Lebanon

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

noun:

Lebanese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Lebanese

total:

29.4 years (2025 est.)

male:

35.6 years

female:

36.9 years

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.76 male(s)/female

total population:

1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

7.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

7.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

6.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

79.2 years (2024 est.)

male:

77.8 years

female:

80.7 years

total:

1.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.53 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

34.1% (2025 est.)

male:

43.8% (2025 est.)

female:

25.4% (2025 est.)

women married by age 15:

1.4% (2016)

women married by age 18:

6% (2016)

total:

11 years (2023 est.)

male:

12 years

female:

11 years (2014)

• deforestation;
• soil deterioration, erosion;
• desertification;
• species loss;
• air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes;
• pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills;
• waste-water management

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

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

urban population:

89.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

-1.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

energy:

7.9 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture:

11.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste:

105.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other:

0.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

2.04 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

15% (2022 est.)

municipal:

240 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

900 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

700 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

conventional long form:

Lebanese Republic

conventional short form:

Lebanon

local long form:

Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah

local short form:

Lubnan

former:

Greater Lebanon

etymology:

derives from the Semitic root lbn, meaning "white," and probably refers to the country's snow-capped mountains

name:

Beirut

geographic coordinates:

33 52 N, 35 30 E

time difference:

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology:

derived from the Phoenician or Hebrew word be'erot , meaning "the wells," which were the only source of water in the region

• 8 governorates ( mohafazat , singular - mohafazah );
• Aakkar, Baalbek-Hermel, Beqaa (Bekaa), Beyrouth (Beirut), Liban-Nord (North Lebanon), Liban-Sud (South Lebanon), Mont-Liban (Mount Lebanon), Nabatiye

history:

drafted 15 May 1926, adopted 23 May 1926

amendment process:

• proposed by the president of the republic and introduced as a government bill to the National Assembly or proposed by at least 10 members of the Assembly and agreed upon by two thirds of its members;
• if proposed by the National Assembly, review and approval by two-thirds majority of the Cabinet is required;
• if approved, the proposal is next submitted to the Cabinet for drafting as an amendment;
• Cabinet approval requires at least two-thirds majority, followed by submission to the National Assembly for discussion and vote;
• passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of a required two-thirds quorum of the Assembly membership and promulgation by the president

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

the father must be a citizen of Lebanon

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

unknown

• 21 years of age;
• authorized for all men and women regardless of religion;
• excludes persons convicted of felonies and other crimes or those imprisoned;
• excludes all military and security service personnel regardless of rank

chief of state:

President Joseph AOUN (since 9 January 2025)

head of government:

Prime Minister Nawaf SALAM (since 8 February 2025)

cabinet:

Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and the National Assembly

election/appointment process:

• president indirectly elected by a qualified majority of two-thirds of Parliament members in the first round and, if needed, a two-thirds quorum of members by simple-majority popular vote for a 6-year term (eligible for non-consecutive terms);
• prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly

most recent election date:

9 January 2025

election results:

2025: Joseph AOUN elected president in second round; National Assembly vote - 99 of 128;

• 2016: Michel AWN elected president in second round;
• National Assembly vote - Michel AWN (FPM) 83;
• the president elected in its 46th attempt on 31 October 2016

expected date of next election:

2031

legislature name:

National Assembly (Majlis Al-Nuwwab)

legislative structure:

unicameral

number of seats:

128 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

proportional representation

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

5/15/2022

parties elected and seats per party:

• Strong Republic (19);
• Strong Lebanon (18);
• Development and Liberation (15);
• Loyalty to the Resistance (15);
• Independent Deputies (9);
• Democratic Gathering (8);
• Independents (20);
• Other (24)

percentage of women in chamber:

6.3%

expected date of next election:

May 2026

note 1: Lebanon’s constitution states that the Parliament cannot conduct regular business until it elects a president when the position is vacant

note 2: seats are apportioned evenly between Christians and Muslims

highest court(s):

• Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (organized into 8 chambers, each with a presiding judge and 2 associate judges);
• Constitutional Council (consists of 10 members)

judge selection and term of office:

• Court of Cassation judges appointed by Supreme Judicial Council, a 10-member body headed by the chief justice, and includes other judicial officials;
• judge tenure NA;
• Constitutional Council members appointed - 5 by the Council of Ministers and 5 by parliament;
• members serve 5-year terms

subordinate courts:

• Courts of Appeal;
• Courts of First Instance;
• specialized tribunals, religious courts;
• military courts

• Al-Ahbash (Association of Islamic Charitable Projects) or AICP
• Amal Movement ("Hope Movement")
• Azm Movement
• Ba’th Arab Socialist Party of Lebanon
• Free Patriotic Movement or FPM
• Future Movement Bloc or FM
• Hizballah
• Islamic Action Front or IAF
• Kata'ib Party
• Lebanese Democratic Party
• Lebanese Forces or LF
• Marada Movement
• Progressive Socialist Party or PSP
• Social Democrat Hunshaqian Party
• Syrian Social Nationalist Party or SSNP
• Tashnaq or Armenian Revolutionary Federation

chief of mission:

Ambassador Nada HAMADEH (since 5 September 2025)

chancery:

2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 939-6300

FAX:

[1] (202) 939-6324

email address and website:

[email protected]; http://www.lebanonembassyus.org/

consulate(s) general:

Detroit, New York, Los Angeles

chief of mission:

Ambassador Michel ISSA (since 17 November 2025)

embassy:

Awkar facing the Municipality; P.O. Box 70-840 Antelias, Beirut

mailing address:

6070 Beirut Place, Washington DC 20521-6070

telephone:

[961] (04) 543-600

FAX:

[961] (4) 544-019

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://lb.usembassy.gov/

description:

three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double-width), and red (bottom), with a green cedar tree centered on the white band

meaning:

• red stands for blood shed for liberation, and white for peace, the snow of the mountains, and purity;
• the green cedar tree is the national symbol and represents eternity, steadiness, happiness, and prosperity

title:

"Kulluna lil-watan" (All of Us, For Our Country!)

lyrics/music:

Rachid NAKHLE/Wadih SABRA

history:

adopted 1927

total World Heritage Sites:

6 (all cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Anjar;
• Baalbek ;
• Byblos ;
• Tyre;
• Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab);
• Rachid Karami International Fair-Tripoli

• lower middle-income Middle Eastern economy;
• hyperinflation and sharp poverty increases;
• banks have ceased lending;
• economic contraction, destroyed infrastructure, and reduced consumer demand resulting from Israel-Hezbollah conflict

agriculture:

1% (2023 est.)

industry:

2.1% (2023 est.)

services:

42.4% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

23.6% (2023 est.)

male:

24.4% (2023 est.)

female:

21.9% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

37.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

0.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

consumption:

166,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

47 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports:

164,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

• 7 TV stations, 1 of which is state-owned;
• more than 30 radio stations, 1 of which is state-owned;
• satellite and cable TV services available;
• transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible through partner stations (2019)

total:

401 km (2017)

standard gauge:

319 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge:

82 km (2017) 1.050-m gauge

note: rail system is still unusable due to damage sustained from fighting in the 1980s and in 2006

total ports:

5 (2024)

large:

1

medium:

1

small:

0

very small:

3

ports with oil terminals:

3

key ports:

Bayrut, Sayda, Selaata, Sidon/zahrani Terminal, Tarabulus

• Abdallah Azzam Brigades;
• al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade;
• Asbat al-Ansar;
• HAMAS;
• Hizballah;
• Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force;
• Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS);
• Palestine Liberation Front (PLF);
• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP);
• PFLP-General Command (PFLP-GC)

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

refugees:

765,390 (2024 est.)

IDPs:

984,514 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

40,000 (2024 est.)