STATISTICS: LEBANON

Lebanon Official name: Al-Jumhuriyah al-Lubnaniyah (Republic of Lebanon). Form of government: unitary multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly ){1}. Chief of state: President. Head of government: Prime Minister. Capital: Beirut. Official language: Arabic. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 Lebanese pound (L) = 100 piastres; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = L 1,512; 1 = L 2,574. Demography Population (1998): 3,506,000. Density (1998): persons per sq mi 873.0, persons per sq km 337.1. Urban-rural (1995): urban 87.2%; rural 12.8%. Sex distribution (1995): male 48.74%; female 51.26%. Age breakdown (1994): under 15, 33.2%; 15-29, 29.3%; 30-44, 18.6%; 45-59, 11.1%; 60-74, 6.3%; 75 and over, 1.5%. Population projection: (2000) 3,620,000; (2010) 4,164,000. Doubling time: 35 years. Ethnic composition (1996): Arab c. 93%, of which Lebanese c. 84%, Palestinian c. 9%; Armenian c. 6%; Kurd and other c. 1%. Religious affiliation (1995): Muslim 55.3%, of which Shi'i 34.0%, Sunni 21.3%; Christian 37.6%, of which Catholic 25.1% (Maronite 19.0%, Greek Catholic or Melchite 4.6%), Orthodox 11.7% (Greek Orthodox 6.0%, Armenian Apostolic 5.2%), Protestant 0.5%; Druze 7.1%. Major cities (1991): Beirut 1,100,000; Tripoli 240,000; Juniyah 100,000; Zahlah 45,000{2}; Sidon (Sayda) 38,000{2}; Tyre 14,000{2}. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1990-95): 26.9 (world avg. 25.0). Death rate per 1,000 population (1990-95): 7.1 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1990-95): 19.8 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1990-95): 3.1. Life expectancy at birth (1990-95): male 66.6 years; female 70.5 years. Major causes of death: n.a. National economy Budget (1996). Revenue: L 4,022,000,000,000 (indirect taxes 46.7%, of which customs revenues 44.7%; direct taxes 14.3%, of which income tax 8.7%, property tax 3.1%; real estate fees 6.8%; miscellaneous taxes and fees 32.2%). Expenditures: L 6,458,000,000,000 (current expenditures 86.0%, of which debt service 40.3%, salaries and wages 34.7%; capital expenditures 14.0%). Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1997): grapes 350,000, potatoes 320,000, tomatoes 240,000, oranges 185,000, cucumbers and gherkins 162,000, apples 136,000, lemons and limes 99,500, olives 85,000, onions 72,000; livestock (number of live animals) 425,000 goats, 246,000 sheep, 80,000 cattle, 29,000,000 chickens; roundwood (1995) 515,000 cu m; fish catch (1995) 4,385. Mining and quarrying (1994): lime 15,000; salt 3,000; gypsum 2,000. Manufacturing (1993): cement 3,422,411{3}; distillate fuel 85,000; gasoline 70,000. Construction (1996): 13,499,868 sq m{4}. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1995) 5,281,000,000 (5,005,000,000); coal, n.a. (none); crude petroleum (barrels; 1993) none (2,602,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 1993) 323,000 ( 3,493,000). Land use (1994): forested 7.8%; meadows and pastures 1.0%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 29.9%; wasteland and other areas 61.3%. Gross national product (1996): U.S.$12,118,000,000 (U.S.$2,970 per capita). Population economically active (1995): total 1,028,000; activity rate of total population 25.4% (participation rates: over age 15 44%; female c. 30%; unemployed n.a.). Public debt (external, outstanding; 1996): U.S.$1,933,000,000. Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1987) 5.0; average annual income per household (1994) L 2,400,000 (U.S.$1,430); sources of income (1974): wages 27.9%, transfers 3.0%, other 69.1%; expenditure (1966){5}: food 42.8%, housing 16.8%, clothing 8.6%, health care 7.2%. Tourism (1995): receipts from visitors U.S.$710,000,000. Foreign trade{6} Imports (1995): U.S.$7,295,000,000 (machinery and transport equipment 27.0%, metals and metal products 9.8%, mineral products 8.8%, processed food 7.8%, chemicals 6.7%). Major import sources: Italy 13.0%; U.S. 10.6%; Germany 8.4%; France 7.6%; Switzerland 4.6%. Exports (1995): U.S.$985,000,000 (reexports 27.7%, paper products 21.8%, food and live animals 14.5%, machinery and transport equipment 9.5%, fibres and fibre products 8.2%, pearls and semiprecious stones and metals 7.0%, metals and metal products 6.7%). Major export destinations{7}: U.A.E. 28.8%; Saudi Arabia 11.2%; Syria 8.5%; France 6.1%; Jordan 3.5%. Transport Transport. Railroads (1996){8}: length 222 km. Roads (1996): total length 6,359 km (paved 95%). Vehicles (1995): passenger cars 1,197,521; trucks and buses 84,736. Merchant marine (1992): vessels(100 gross tons and over) 163; total deadweight tonnage 438,165. Air transport (1996){9}: passenger-km 1,889,000,000; metric ton-km cargo 46,274,000; airports (1997) with scheduled flights 1. Education and health Educational attainment: n.a. Literacy (1995): total population age 15 and over literate 1,829,000 (92.4%); males literate 94.7%; females literate 90.3%. Health (1995): physicians 6,987 (1 per 529 persons); hospital beds 11,596 (1 per 319 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (1990-95) 34.0. Food (1995): daily per capita caloric intake 3,270 (vegetable products 85.6%, animal products 14.4%); 132% of FAO recommended minimum. Military Total active duty personnel (1997): Lebanese national armed forces 55,100 (army 96.7%, navy 1.8%, air force 1.5%). External regular military forces include: UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon 4,488; Syrian army 30,000. Two civilian militias remained active in 1997, though on a much-reduced scale{10}: Shi'i Muslim (pro-Iran Hezbollah [Party of God]) 3,000; predominantly Maronite Christian and some Shi'i and Druze (South Lebanese Army) 2,500. Military expenditure as percentage of GDP (1995): 3.7% (world 2.8%); per capita expenditure: U.S.$111. {1} The current legislature was elected between August and October 1996; one-half of its membership is Christian and one-half Muslim/Druze. {2} 1988 estimate. {3} 1995. {4} Permits authorized. {5} Weights based on consumer price index components. For capital city only. {6} Imports are f.o.b. in balance of trade and c.i.f. in commodities and trading partners. {7} Domestic exports only; reexports not included. {8} Apart from a 14-mi (23-km) section delivering oil from the Zahrani refinery to a thermal power station serving Beirut, no passenger or general cargo track is currently in use. {9} MEA-Airliban international flights only. {10} Active personnel.