Country Name

conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
conventional short form: Lebanon
local short form: Lubnan
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah

Government Democratic Republic
Capital Beirut
 Independence Day 22 November 1943
Executive Branch

Chief of state: President Emile LAHUD
Head of government: Prime Minister Najib Mikati

 

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; election last held 15 October 1998 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly; by custom, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a Shi'a Muslim

Flag

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

   

 

Location Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Syria and Palestine
   
Geographic Coordinates 33 50 N, 35 50 E
   
Area total: 10,452 sq km
water: around 170 sq km
land: around 10,230 sq km
   
Coastline 225 km
   
Climate Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows, suitable for winter sports
   
Highest & Lowest Elevation Points lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Qurnat as Sawda' 3,088 m
   
Natural Resources limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land
   
Main Rivers Litani & Hasbani rivers
 

 

 
Currency Lebanese Pounds (Lira)         $ 1 = approx. LBP 1,500
   
Currency LBP 250, LBP 500, LBP 1,000, LBP 5,000, LBP 10,000, LBP 20,000, LBP 50,000, LBP 100,000
   
GDP Approx $19 billion
   
Purchasing Power  $5,200
   
GDP Sector Contribution agriculture: 12%
industry: 21%
services: 67%
   
Labor Force 1.5 Million
   
Industries banking; food processing; jewelry; cement; textiles; mineral and chemical products; wood and furniture products; oil refining; metal fabricating
   
Exports Approx. $700 million
   
Exported Commodities foodstuffs and tobacco, textiles, chemicals, precious stones, metal and metal products, electrical equipment and products, jewelry, paper and paper products
   
Imports Approx. $6.5 billion
   
Imported Commodities foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, textiles, metals, fuels, agricultural foods
   

Key Figures:

Unit 2000 2001 2002 2003
Population Millions 3.50 3.60 3.65 4.04
Gross domestic product (GDP) Billions of US Dollars 16.50 16.80 17.90 19.62
GDP per capita US Dollars 4,486 4,663 4,907 4,858
GDP real growth Percent -0.5 0.8 1.0 1.0
Inflation Percent -1.0 0.5 4.0 2.5
Exports (fob) (goods) Millions of US Dollars 0.0 798.0 894.0 971.0
Exports Millions of US Dollars 715.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Imports (fob) (goods) Millions of US Dollars 0.0 7,290.0 6,180.0 6,525.0
Imports (cif) Millions of US Dollars 6,230.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Balance of trade Millions of US Dollars -5,515.0 -6,492.0 -5,280.0 -5,554.0
Current account Millions of US Dollars -3,065.0 -3,775.0 -3,990.0 -3.6
Total reserves minus gold Millions of US Dollars 5,943.7 5,013.8 7,244.0 0.0
Foreign exchange Millions of US Dollars 5,895.4 4,965.8 7,191.0 0.0
Exchange rate For 1 US Dollar 1,507.50 1,507.50 1,507.38 1,507.50
 
 
 
 
 
 
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