Lebanon

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

• the majority of the people live on or near the Mediterranean coast, and of these most live in and around the capital, Beirut;
• favorable growing conditions in the Bekaa Valley, on the southeastern side of the Lebanon Mountains, have attracted farmers and thus the area exhibits a smaller population density

• 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, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

• smallest country in continental Asia;
• 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

noun:

Lebanese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Lebanese

• the majority of the people live on or near the Mediterranean coast, and of these most live in and around the capital, Beirut;
• favorable growing conditions in the Bekaa Valley, on the southeastern side of the Lebanon Mountains, have attracted farmers and thus the area exhibits a smaller population density

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.91 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.75 male(s)/female

total population:

1 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

improved:

total: 100% of population

unimproved:

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

improved:

total: 99% of population

unimproved:

total: 1% of population (2017 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 refers to snow-capped Mount Lebanon

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 Canaanite or Phoenician word "ber'ot," meaning "the wells" or "fountain," which referred to the site's accessible water table

• 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

amendments:

• 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;
• amended several times, last in 1989

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 Michel AWN (since 31 October 2016)

head of government:

Prime Minister Saad HARIRI (since 22 October 2020)

cabinet:

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

elections/appointments:

• president indirectly elected by the National Assembly with two-thirds majority vote in the first round and if needed absolute majority vote in a second round for a 6-year term (eligible for non-consecutive terms);
• last held on 31 October 2016 (next to be held in 2022);
• prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly;
• deputy prime minister determined during cabinet formation

election results:

• Michel AWN elected president in second round;
• National Assembly vote - Michel AWN (FPM) 83;
• note - in the initial election held on 23 April 2014, no candidate received the required two-thirds vote, and subsequent attempts failed because the Assembly lacked the necessary quorum to hold a vote;
• the president was finally elected in its 46th attempt on 31 October 2016

description:

• unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Nuwab in Arabic or Assemblee Nationale in French (128 seats; members directly elected by listed-based proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms);
• prior to 2017, the electoral system was by majoritarian vote

elections:

last held on 6 May 2018 (next to be held in 2022)

election results:

• percent of vote by coalition - NA;
• seats by coalition – Strong Lebanon Bloc (Free Patriotic Movement-led) 25;
• Future Bloc (Future Movement-led) 20;
• Development and Liberation Bloc (Amal Movement-led) 16;
• Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc (Hizballah-led) 15;
• Strong Republic Bloc (Lebanese Forces-led) 15;
• Democratic Gathering (Progressive Socialist Party-led) 9;
• Independent Centre Bloc 4;
• National Bloc (Marada Movement-led) 3;
• Syrian Social Nationalist Party 3;
• Tashnaq 3;
• Kata’ib 3;
• other 8;
• independent 4;
• composition - men 122, women 6, percent of women 4.6%

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

highest courts:

• 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 or Association of Islamic Charitable Projects [Adnan TARABULSI]
• Amal Movement [Nabih BERRI]
• Azm Movement [Najib MIQATI]
• Ba’th Arab Socialist Party of Lebanon [Fayiz SHUKR]
• Free Patriotic Movement or FPM [Gibran BASSIL]
• Future Movement Bloc [Sa'ad al-HARIRI]
• Hizballah [Hassan NASRALLAH]
• Islamic Actions Front [Sheikh Zuhayr al-JU’AYD]
• Kata'ib Party [Sami GEMAYEL]
• Lebanese Democratic Party [Talal ARSLAN]
• Lebanese Forces or LF [Samir JA'JA]
• Marada Movement [Sulayman FRANJIEH]
• Progressive Socialist Party or PSP [Walid JUNBLATT]
• Social Democrat Hunshaqian Party [Sabuh KALPAKIAN]Syrian Social Nationalist Party [Ali QANSO]
• Syrian Social Nationalist Party [Hanna al-NASHIF]
• Tashnaq or Armenian Revolutionary Federation [Hagop PAKRADOUNIAN]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Gabriel ISSA (since 24 January 2018)

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Dorothy SHEA (since 11 March 2020)

telephone:

[961] (04) 543 600

embassy:

Awkar-Facing the Municipality, Main Street, Beirut

mailing address:

P. O. Box 70-840, Antelias, Lebanon; from US: US Embassy Beirut, 6070 Beirut Place, Washington, DC 20521-6070

FAX:

[961] (4) 544136

• three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in the white band;
• the red bands symbolize blood shed for liberation, the white band denotes peace, the snow of the mountains, and purity;
• the green cedar tree is the symbol of Lebanon and represents eternity, steadiness, happiness, and prosperity

name:

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

lyrics/music:

Rachid NAKHLE/Wadih SABRA

note: adopted 1927; chosen following a nationwide competition

Fitch rating:

RD (2020)

Moody's rating:

C (2020)

Standard & Poors rating: D (2020)

agriculture:

39% NA (2009 est.)

industry:

NA

services:

NA

lowest 10%:

NA

highest 10%:

NA

• 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)

number of registered air carriers:

1 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 21

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

2,981,937 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

56.57 million mt-km (2018)

total:

401 km (2017)

standard gauge:

319 km 1.435-m gauge (2017)

narrow gauge:

82 km 1.050-m gauge (2017)

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

total:

55

by type:

bulk carrier 2, container ship 1, general cargo 39, oil tanker 1, other 12 (2019)

major seaport(s):

Beirut, Tripoli

container port(s) (TEUs):

Beirut (1,305,038) (2017)

Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF):

• Army Command (includes
  • Presidential Guard Brigade,
  • Land Border Regiments),
  • Naval Forces,
  • Air Forces
  ;
• Lebanese Internal Security Forces Directorate (includes Mobile Gendarmerie);
• Directorate for General Security (DGS);
• Directorate General for State Security (2019)

• the LAF inventory includes a wide mix of mostly older equipment, largely from the US and European countries, particularly France and Germany;
• since 2010, the US is the leading supplier of armaments (mostly second hand equipment) to Lebanon (2019 est.)

• the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) has operated in the country since 1978, originally under UNSCRs 425 and 426 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security and assist the Lebanese Government in restoring its effective authority in the area;
• following the July-August 2006 war, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1701 enhancing UNIFIL and deciding that in addition to the original mandate, it would, among other things, monitor the cessation of hostilities;
• accompany and support the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) as they deploy throughout the south of Lebanon;
• and extend its assistance to help ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations and the voluntary and safe return of displaced persons;
• UNIFIL had about 10,200 personnel deployed in the country as of March 2020 (2020)

• Abdallah Azzam Brigades;
• al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade;
• Asbat al-Ansar;
• Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force;
• Hizballah;
• al-Nusrah Front (Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham);
• Palestine Liberation Front;
• PFLP-General Command;
• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (2019)

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 Appendix-T

• 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-controlled Golan Heights;
• the roughly 2,000-strong UN Interim Force in Lebanon has been in place since 1978

refugees (country of origin):

879,529 (Syria), 476,033 (Palestinian refugees) (2020)

IDPs:

11,000 (2007 Lebanese security forces' destruction of Palestinian refugee camp) (2019)

stateless persons:

• undetermined (2016);
• note - tens of thousands of persons are stateless in Lebanon, including many Palestinian refugees and their descendants, Syrian Kurds denaturalized in Syria in 1962, children born to Lebanese women married to foreign or stateless men;
• most babies born to Syrian refugees, and Lebanese children whose births are unregistered

current situation:

• Lebanon is a source and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking and a transit point for Eastern European women and children subjected to sex trafficking in other Middle Eastern countries;
• women and girls from South and Southeast Asia and an increasing number from East and West Africa are recruited by agencies to work in domestic service but are subject to conditions of forced labor;
• under Lebanon’s artiste visa program, women from Eastern Europe, North Africa, and the Dominican Republic enter Lebanon to work in the adult entertainment industry but are often forced into the sex trade;
• Lebanese children are reportedly forced into street begging and commercial sexual exploitation, with small numbers of Lebanese girls sex trafficked in other Arab countries;
• Syrian refugees are vulnerable to forced labor and prostitution

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List – Lebanon does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
• however, it is making significant efforts to do so;
• in 2014, Lebanon was granted a waiver from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
• law enforcement efforts in 2014 were uneven;
• the number of convicted traffickers increased, but judges lack of familiarity with anti-trafficking law meant that many offenders were not brought to justice;
• the government relied heavily on an NGO to identify and provide service to trafficking victims;
• and its lack of thoroughly implemented victim identification procedures resulted in victims continuing to be arrested, detained, and deported for crimes committed as a direct result of being trafficked (2015)

• Lebanon is a transit country for hashish, cocaine, heroin, and fenethylene;
• fenethylene, cannabis, hashish, and some opium are produced in the Bekaa Valley;
• 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