Lebanon

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 reduced or 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. Legislative elections in June 2009 again produced victory for the bloc led by Sa'ad HARIRI, but a period of prolonged negotiation over the composition of the cabinet ensued. A national unity government was finally formed in November 2009 and approved by the National Assembly the following month.

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria.

33 50 N, 35 50 E.

Water: 170 sq km

Border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km.

225 km.

Territorial sea: 12 nm.

Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows.

Narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains.

Highest point: Qurnat as Sawda' 3,088 m

Limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land.

Other: 69.9% (2005)

1,040 sq km (2003).

4.8 cu km (1997).

Per capita: 385 cu m/yr (2000)

Dust storms, sandstorms.

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.

Signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation.

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.

Country comparison to the world: 126

65 years and over: 7.2% (male 130,148/female 158,530) (2009 est.)

Female: 30.5 years (2009 est.)

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Rate of urbanisation: 1.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Female: 76.31 years (2009 est.)

Country comparison to the world: 154

Adjective: Lebanese

Note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians.

Note: 17 religious sects recognised.

Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian.

Female: 82.2% (2003 est.)

Female: 13 years (2006)

Country comparison to the world: 153

Former: Greater Lebanon

Republic.

Note: two new governorates - Aakar and Baalbek-Hermel - have been legislated but not yet implemented.

22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration).

Independence Day, 22 November (1943).

23 May 1926; amended a number of times, most recently in 1990 to include changes necessitated by the Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989.

Mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; the constitutional court reviews laws only after they have been passed; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.

21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education; excludes military personnel.

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).

Independent: Metn Bloc [Michel MURR].

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, OPCW, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer).

Three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in the white band.

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 following the Doha Accord of May 2008 helped boost tourism and, together with a strong banking sector, enabled real GDP growth of 6% despite a slowdown in the region.

Note: data are in 2009 US dollars.

$32.66 billion (2009 est.).

4% (2007 est.)

Note: data are in 2009 US dollars.

Services: 76.2% (2009 est.)

Note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers (2007 est.).

28% (1999 est.).

Highest 10%: NA%

Country comparison to the world: 71

Expenditures: $11.86 billion (2009 est.)

160.3% of GDP (2008 est.)

10% (2008 est.)

12% (31 December 2007)

10.26% (31 December 2007)

$2.374 billion (31 December 2007)

$57.4 billion (31 December 2007)

$45.51 billion (31 December 2007)

$8.279 billion (31 December 2006)

Citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco; sheep, goats.

Banking, tourism, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating.

Country comparison to the world: 52

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972 million kWh (2007 est.)

Country comparison to the world:  146

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$-2.987 billion (2008 est.)

$5.023 billion (2008 est.)

Jewelry, base metals, chemicals, miscellaneous consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper.

Syria 24.9%, UAE 12.9%, Switzerland 6.5%, Saudi Arabia 6.1%, Turkey 4.2% (2008).

$16.25 billion (2008 est.)

Petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals.

Syria 10.4%, France 9.4%, US 9.3%, Italy 7.2%, China 6.8%, Germany 4.9%, Saudi Arabia 4.8%, Turkey 4.2% (2008).

$33.28 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Country comparison to the world: 89

Country comparison to the world: 134

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).

AM 20, FM 32 (plus about a dozen unlicensed stations operating), shortwave 4 (2007).

15 (plus 5 repeaters) (1995).

.lb

Country comparison to the world: 86

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Under 914 m: 1 (2009)

914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2009)

Gas 43 km (2009).

Note: rail system unusable because of the damage done during fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2008).

Country comparison to the world: 148

Registered in other countries: 55 (Barbados 1, Cambodia 8, Comoros 4, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Georgia 4, Honduras 1, Italy 1, North Korea 1, Liberia 2, Malta 11, Mongolia 2, Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Sierra Leone 1, Syria 3, Togo 1, unknown 2) (2008).

Beirut, Tripoli.

Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Army (includes Navy), Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Lubnaniya) (2009).

18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2007).

Females age 16-49: 1,122,595 (2008 est.)

Females age 16-49: 954,663 (2009 est.)

Female: 31,800 (2009 est.)

Country comparison to the world: 45

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.