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Communications

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 1 note: government is licensing a limited number of the more than 100 AM and FM stations operated sporadically by various factions that sprang up during the civil war

Radios [time series]

2.37 million (1992 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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 - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

150,000 (1990 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

13 note: government is licensing a limited number of TV stations operated by various factions

Televisions [time series]

1.1 million (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $1.9 billion expenditures: $3.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $1 billion (1995 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Lebanese pound (£L) = 100 piasters

Debt - external [time series]

$3 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: aid pledges of $3.5 billion for 1997-2001

Economic overview (Economy - 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, 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 Prime Minister HARIRI launched his $18 billion "Horizon 2000" 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. During 1992-96, annual inflation fell from more than 170% to 10%, and foreign exchange reserves jumped to more than $4 billion from $1.4 billion. Burgeoning capital inflows have fueled 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. The government has had to fund reconstruction by tapping foreign exchange reserves and boosting borrowing. The stalled peace process and ongoing violence in southern Lebanon could spawn wider hostilities that would disrupt vital capital inflows. Furthermore, the gap between rich and poor has widened since HARIRI took office, sowing grassroots dissatisfaction over the skewed distribution of reconstruction's benefits and leading the government to shift its focus from rebuilding infrastructure to improving social conditions.

Electricity - capacity [time series]

1.22 million kW (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita [time series]

1,285 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

4.75 billion kWh (1994)

Exchange rates [time series]

Lebanese pounds (£L) per US$1 - 1,550.8 (January 1997), 1,571.4 (1996), 1,621.4 (1995), 1,680.1 (1994), 1,741.4 (1993), 1,712.8 (1992)

Exports [time series]

total value : $1 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: paper and paper products 26%, food stuffs 16%, textiles and textile products 10%, jewelry 8%, metals and metal products 8%, electrical equipment and products 8%, chemical products 6%, transport vehicles 4% (1995) partners: Saudi Arabia 13%, Switzerland 12%, UAE 11%, Syria 9%, US 5%, Jordan 5% (1995)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $13 billion (1996 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]

purchasing power parity - $3,400 (1996 est.)

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

3.5% (1996 est.)

Imports [time series]

total value: $7 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities : machinery and transport equipment 28%, foodstuffs 20%, consumer goods 19%, chemicals 9%, textiles 5%, metals 5%, fuels 3% (1995) partners: Italy 19%, France 13%, US 12%, Germany 11%, UK 6%, Belgium 5%, Turkey 3% (1995)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

banking; food processing; textiles, jewelry; cement, oil refining, chemicals, metal fabricating, wood products

Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate - consumer price index) [time series]

10% (1996 est.)

Labor force [time series]

total: 1 million plus as many as 1 million foreign workers by occupation: services 60%, industry 28%, agriculture 12% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

20% (1996 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 10,400 sq km land: 10,230 sq km water : 170 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

about 0.7 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

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point : Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal al Makmal 3,087 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Geographic coordinates [time series]

33 50 N, 35 50 E

Geography - 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

Irrigated land [time series]

860 sq km (1993 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% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 8% other: 61% (1993 est.)

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 hazards [time series]

dust storms, sandstorms

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Constitution [time series]

23 May 1926, amended a number of times

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Lebanese Republic conventional short form: Lebanon local long form : Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah local short form: Lubnan

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission : Ambassador Richard Henry 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

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission : Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Victor EL-ZMETER 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) head of government : Prime Minister Rafiq al-HARIRI (since 22 October 1992) cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the members of the National Assembly; the current Cabinet was formed in 1996 elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year term; election last held 24 November 1989 (next to be held NA 1998); note - in 1995, the National Assembly amended the Constituition to extend the president's term by three years; 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: Ilyas HARAWI elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA

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 (Flag description) [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

Government type [time series]

republic

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, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), 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 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 in the summer of 1996 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA (one-half Christian and one-half Muslim)

Capital (National capital) [time series]

Beirut

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

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$278 million (1994)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

5.5% (1994)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49 : 876,677 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males: 543,861 (1997 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 30% (male 531,171; female 511,522) 15-64 years: 64% (male 1,036,728; female 1,150,847) 65 years and over: 6% (male 100,682; female 118,628) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

22.74 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.56 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

32.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population : 70.35 years male: 67.82 years female : 73 years (1997 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Lebanese (singular and plural) adjective: Lebanese

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population [time series]

3,449,578 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.62% (1997 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 total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.32 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

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

Illicit drugs [time series]

small 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 eradication campaign started in the early 1990s has practically eliminated the opium and cannabis crops LESOTHO

Transportation

Airports [time series]

7 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 6 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m : 1 under 914 m: 2 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 6,359 km paved: 6,041 km unpaved: 318 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 64 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 241,583 GRT/366,093 DWT ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 43, chemical tanker 1, combination ore/oil 1, container 2, livestock carrier 5, oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 3 (1996 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 72 km (none in operation)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [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)