Business Listing of Lebanon Background Notes
Lebanon Background Notes
Country: Lebanon
Background information on Lebanon from the US State Department.
BACKGROUND NOTES:LEBANONPUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRSU.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATEJANUARY 1994Official Name:Republic of LebanonPROFILEGeographyArea: 10,452 sq. km. (4,015 sq. mi.); abouthalf the size of New Jersey.Cities:Capital--Beirut (pop. 1 million).Other cities--Tripoli (240,000), Sidon(110,000), Tyre (60,000), Zahleh (55,000).Terrain:Narrow coastal plain backed by theLebanon Mountains, the fertile Biqa Valley,and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, which extend tothe Syrian border.Land--61% urban, desert, orwaste; 21% agricultural; 8% forested.Climate: Typically Mediterranean, resemblingthat of southern California.PeopleNationality:Noun and adjective--Lebanese(sing. and pl.).Population (est.):3 million.Annual growth rate (est):1%.Ethnic groups:Arab 93%, Armenian 6%.Religions:Christian (Maronite, GreekOrthodox, Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic,Protestant, Armenian Apostolic, other), Muslim(Sunni, Shia, other), and Druze.Languages:Arabic (official), French, English,Armenian.Education:Years compulsory--5.Attendance--93%.Literacy--75%.Health:Infant mortality rate--50/1,000(1989).Life expectancy--male, 65 years;female, 70 years.Work force (750,000 in 1989):Industry,commerce, services--79%. Agriculture--11%.Government--10%.GovernmentType:Parliamentary republic.Independence:1943.Constitution:May 26, 1926 (amended).Branches:Executive--president (chief ofstate, elected by simple majority of parliamentfor 6-year term), council of ministers(appointed).Legislative--unicameralparliament (128-member National Assemblyelected for 4-year renewable terms; lastparliamentary elections in 1992).Judicial--secular and religious courts; combination ofOttoman, civil, and canon law; no judicialreview of legislative acts.Administrative subdivisions:5 provinces, eachheaded by a governor:Beirut, North Lebanon,South Lebanon, Mount Lebanon, and Biqa.Political parties:Organized along sectarianlines around individuals whose followers aremotivated by religious, clan, and ethnicconsiderations.Suffrage:Males at 21; females with elementaryeducation, at 21.Flag:Two horizontal red bands with whitecenter band, on which a green and brown cedartree is centered.EconomyNote:Due to drastic fluctuation in exchangerates over 1992, and flaws in the centralgovernments economic database, figuresthroughout this report are not authoritative,but are estimates based on recent economicperformance.GDP (1992):$4 billion.Annual growth rate:(1992) 10%.GDP per capita:$1,500.Natural resources:Limestone.Agriculture (7.2% of GDP):Products--citrusfruit, vegetables, olives, sugar beets,tobacco.Industry (21% of GDP):Types--cementproduction, ready-made clothing, electricalequipment, light industry, refining.Trade (23% of GDP):Exports--$500 million[f.o.b.--1992].Major markets--Saudi Arabia,Switzerland, U.A.E., France, Jordan.Imports--$4.8 billion [c.i.f.--1992].Major suppliers--Italy, Syria, France, Germany, U.S.Official exchange rate:[1992 average]1,683Lebanese poundsUS$1; [Dec. 1993] 1,711Lebanese poundsUS$1
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