds per US dollar -
1,507.5 (January 2002), 1,507.5
(2001), 1,507.5 (2000), 1,507.8
(1999), 1,516.1 (1998), 1,539.5
(1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Lebanon
----------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 700,000 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 580,000 (1999)
Telephone system: general assessment:
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
Radio broadcast stations: AM 20, FM 22, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios: 2.85 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 15 (plus 5 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 1.18 million (1997)
Internet country code: .lb
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 22 (2000)
Internet users: 300,000 (2001)
Transportation Lebanon
----------------------
Railways: total: 399 km
standard gauge: 317 km 1.435-m
note: entire system is unusable
because of damage in civil war
(2001)
narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050-m
Highways: total: 7,300 km
paved: 6,350 km
unpaved: 950 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: none
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
Merchant marine: total: 67 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 320,770 GRT/468,293 DWT
ships by type: bulk 8, cargo 38,
chemical tanker 1, combination bulk
1, container 4, liquefied gas 1,
livestock carrier 7, refrigerated
cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle
carrier 3
note: includes some foreign-owned
ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: France 1, Greece 10,
Netherlands 4, Panama 1, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Spain
1, Syria 2 (2002 est.)
Airports: 8 (2001)
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 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Military Lebanon
----------------
Military branches: Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; includes
Army, Navy, and Air Force)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,003,174 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 618,129 (2002 est.)
service:
Military expenditures - dollar $343 million (FY99/00)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 4.8% (FY99/00)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Lebanon
----------------------------
Disputes - international: Syrian troops in northern, central,
and eastern Lebanon since October
1976; Lebanese Government claims
Shab'a Farms area of Israeli-
occupied Golan Heights
Illicit drugs: Hashish production increased as
farmers resumed cannabis cultivation
for the first time since a Lebanese/
Syrian eradication campaign
practically eliminated the opium and
cannabis crops in the early 1990s
|