330 lines
26 KiB
Plaintext
330 lines
26 KiB
Plaintext
LEBANON
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 10,400 km2; land area: 10,230 km2
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Comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Connecticut
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Land boundaries: 454 km total; Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
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Coastline: 225 km
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Maritime claims:
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Disputes: separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line;
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Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in
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northern Lebanon since October 1976
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Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry
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summers
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Terrain: narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa (Bekaa Valley)
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separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
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Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt; water-surplus state
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in a water-deficit region
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Land use: arable land 21%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures
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1%; forest and woodland 8%; other 61%; includes irrigated 7%
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Environment: rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect,
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and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, ethnicity;
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deforestation; soil erosion; air and water pollution; desertification
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Note: Nahr al Litani only major river in Near East
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not crossing an international boundary
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PEOPLE
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Population: 3,384,626 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
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Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 7 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 71 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Lebanese (sing., pl.); adjective--Lebanese
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Ethnic divisions: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
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Religion: Islam 75%, Christian 25%, Judaism NEGL%; 17 legally
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recognized sects--4 Orthodox Christian (Armenian Orthodox, Greek
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Orthodox, Nestorean, Syriac Orthodox), 7 Uniate Christian (Armenian
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Catholic, Caldean, Greek Catholic, Maronite, Protestant, Roman Catholic,
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Syrian Catholic), 5 Islam (Alawite or Nusayri, Druze, Ismailite,
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Shia, Sunni), and 1 Jewish
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Language: Arabic and French (both official); Armenian, English
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Literacy: 80% (male 88%, female 73%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1990 est.)
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Labor force: 650,000; industry, commerce, and services 79%,
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agriculture 11%, goverment 10% (1985)
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Organized labor: 250,000 members (est.)
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GOVERNMENT
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Note: Between early 1975 and late 1976 Lebanon was torn by civil
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war between its Christians--then aided by Syrian troops--and its Muslims
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and their Palestinian allies. The cease-fire established in October
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1976 between the domestic political groups generally held for about six
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years, despite occasional fighting. Syrian troops constituted as the Arab
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Deterrent Force by the Arab League have remained in Lebanon. Syria's
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move toward supporting the Lebanese Muslims and the Palestinians and
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Israel's growing support for Lebanese Christians brought the two sides
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into rough equilibrium, but no progress was made toward national
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reconciliation or political reforms--the original cause of the war.
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Continuing Israeli concern about the Palestinian presence in
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Lebanon led to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982. Israeli
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forces occupied all of the southern portion of the country and mounted a
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summer-long siege of Beirut, which resulted in the evacuation of the
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PLO from Beirut in September under the supervision of a multinational
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force (MNF) made up of US, French, and Italian troops.
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Within days of the departure of the MNF, Lebanon's newly elected
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president, Bashir Gemayel, was assassinated. In the wake of his death,
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Christian militiamen massacred hundreds of Palestinian refugees in two
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Beirut camps. This prompted the return of the MNF to ease the security
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burden on Lebanon's weak Army and security forces. In late March 1984
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the last MNF units withdrew.
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Lebanese Parliamentarians met in Taif, Saudi Arabia in late 1989
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and concluded a national reconciliation pact that codified a new
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power-sharing formula, specifiying a Christian president but giving
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Muslims more authority. Rene Muawad was subsequently elected president on
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4 November 1989, ending a 13-month period during which Lebanon had no
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president and rival Muslim and Christian governments. Muawad was
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assassinated 17 days later, on 22 November; on 24 November Ilyas Harawi
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was elected to succeed Muawad.
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In October 1990, the chances for ending the 16 year old civil war
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and implementing Ta'if were markedly improved when Syrian and Lebanese
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forces ousted renegade Christian General Awn from his stronghold in East
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Beirut. Awn had defied the legitimate government and established a
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separate mini-state within East Beirut after being appointed acting
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Prime Minister by outgoing President Gemayel in 1988. Awn and his
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supporters feared Ta'if would diminish Christian power in Lebanon
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and increase the influence of Syria.
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Since the removal of Awn, the Lebanese Government has reunited the
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capital city and implemented a phased plan to disarm the militias
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and gradually reestablish authority throughout Lebanon. The army has
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deployed from Beirut north along the coast road to Tripoli, southeast
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into the Shuf mountains, and south to the vicinity of Sidon. Many
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militiamen from Christian and Muslim groups have evacuated Beirut
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for their strongholds in the north, south, and east of the country.
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Some heavy weapons possessed by the militias have been turned over to
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the government, which has begun a plan to integrate some militiamen
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into the military and the internal security forces.
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Lebanon and Syria signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation in
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May 1991. Lebanon continues to be partially occupied by Syrian troops,
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which are deployed in East and West Beirut, its southern suburbs,
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the Bekaa Valley, and throughout northern Lebanon.
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Iran also maintains a small contingent of revolutionary guards
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in the Bekaa Valley and South Lebanon to support Lebanese Islamic
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fundamentalist groups.
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Israel withdrew the bulk of its forces from the south in 1985,
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although it still retains troops in a 10-km-deep security zone north
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of its border with Lebanon. Israel arms and trains the Army of South
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Lebanon (ASL), which also occupies the security zone and is Israel's
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first line of defense against attacks on its northern border.
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The following description is based on the present constitutional
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and customary practices of the Lebanese system.
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Long-form name: Republic of Lebanon; note--may be changed to
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Lebanese Republic
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Type: republic
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Capital: Beirut
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Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat,
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singular--muhafazah); Al Biqa, Al Janub, Ash Shamal,
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Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan
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Independence: 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate
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under French administration)
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Constitution: 26 May 1926 (amended)
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Legal system: mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code,
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and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted
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compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
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Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet; note--by
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custom, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a
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Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a Shia Muslim
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Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Arabic--Majlis
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Alnuwab, French--Assemblee Nationale)
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Judicial branch: four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil
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and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases)
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--Ilyas HARAWI (since 24 November 1989);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister Umar KARAMI (since 20
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December 1990)
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Political parties and leaders: political party activity is
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organized along largely sectarian lines; numerous political groupings
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exist, consisting of individual political figures and followers
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motivated by religious, clan, and economic considerations; most parties
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have well-armed militias, which are still involved in occasional clashes
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Suffrage: compulsory for all males at age 21; authorized for women
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at age 21 with elementary education
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Elections:
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National Assembly--elections should be held every four years
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but security conditions have prevented elections since May 1972
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Communists: the Lebanese Communist Party was legalized in 1970;
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members and sympathizers estimated at 2,000-3,000
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Member of: ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24,
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G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
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INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
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UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Nassib S. LAHOUD;
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Chancery at 2560 28th Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
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939-6300; there are Lebanese Consulates General in Detroit, New York, and
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Los Angeles;
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US--Ambassador Ryan C. CROCKER; Embassy at Antelias, Beirut
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(mailing address is P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut, and FPO New York 09530);
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telephone 961 417774 or 415802, 415803, 402200, 403300
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Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width),
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and red with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the white band
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ECONOMY
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Overview: Since 1975 civil war has seriously damaged Lebanon's
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economic infrastructure, disrupted economic activity, and all but ended
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Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub.
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Following October 1990, however, a tentative peace has enabled the
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central government to begin restoring control in Beirut, collect taxes,
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and regain access to key port and government facilities. The battered
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economy has also been propped up by a financially sound banking system
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and resilient small- and medium-scale manufacturers. Family remittances,
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foreign financial support to political factions, the narcotics trade, and
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international emergency aid are main sources of foreign exchange.
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Economic prospects for 1991 have brightened, particularly if the
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Syrian-backed government is able to maintain law and order and
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reestablish business confidence. Rebuilding war-ravaged Beirut is likely
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to provide a major stimulus to the Lebanese economy in 1991.
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GDP: $3.3 billion, per capita $1,000; real growth rate - 15%
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(1990 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 100% (1990 est.)
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Unemployment rate: 35% (1990 est.)
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Budget: revenues $120 million; expenditures $1.0 billion, including
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capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
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Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
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commodities--agricultural products, chemicals, textiles, precious
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and semiprecious metals and jewelry, metals and metal products;
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partners--Saudi Arabia 16%, Switzerland 8%, Jordan 6%, Kuwait 6%,
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US 5%
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Imports: $1.9 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
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commodities--NA;
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partners--Italy 14%, France 12%, US 6%, Turkey 5%, Saudi Arabia 3%
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External debt: $900 million (1990 est.)
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Industrial production: growth rate NA%
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Electricity: 1,381,000 kW capacity; 3,870 million kWh produced,
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1,170 kWh per capita (1989)
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Industries: banking, food processing, textiles, cement, oil
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refining, chemicals, jewelry, some metal fabricating
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Agriculture: accounts for about one-third of GDP; principal
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products--citrus fruits, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp
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(hashish), sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in grain
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Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the
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international drug trade; opium poppy production in Al Biqa
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is increasing; hashish production is shipped to Western Europe, Israel,
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and the Middle East
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $356
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $608 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $962 million;
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Communist countries (1970-89), $9 million
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Currency: Lebanese pound (plural--pounds);
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1 Lebanese pound (LL) = 100 piasters
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Exchange rates: Lebanese pounds (LL) per US$1--974.22 (January
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1991), 695.09 (1990), 496.69 (1989), 409.23 (1988), 224.60 (1987), 38.37
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(1986), 16.42 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 378 km total; 296 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 82 km
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1.050-meter gauge; all single track; system almost entirely inoperable
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Highways: 7,370 km total; 6,270 km paved, 450 km gravel and crushed
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stone, 650 km improved earth
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Pipelines: crude oil, 72 km (none in operation)
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Ports: Beirut, Tripoli, Ras Silata, Juniyah, Sidon,
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Az Zahrani, Tyre, Shikka; northern ports are occupied by Syrian
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forces and southern ports are occupied or partially quarantined by
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Israeli forces
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Merchant marine: 60 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 257,220
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GRT/379,691 DWT; includes 39 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 2 vehicle
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carrier, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 container, 8 livestock carrier, 1
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petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker,
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1 specialized tanker, 3 bulk, 1 combination bulk
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Civil air: 15 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 9 total, 8 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
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2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m; none under the direct control of the
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Lebanese Government
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Telecommunications: rebuilding program disrupted; had fair system
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of radio relay, cable; 325,000 telephones; stations--5 AM, 3 FM, 15 TV;
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1 inactive Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station; 3 submarine
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coaxial cables; radio relay to Jordan and Syria, inoperable
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Army (includes Navy and Air Force)
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 725,974; 449,912 fit for
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military service
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Defense expenditures: $168 million, 7.3% of GDP (1991)
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