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Communications

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $278 million, 5.5% of GDP (1994)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 889,517 males fit for military service: 553,538 (1996 est.)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 1 note: more than 100 AM and FM stations are operated sporadically by various factions

Radios [time series]

2.37 million (1992 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

telecommunications system severely damaged by civil war; rebuilding still 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 - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

150,000 (1990 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

Televisions [time series]

1.1 million (1993 est.) Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

citrus, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp (hashish); sheep, goats

Budget [time series]

revenues: $1.4 billion expenditures: $3.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Lebanese pound (LL) = 100 piasters

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview [time series]

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. Family remittances, banking services, manufactured and farm exports, and international aid are the main sources of foreign exchange. In the relatively settled year of 1991, industrial production, agricultural output, and exports showed substantial gains. The rebuilding of the war-ravaged country was delayed in 1992 because of an upturn in political wrangling. In October 1992, Rafiq al-HARIRI was appointed prime minister. A billionaire entrepreneur, al-HARIRI, announced ambitious plans for Lebanon's reconstruction, which involve a substantial influx of foreign aid and investment. The economy has posted considerable gains since 1992, with GDP rebounding, inflation falling, and foreign capital inflows jumping. Signs of strain have emerged in recent years, however, as the government budget deficit has risen and grassroots economic dissatisfaction has grown. Meantime, the future fate of Lebanon and its economy is being determined largely by outside forces - in Syria, other Arab nations, Israel, and the West.

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 1,220,000 kW production: 2.5 billion kWh consumption per capita: 676 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

Lebanese pounds (LL) per US$1 - 1,584.0 (March 1996), 1,621.4 (1995), 1,680.1 (1994), 1,741.4 (1993), 1,712.8 (1992), 928.2 (1991)

Exports [time series]

$1 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: agricultural products, chemicals, textiles, precious and semiprecious metals and jewelry, metals and metal products partners: Saudi Arabia 13%, Switzerland 12%, UAE 11%, Syria 9%, US 5%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.2 billion (July 1995)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $18.3 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 13% industry: 28% services: 59% (1995 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP per capita) [time series]

$4,900 (1995 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP real growth rate) [time series]

6.5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

illicit producer of hashish and heroin for the international drug trade; hashish production is shipped to Western Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America; a key locus of cocaine processing and trafficking; a Lebanese/Syrian 1994 eradication campaign practically eliminated the opium crop and caused a 50% decrease in the cannabis crop

Imports [time series]

$7.3 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.) commodities: consumer goods, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products partners: Italy 14%, France 9%, US 8%, Turkey 5%, Saudi Arabia 3%

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

banking, food processing, textiles, cement, oil refining, chemicals, jewelry, some metal fabricating

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

9% (1995 est.)

Labor force [time series]

650,000 by occupation: services 60%, industry 28%, agriculture 12% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

30% (1995 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 10,400 sq km land area: 10,230 sq km comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Connecticut

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

225 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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 natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Geographic coordinates [time series]

33 50 N, 35 50 E

Geography - note (Geographic note) [time series]

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

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in northern, central, and eastern Lebanon since October 1976

Irrigated land [time series]

860 sq km (1990 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 454 km border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 21% permanent crops: 9% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 8% other: 61%

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Middle East

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa' (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal al Makmal 3,087 m

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Biqa', Al Janub, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan

Capital [time series]

Beirut

Constitution [time series]

23 May 1926, amended a number of times

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Riyad TABBARAH chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6300

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Ilyas HARAWI (since 24 November 1989) was elected for a six-year term by the National Assembly and in 1995 the National Assembly amended the constitution to extend his term by three years; note - 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 al-HARIRI (since 22 October 1992) and Deputy Prime Minister Michel al-MURR (since NA) were appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly cabinet: Cabinet was chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the members of the National Assembly; the current Cabinet was formed in 1995

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[1] (202) 939-6324 consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[961] (1) 407112

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

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

International organization participation [time series]

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, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Judicial branch [time series]

four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases)

Legal system [time series]

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 [time series]

unicameral

Country name (Name of country) [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Lebanon conventional short form: Lebanon local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah local short form: none

Legislative branch (National Assembly (Arabic - Majlis Alnuwab French - Assembl) [time series]

elections last held in the summer of 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (128 total, one-half Christian and one-half Muslim) independents 128

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 22 November (1943)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Government type (Type of government) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Richard H. JONES embassy: Antelias, Beirut mailing address: P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut; PSC 815, Box 2, FPO AE 09836-0002 telephone: [961] (1) 402200, 403300, 406650, 406651, 426183, 417774, 889926

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 36% (male 687,631; female 662,100) 15-64 years: 59% (male 1,049,689; female 1,163,255) 65 years and over: 5% (male 98,406; female 115,236) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

27.93 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.35 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

36.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 69.99 years male: 67.49 years female: 72.62 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 92.4% male: 94.7% female: 90.3%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Lebanese (singular and plural) adjective: Lebanese

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population [time series]

3,776,317 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.16% (1996 est.)

Religions [time series]

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 [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female all ages: 0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.24 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 7 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 2 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 (1995 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 7,370 km paved: 6,265 km unpaved: 1,105 km (1990 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 58 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 192,075 GRT/296,256 DWT ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 39, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 1, container 2, livestock carrier 4, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 2 (1995 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 72 km (none in operation)

Ports [time series]

Al Batrun, Al Mina, An Naqurah, Antilyas, Az Zahrani, Beirut, Jubayl, Juniyah, Shikka, Sidon, Tripoli, Tyre

Railways [time series]

total: 222 km standard gauge: 222 km 1.435-m (from Beirut to the Syrian border)