Lebanon
Lebanese RepublicAl Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
republic
Lebanon as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 136 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French separated out the region of Lebanon in 1920, and granted this area independence in 1943. A lengthy civil war (1975-1990) devastated the country, but Lebanon has since made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese established a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater voice in the political process while institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government.
Since the end of the war, Lebanon has conducted several successful elections. Most militias have been disbanded, with the exception of Hizballah, designated by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and Palestinian militant groups. During Lebanon's civil war, the Arab League legitimized in the Ta'if Accord Syria's troop deployment, numbering about 16,000 based mainly east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley.
Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000 and the passage in September 2004 of UNSCR 1559 - a resolution calling for Syria to withdraw from Lebanon and end its interference in Lebanese affairs - encouraged some Lebanese groups to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well. The assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq HARIRI and 22 others in February 2005 led to massive demonstrations in Beirut against the Syrian presence ("the Cedar Revolution"), and Syria withdrew the remainder of its military forces in April 2005.
In May-June 2005, Lebanon held its first legislative elections since the end of the civil war free of foreign interference, handing a majority to the bloc led by Saad HARIRI, the slain prime minister's son. In July 2006, Hizballah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers leading to a 34-day conflict with Israel in which approximately 1,200 Lebanese civilians were killed. UNSCR 1701 ended the war in August 2006, and Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) deployed throughout the country for the first time in decades, charged with securing Lebanon's borders against weapons smuggling and maintaining a weapons-free zone in south Lebanon with the help of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The LAF in May-September 2007 battled Sunni extremist group Fatah al-Islam in the Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp, winning a decisive victory, but destroying the camp and displacing 30,000 Palestinian residents.
Lebanese politicians in November 2007 were unable to agree on a successor to Emile LAHUD when he stepped down as president, creating a political vacuum until the election of Army Commander Michel SULAYMAN in May 2008 and the formation of a new unity government in July 2008.
Geography
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria
20 fieldsLand useshare of 10,400 sq km
Climate
- Mediterranean;
- mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers;
- Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows
Natural resources
limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 1.38 cu km/yr (33%/1%/67%)
- per capita:
- 385 cu m/yr (2000)
Environment - 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
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note
- Nahr el Litani is the 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
People
22 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.92 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.82 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Government
Republic; President Michel SULAYMAN (since 25 May 2008); Prime Minister Sa'ad AL-HARIRI (since 9 November 2009)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, elected 7 June 2009percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Lebanese Republic
- conventional short form:
- Lebanon
- local long form:
- Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
- local short form:
- Lubnan
- former:
- Greater Lebanon
Capital
- 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
Administrative divisions
6 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Beqaa, Beyrouth (Beirut), Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban, Nabatiye note: two new governorates - Aakar and Baalbek-Hermel - have been legislated but not yet implemented
Constitution
23 May 1926; amended a number of times, most recently Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989
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
Suffrage
- 21 years of age;
- compulsory for all males;
- authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education;
- excludes military personnel
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Michel SULAYMAN (since 25 May 2008)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Sa'ad AL-HARIRI (since 9 November 2009);Deputy Prime Minister Elias MURR (since 9 November 2009)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and members of the National Assembly
- elections:
- president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year term (may not serve consecutive terms);
- election last held 25 May 2008 (next to be held in 2014);
- the prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly
- election results:
- Michel SULAYMAN elected president; National Assembly vote - 118 for, 6 abstentions, 3 invalidated
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 on 7 June 2009 (next to be held in 2013)
- election results:
- percent of vote by group - March 8 Coalition 54.7%, March 14 Coalition 45.3%;
- seats by group - March 14 Coalition 71;
- March 8 Coalition 57
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 leaders
14 March Coalition:
- Democratic Gathering Bloc [Walid JUNBLATT, leader of Progressive Socialist Party];
- Democratic Left [Ilyas ATALLAH];
- Democratic Renewal Movement [Nassib LAHUD];
- Future Movement Bloc [Sa'ad al-HARIRI];
- Kataeb Party [Amine GEMAYEL];
- Lebanese Forces [Samir JA'JA];
- Tripoli Independent Bloc
8 March Coalition:
- Development and Resistance Bloc [Nabih BERRI, leader of Amal Movement];
- Free Patriotic Movement [Michel AWN];
- Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc [Mohammad RA'AD] (includes Hizballah Party [Hassan NASRALLAH]);
- Nasserite Popular Movement [Ussama SAAD];
- Popular Bloc [Elias SKAFF];
- Syrian Ba'th Party [Sayez SHUKR];
- Syrian Social Nationalist Party [Ali QANSO]
- Independent:
- Metn Bloc [Michel MURR]; Tashnaq
Political pressure groups and leaders
Hizballah military wing
- other:
- Palestinian militias;
- Maronite Christians;
- Sunnis and their militias;
- Shias and their militias
International organization participation
ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Antoine CHEDID
- chancery:
- 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 939-6300
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 939-6324
- consulate(s) general:
- Detroit, New York, Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Michele J. SISON
- embassy:
- Awkar, Lebanon; (Awkar facing the Municipality)
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 70-840, Antelias, Lebanon; from US: US Embassy Beirut, 6070 Beirut Place, Washington, DC 20521-6070
- telephone:
- [961] (4) 542600, 543600
- FAX:
- [961] (4) 544136
Flag description
three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in the white band
Economy
Lebanon has a free-market economy and a strong laissez-faire commercial tradition.
50 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2008 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Lebanon has a free-market economy and a strong laissez-faire commercial tradition. The government does not restrict foreign investment; however, the investment climate suffers from red tape, corruption, arbitrary licensing decisions, high taxes, tariffs, and fees, archaic legislation, and weak intellectual property rights.
The Lebanese economy is service-oriented; main growth sectors include banking and tourism. The 1975-90 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. In the years since, Lebanon has rebuilt much of its war-torn physical and financial infrastructure by borrowing heavily - mostly from domestic banks.
In an attempt to reduce the ballooning national debt, the Rafiq HARIRI government in 2000 began an austerity program, reining in government expenditures, increasing revenue collection, and passing legislation to privatize state enterprises, but economic and financial reform initiatives stalled and public debt continued to grow despite receipt of more than $2 billion in bilateral assistance at the 2002 Paris II Donors Conference.
The Israeli-Hizballah conflict in July-August 2006 caused an estimated $3.6 billion in infrastructure damage, and prompted international donors to pledge nearly $1 billion in recovery and reconstruction assistance. Donors met again in January 2007 at the Paris III Donor Conference and pledged more than $7.5 billion to Lebanon for development projects and budget support, conditioned on progress on Beirut's fiscal reform and privatization program.
An 18-month political stalemate and sporadic sectarian and political violence hampered economic activity, particularly tourism, retail sales, and investment, until the new government was formed in July 2008. Political stability since the Doha Accord of May 2008 has helped to boost investment and tourism, but economic growth is likely to slow in 2009 as a result of the global economic recession.
Labor force
1.481 million country comparison to the world: 129 note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate
12% (31 December 2008) · 12% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 28
Commercial bank prime lending rate
9.96% (31 December 2008) · 10.26% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 82
Agriculture - products
citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco; sheep, goats
Industries
banking, tourism, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating
Current account balance
-$2.987 billion (2008 est.) · -$1.395 billion (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 148
Exports - commodities
jewelry, base metals, chemicals, miscellaneous consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper
Imports - commodities
petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$28.28 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $20.55 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 46
Debt - external
$33.28 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $31.6 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Exchange rates
Lebanese pounds (LBP) per US dollar - 1,507.5 (2008 est.), 1,507.5 (2007), 1,507.5 (2006), 1,507.5 (2005), 1,507.5 (2004)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- repair of the telecommunications system, severely damaged during the civil war, now complete
- domestic:
- two wireless networks provide good service; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 50 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 961;
- submarine cable links to Cyprus, Egypt, and Syria;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean);
- coaxial cable to Syria (2008)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 20, FM 32 (plus about a dozen unlicensed stations operating), shortwave 4 (2007)
Transportation
8 fieldsMerchant marine, 33 ships by typeone square, one ship
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 401 km
country comparison to the world: 119
- standard gauge:
- 319 km 1.435 m
- narrow gauge:
- 82 km 1.050 m
note: rail system unusable because of the damage done during fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2008)
Roadways
total: 6,970 km (includes 170 km of expressways) (2005) country comparison to the world: 148
Military
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Army (includes Navy), Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Lubnaniya) (2009)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Army (includes Navy), Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Lubnaniya) (2009)
Military service age and obligation
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2007)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 1,106,879
- females age 16-49:
- 1,122,595 (2008 est.)
Transnational Issues
3 fieldsDisputes - international
- lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute;
- since 2000, Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms area in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights;
- the roughly 2,000-strong UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been in place since 1978
Refugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees (country of origin):
- 405,425 (Palestinian refugees (UNRWA)); 50,000-60,000 (Iraq)
- IDPs:
- 17,000 (1975-90 civil war, Israeli invasions); 200,000 (July-August 2006 war) (2007)
Illicit drugs
- cannabis cultivation dramatically reduced to 2,500 hectares in 2002 despite continued significant cannabis consumption;
- opium poppy cultivation minimal;
- small amounts of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin transit country on way to European markets and for Middle Eastern consumption;
- money laundering of drug proceeds fuels concern that extremists are benefiting from drug trafficking
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Lebanon.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/lebanon/2009.