Lebanon
Lebanese Republic
Capital: Beirut
History
Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French demarcated the region of Lebanon in 1920 and granted this area independence in 1943. Since independence the country has been marked by periods of political turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on its position as a regional center for finance and trade. The country's 1975-90 civil war that resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities, was followed by years of social and political instability. Sectarianism is a key element of Lebanese political life. Neighboring Syria has long influenced Lebanon's foreign policy and internal policies, and its military occupied Lebanon from 1976 until 2005. The Lebanon-based Hizballah militia and Israel continued attacks and counterattacks against each other after Syria's withdrawal, and fought a brief war in 2006. Lebanon's borders with Syria and Israel remain unresolved.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
10,400
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
454
km
|
| Border Countries |
Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km |
| Coastline |
225
km
|
| Terrain |
narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains |
| Minimum Elevation |
0
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
3,088
m
|
| 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 |
| Arable Land |
10.72% |
| Permanent Crops |
12.06% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$5.66 billion |
| Export Items |
jewelry, base metals, chemicals, miscellaneous consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper |
| Export Partners |
UAE 13.1%, Iraq 8.4%, Saudi Arabia 7.7%, Turkey 7%, Syria 6.7%, Switzerland 5.5% (2011) |
| Imports |
$20.73 billion |
| Import Items |
petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals |
| Import Partners |
US 10.2%, Italy 9.3%, France 8.8%, China 8.2%, Egypt 5.3%, Germany 5.1%, Turkey 4% (2011) |
People
| Population |
4,131,583 |
| Population Growth |
-0.04% |
| Ethnic Groups |
Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1% |
| Religion |
Muslim 59.7% (Shia, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Coptic, Prot |
| Life Expectancy |
75.46 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.96 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
0.9 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
