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Lebanon Country Guide
Explore Lebanon in Asia
The landscape offers narrow coastal plain with El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains. The average density of population is approximately 382 per km². The notable climate conditions in Lebanon can be described as Mediterranean with mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers and Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows. Potential threats by nature are dust storms, sandstorms.
To reach someone in Lebanon dial +961 prior to a number. There are 750,000 installed telephones. And there are 1,526,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".lb". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 230V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Lebanon
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.
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 Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Asia Neighbours: Syria, Israel Capital: Beirut |
| Size | 10,400 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 4,015 square miles (mi² or sqmi) about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut |
| Population | 3,971,000 |
| Currency | Name Pound, Currency Code:LBP |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .lb |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +961 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 1,526,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 750,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 10,400 (sq km) | 170 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,131,583 | 126 |
| Population growth rate | -0.04 (%) | 201 |
| Birth rate | 14.79 (births/1,000 population) | 135 |
| Death rate | 6.73 (deaths/1,000 population) | 140 |
| Net migration rate | -8.48 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 204 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 25.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 130 |
| Infant mortality rate | 14.81 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 113 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 75.46 (years) | 94 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.75 (children born/woman) | 164 |
| Health expenditures | 7.00 (% of GDP) | 81 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.10 (%) | 141 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 3,600 | 124 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 500 | 86 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 27.40 (%) | 40 |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 4.20 (%) | 96 |
| Education expenditures | 1.70 (% of GDP) | 167 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 22.10 (%) | 51 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 64,220,000,000 | 88 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 1.50 (%) | 146 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 16,000 | 84 |
| Labor force | 1,481,000 | 131 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 34.00 (% of GDP) | 15 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 22.50 (% of GDP) | 140 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -7.90 (% of GDP) | 197 |
| Public debt | 127.90 (% of GDP) | 6 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5.50 (%) | 150 |
| Central bank discount rate | 10.00 (%) | 26 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 7.53 (%) | 121 |
| Stock of narrow money | 4,397,000,000 | 105 |
| Stock of broad money | 97,040,000,000 | 56 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 73,830,000,000 | 60 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 12,590,000,000 | 68 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 2.10 (%) | 111 |
| Current account balance | -7,850,000,000 | 172 |
| Exports | 5,655,000,000 | 108 |
| Imports | 20,730,000,000 | 77 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 51,200,000,000 | 36 |
| Debt - external | 32,640,000,000 | 73 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 12,980,000,000 (kWh) | 88 |
| Electricity - consumption | 12,340,000,000 (kWh) | 84 |
| Electricity - imports | 1,155,000,000 (kWh) | 61 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 2,314,000 (kW) | 98 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 87.90 (% of total installed capacity) | 81 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 12.10 (% of total installed capacity) | 110 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 106,700 (bbl/day) | 77 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 102,300 (bbl/day) | 49 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 15,240,000 (Mt) | 90 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 900,000 | 82 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 3,350,000 | 121 |
| Internet hosts | 64,926 | 91 |
| Internet users | 1,000,000 | 101 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 7 | 169 |
| Railways | 401 (km) | 116 |
| Roadways | 6,970 (km) | 148 |
| Merchant marine | 29 | 85 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 2.50 (% of GDP) | 55 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Anjar The city of Anjar was founded by Caliph Walid I at the beginning of the 8th century. The ruins reveal a very regular layout, reminiscent of the palace-cities of ancient times, and are a unique testimony to city planning under the Umayyads. ... | 1984 |
| Baalbek This Phoenician city, where a triad of deities was worshipped, was known as Heliopolis during the Hellenistic period. It retained its religious function during Roman times, when the sanctuary of the Heliopolitan Jupiter attracted thousands of pilgrim ... | 1984 |
| Byblos The ruins of many successive civilizations are found at Byblos, one of the oldest Phoenician cities. Inhabited since Neolithic times, it has been closely linked to the legends and history of the Mediterranean region for thousands of years. Byblos is ... | 1984 |
| Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab) The Qadisha valley is one of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world. Its monasteries, many of which are of a great age, stand in dramatic positions in a rugged landscape. Nearby are the remains of the great forest of ced ... | 1998 |
| Tyre According to legend, purple dye was invented in Tyre. This great Phoenician city ruled the seas and founded prosperous colonies such as Cadiz and Carthage, but its historical role declined at the end of the Crusades. There are important archaeologica ... | 1984 |