Part 113
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 21.82 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 99 male: 24.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.66 years country comparison to the world: 101 male: 71.15 years
female: 76.31 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.85 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 118
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Nationality:
noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Lebanese
Ethnic groups:
Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians
Religions:
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, Copt, Protestant), other 1.3%
note: 17 religious sects recognized
Languages:
Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.4%
male: 93.1%
female: 82.2% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 13 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
2.7% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 153
Government ::Lebanon
Country name:
conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
conventional short form: Lebanon
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
local short form: Lubnan
former: Greater Lebanon
Government type:
republic
Capital:
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
Administrative divisions:
6 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Beqaa, Beyrouth (Beirut), Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban, Nabatiye
note: two new governorates - Aakar and Baalbek-Hermel - have been legislated but not yet implemented
Independence:
22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
Constitution:
23 May 1926; amended a number of times, most recently Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989
Legal system:
mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education; excludes military personnel
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Michel SULAYMAN (since 25 May 2008)
head of government: Prime Minister Sa'ad AL-HARIRI (since 9 November 2009);Deputy Prime Minister Elias MURR (since 9 November 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and members of the National Assembly
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 25 May 2008 (next to be held in 2014); the prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly
election results: Michel SULAYMAN elected president; National Assembly vote - 118 for, 6 abstentions, 3 invalidated
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Majlis Alnuwab (Arabic) or Assemblee Nationale (French) (128 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of sectarian proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 7 June 2009 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by group - March 8 Coalition 54.7%, March 14 Coalition 45.3%; seats by group - March 14 Coalition 71; March 8 Coalition 57
Judicial branch:
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)
Political parties and leaders:
14 March Coalition: Democratic Gathering Bloc [Walid JUNBLATT, leader of Progressive Socialist Party]; Democratic Left [Ilyas ATALLAH]; Democratic Renewal Movement [Nassib LAHUD]; Future Movement Bloc [Sa'ad al-HARIRI]; Kataeb Party [Amine GEMAYEL]; Lebanese Forces [Samir JA'JA]; Tripoli Independent Bloc
8 March Coalition: Development and Resistance Bloc [Nabih BERRI, leader of Amal Movement]; Free Patriotic Movement [Michel AWN]; Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc [Mohammad RA'AD] (includes Hizballah Party [Hassan NASRALLAH]); Nasserite Popular Movement [Ussama SAAD]; Popular Bloc [Elias SKAFF]; Syrian Ba'th Party [Sayez SHUKR]; Syrian Social Nationalist Party [Ali QANSO]
Independent: Metn Bloc [Michel MURR]; Tashnaq
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Hizballah military wing
other: Palestinian militias; Maronite Christians; Sunnis and their militias; Shias and their militias
International organization participation:
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, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Antoine CHEDID
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
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michele J. SISON
embassy: Awkar, Lebanon; (Awkar facing the Municipality)
mailing address: P. O. Box 70-840, Antelias, Lebanon; from US: US Embassy Beirut, 6070 Beirut Place, Washington, DC 20521-6070
telephone: [961] (4) 542600, 543600
FAX: [961] (4) 544136
Flag description:
three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in the white band
Economy ::Lebanon
Economy - overview:
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 since the Doha Accord of May 2008 has helped to boost investment and tourism, but economic growth is likely to slow in 2009 as a result of the global economic recession.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$44.16 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 90 $41.54 billion (2007 est.)
$39.95 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$29.35 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 52 4% (2007 est.)
-4.3% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,100 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 $10,600 (2007 est.)
$10,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5.1%
industry: 18.8%
services: 76.1% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
1.481 million country comparison to the world: 129 note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
9.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Population below poverty line:
28% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
22.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
Budget:
revenues: $6.998 billion
expenditures: $9.955 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
160.3% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 177.9% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 146 4.2% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
12% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 28 12% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
9.96% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 82 10.26% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$2.374 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$57.4 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$45.51 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$9.641 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 73 $10.86 billion (31 December 2007)
$8.279 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco; sheep, goats
Industries:
banking, tourism, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
9.03 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Electricity - consumption:
8.42 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 90
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
972 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Oil - consumption:
92,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 172
Oil - imports:
86,750 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 169
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 77
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Current account balance:
-$2.987 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 148 -$1.395 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$5.023 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 109 $4.077 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
jewelry, base metals, chemicals, miscellaneous consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper
Exports - partners:
Syria 24.9%, UAE 12.9%, Switzerland 6.6%, Saudi Arabia 6.1%, Turkey 4.2% (2008)
Imports:
$16.25 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 $11.93 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Syria 10.5%, France 9.5%, US 9.3%, Italy 7.3%, China 6.8%, Germany 4.9%, Saudi Arabia 4.8%, Turkey 4.2% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$28.28 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 46 $20.55 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$33.28 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 61 $31.6 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Lebanese pounds (LBP) per US dollar - 1,507.5 (2008 est.), 1,507.5 (2007), 1,507.5 (2006), 1,507.5 (2005), 1,507.5 (2004)
Communications ::Lebanon
Telephones - main lines in use:
714,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 89
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.43 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 134
Telephone system:
general assessment: repair of the telecommunications system, severely damaged during the civil war, now complete
domestic: two wireless networks provide good service; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 50 per 100 persons
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)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 20, FM 32 (plus about a dozen unlicensed stations operating), shortwave 4 (2007)
Television broadcast stations:
15 (plus 5 repeaters) (1995)
Internet country code:
.lb
Internet hosts:
45,352 (2009) country comparison to the world: 86
Internet users:
2.19 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 67
Transportation ::Lebanon
Airports:
7 (2009) country comparison to the world: 167
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 43 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 401 km country comparison to the world: 119 standard gauge: 319 km 1.435 m
narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050 m
note: rail system unusable because of the damage done during fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2008)
Roadways:
total: 6,970 km (includes 170 km of expressways) (2005) country comparison to the world: 148
Merchant marine:
total: 33 country comparison to the world: 84 by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 13, carrier 11, passenger/cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 2, vehicle carrier 2
foreign-owned: 4 (Greece 2, Syria 2)
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)
Ports and terminals:
Beirut, Tripoli
Military ::Lebanon
Military branches:
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Army (includes Navy), Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Lubnaniya) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,106,879
females age 16-49: 1,122,595 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 948,765
females age 16-49: 954,663 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 33,018
female: 31,800 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.1% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Transnational Issues ::Lebanon
Disputes - international:
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
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 405,425 (Palestinian refugees (UNRWA)); 50,000-60,000 (Iraq)
IDPs: 17,000 (1975-90 civil war, Israeli invasions); 200,000 (July-August 2006 war) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
cannabis cultivation dramatically reduced to 2,500 hectares in 2002 despite continued significant cannabis consumption; opium poppy cultivation minimal; 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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Lesotho (Africa)
Introduction ::Lesotho
Background:
Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled for the first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Botswanan military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections of February 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties continue to periodically demonstrate their distrust of the results.
Geography ::Lesotho
Location:
Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Geographic coordinates:
29 30 S, 28 30 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 30,355 sq km country comparison to the world: 141 land: 30,355 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 909 km
border countries: South Africa 909 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain:
mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m
highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
Natural resources:
water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone
Land use:
arable land: 10.87%
permanent crops: 0.13%
other: 89% (2005)
Irrigated land:
30 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
5.2 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.05 cu km/yr (40%/40%/20%)
per capita: 28 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m above sea level
People ::Lesotho
Population:
2,130,819 country comparison to the world: 142 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.8% (male 373,159/female 368,271)
15-64 years: 60.2% (male 629,346/female 654,054)
65 years and over: 5% (male 42,074/female 63,915) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.4 years
male: 20.9 years
female: 22 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.116% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 189
Birth rate:
24.14 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Death rate:
22.2 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
Net migration rate:
-0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 117
Urbanization:
urban population: 25% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 77.4 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 24 male: 81.75 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 72.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 40.38 years country comparison to the world: 221 male: 41.18 years
female: 39.54 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.06 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
23.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
270,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 26
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
18,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Nationality:
noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
adjective: Basotho
Ethnic groups:
Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%,
Religions:
Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
Languages:
Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84.8%
male: 74.5%
female: 94.5% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 10 years
male: 10 years
female: 10 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
13% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 2
Government ::Lesotho
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form: Lesotho
local long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
local short form: Lesotho
former: Basutoland
Government type:
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Maseru
geographic coordinates: 29 19 S, 27 29 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
Independence:
4 October 1966 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Constitution:
2 April 1993
Legal system:
based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: