Statistical information Lebanon 1994
Lebanon in the World
top of pageBackground: Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions and regaining its national sovereignty since the end of the devastating 16-year civil war which began in 1975. 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. Since December 1990, the Lebanese have formed four cabinets and conducted the first legislative election in 20 years. Most of the militias have been weakened or disbanded. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has seized vast quantities of weapons used by the militias during the war and extended central government authority over about one-half of the country. Hizballah, the radical Shi'a party, retains most of its weapons. Foreign forces still occupy areas of Lebanon. Israel maintains troops in southern Lebanon and continues to support a proxy militia, The Army of South Lebanon (ASL), along a narrow stretch of territory contiguous to its border. The ASL's enclave encompasses this self-declared security zone and about 20 kilometers north to the strategic town of Jazzin. Syria maintains about 30,000 troops in Lebanon. These troops are based mainly in Beirut, North Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley. Syria's deployment was legitimized by the Arab League early in Lebanon's civil war and in the Ta'if accord. Citing the continued weakness of the LAF, Beirut's requests, and failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the constitutional reforms in the Ta'if accord, Damascus has so far refused to withdraw its troops from Beirut.
top of pageLocation: Middle East, in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the WorldAreaTotal area total: 10,400 km²
Land: 10,230 km²
Land boundaries: total 454 km, 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; Al Biqa' (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
ElevationNatural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region
Land useArable land: 21%
Permanent crops: 9%
Meadows and pastures: 1%
Forest and woodland: 8%
Other: 61%
Irrigated land: 860 km² (1989 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: NA
GeographyNote: 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
top of pagePopulation: 3,620,395 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 1.98% (1994 est.)
Nationality: noun:Lebanese (singular and plural)
Ethnic groups: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
Languages: Arabic (official), French (official), Armenian, English
Religions: 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%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.98% (1994 est.)
Birth rate: 27.89 births/1000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate: 6.55 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.52 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air and water pollution
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 39.5 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 69.35 years
Male: 66.92 years
Female: 71.9 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.39 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 80%
Male: 88%
Female: 73%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Lebanon
Conventional short form:local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
local short form; none
Government type: republic
Capital: Beirut
Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah; Al Biqa, 'Al Janub, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan
Dependent areasIndependence: 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
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
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education
Executive branchChief of state: President Ilyas HARAWI (since 24 November 1989); 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 HARIRI (since 22 October 1992)
Legislative branch: Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; including Army, Navy, and Air Force)
National Assembly: (Arabic - Majlis Alnuwab, French - Assemblee Nationale) Lebanon's first legislative election in 20 years was held in the summer of 1992; the National Assembly is composed of 128 deputies, one-half Christian and one-half Muslim; its mandate expires in 1996
Judicial branch: four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases)
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representationFrom the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mark HAMBLEY
From the us chancery: 2,560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us telephone: (202) 939-6,300
From the us fax: (202) 939-6,324
From the us consulates general: Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles
From the us mailing embassy: Antelias, Beirut
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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Since 1975 civil war has 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. Following October 1990, however, a tentative peace has enabled the central government to begin restoring control in Beirut, collect taxes, and regain access to key port and government facilities. The battered economy has also been propped up by a financially sound banking system and resilient small- and medium-scale manufacturers. Family remittances, banking transactions, manufactured and farm exports, the narcotics trade, and international emergency 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 further rebuilding of the war-ravaged country was delayed in 1992 because of an upturn in political wrangling. In October 1992, Rafiq HARIRI was appointed Prime Minister. HARIRI, a wealthy entrepreneur, has announced ambitious plans for Lebanon's reconstruction which involve a substantial influx of foreign aid and investment. Progress on restoring basic services is limited. Since Prime Minister HARIRI's appointment, the most significant improvement lies in the stabilization of the Lebanese pound, which had gained over 30% in value by yearend 1993. The year 1993 was marked by efforts of the new administration to encourage domestic and foreign investment and to obtain additional international assistance.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 4.2% (1992)
Real gdp per capita pppGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for about one-third of GDP; principal products - citrus fruits, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp (hashish), sheep, goats; not self-sufficient in grain
Industries: banking, food processing, textiles, cement, oil refining, chemicals, jewelry, some metal fabricating
Industrial production growth rate: 25% (1993 est.)
Labor force: 650,000
By occupation industry commerce and services: 79%
By occupation agriculture: 11%
By occupation government: 10% (1985)
Unemployment rate: 35% (1993 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues:$990 million
Public debtTaxes and other revenuesRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Current account balanceInflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $925 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodities: agricultural products, chemicals, textiles, precious and semiprecious metals and jewelry, metals and metal products
Partners: Saudi Arabia 21%, Switzerland 9.5%, Jordan 6%, Kuwait 12%, US 5%
Imports: $4.1 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
Commodities: Consumer goods, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products
Partners: Italy 14%, France 12%, US 6%, Turkey 5%, Saudi Arabia 3%
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $700 million (1993 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Lebanese pounds (#L) per US$1 - 1,713.00 (December 1993), 2,200.00 (1992), 928.23 (1991), 695.09 (1990), 496.69 (1989)
top of pageElectricity accessElectricity production: 3.413 billion kWh
Electricity consumptionPer capita: 990 kWh (1992)
Electricity exportsElectricity importsElectricity installed generating capacityElectricity transmission distribution lossesElectricity generation sourcesPetroleumRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones fixed linesTelephones mobile cellularTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternet country codeInternet usersBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: exchange rate conversion - $271 million, 8.2% of GDP (1992 budget)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 9
Usable: 7
With permanentsurface runways: 5
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 3
With runways 1220-2439 m: 1
Airports with paved runwaysAirports with unpaved runwaysHeliportsPipelines: crude oil 72 km (none in operation)
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marine: 63 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 268,268 GRT/399,054 DWT, bulk 4, cargo 39, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, container 2, livestock carrier 9, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 2, combination ore/oil 1
Ports and terminalsLebanon - Transnational issues 1994
top of pageDisputes international: separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in northern, central, and eastern Lebanon since October 1976
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: 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; increasingly a key locus of cocaine processing and trafficking