Statistical information Lebanon 1998

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 while institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the end of the civil war, the Lebanese have formed five cabinets and conducted two legislative elections. 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 25,000 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 during 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 Lebanon.
top of pageLocation: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria
Geographic coordinates: 33 50 N, 35 50 E
Map reference:
Middle EastAreaTotal: 10,400 km²
Land: 10,230 km²
Water: 170 km²
Comparative: about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
Land boundariesTotal: 454 km
Border countries: (2) Israel 79 km;
, Syria 375 kmCoastline: 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
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Jabal al Makmal 3,087 m
Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region
Land useArable land: 21%
Permanent crops: 9%
Permanent pastures: 1%
Forests and woodland: 8%
Other: 61% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 860 km² (1993 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms
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: 3,505,794 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 1.62% (1998 est.)
NationalityNoun: Lebanese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Lebanese
Ethnic groups: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
Languages: Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian widely understood
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 structure0-14 years: 30% (male 532,688; female 512,979)
15-64 years: 64% (male 1,060,903; female 1,174,236)
65 years and over: 6% (male 102,946; female 122,042) (July 1998 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.62% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 22.66 births/1000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 6.51 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent 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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt 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: 0.84 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 31.64 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 70.64 years
Male: 68.08 years
Female: 73.33 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.28 children born/woman (1998 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 expendituresLiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 86.4%
Male: 90.8%
Female: 82.2% (1997 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Lebanese Republic
Conventional short form: Lebanon
Local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
Local short form: Lubnan
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): ead 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 constitution 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
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 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)
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 leadersInternational organization participation: 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
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamad Baha CHATAH
In the us chancery: 2,560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 939-6,300
In the us fax: [1] (202) 939-6,324
In the us consulates general: Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador-designate David SATTERFIELD
From the us embassy: Antelias, Beirut
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut; PSC 815, Box 2, FPO AE 9,836-0002
From the us telephone: [961] (1) 402,200, 403,300, 426,183, 417,774, 889,926
From the us fax: [961] (1) 407,112
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: 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 1992-97, annual inflation fell from more than 170% to 9%, and foreign exchange reserves jumped to more than $4 billion from $1.4 billion. Burgeoning capital inflows have generated 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. It has had to fund reconstruction by tapping foreign exchange reserves and boosting borrowing. The stalled peace process and ongoing violence in southern Lebanon could lead to wider hostilities that would disrupt vital capital inflows. Furthermore, the gap between rich and poor has widened since HARIRI took office, resulting in grassroots dissatisfaction over the skewed distribution of the reconstruction's benefits and leading the government to shift its focus from rebuilding infrastructure to improving living conditions.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 4% (1997 est.)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $4,400 (1997 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 4%
Industry: 23%
Services: 73% (1997 est.)
Agriculture products: citrus, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp (hashish; sheep, goats
Industries: banking; food processing; jewelry; cement; textiles; mineral and chemical products; wood and furniture products; oil refining; metal fabricating
Industrial production growth rate: 25% (1993 est.)
Labor forceTotal: 1 million plus as many as 1 million foreign workers (1996 est.)
By occupation services: 62%
By occupation industry: 31%
By occupation agriculture: 7% (1997est.)
Unemployment rate: 18% (1997 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $2.4 billion
Expenditures: $5.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1997 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation 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: total value:$1.018 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodoties: 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: UAE 23%, Saudi Arabia 14%, Kuwait 8%, Syria 7%, Jordan 5%, France 5%, Italy 4%, US 3% (1996)
Imports: total value:$7.559 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
Commodoties: machinery and transport equipment 28%, foodstuffs 20%, consumer goods 19%, chemicals 9%, textiles 5%, metals 5%, fuels 3% (1995)
Partners: Italy 12%, US 11%, Germany 9%, France 8%, Syria 4%, UK 4%, Japan 4% (1996)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $2.3 billion (1997 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Lebanese pounds (£L) per US$1_1,526.1 (January 1998), 1,539.5 (1997), 1,571.4 (1996), 1,621.4 (1995), 1,680.1 (1994), 1,741.4 (1993)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 1.35 million kW (1997)
Production: 5 billion kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 1,380 kWh (1995)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones: 150,000 (1990 est.)
Telephone system: 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
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $445 million (1997)
Percent of gdp: 5% (1997)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 9 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 7
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil 72 km (none in operation)
RailwaysTotal: 222 km
Standard gauge: 222 km 1.435-m (from Beirut to the Syrian border)
RoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marineTotal: 62 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 258,383 GRT/392,087 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 40, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 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 (1997 est.)
Ports and terminalsLebanon - Transnational issues 1998
top of pageDisputes international: 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: small illicit producer of hashish and heroin; hashish production is shipped to Western Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America; some cocaine processing and trafficking; a Lebanese/Syrian eradication campaign started in the early 1990s has practically eliminated the opium and cannabis crops