Lebanon Facts

by countryaah · Published June 3, 2019 · Updated April 26, 2020

Lebanon, Middle East State; 10 450 km², 6.8 million residents (2019).Lebanon borders in the north and east to Syria and in the south to Israel and has a coast to the Mediterranean in the west. The capital is Beirut (1.6 million residents, 2018).

Country facts

al-Jumhūriyya al-Lubnāniyya / Republic of Lebanon
Country abbreviation: LB
Area: 10 452 km²
Population (2019): 6.8 million residents
Capital: Beirut
Main languages: Arabic
State: Republic
Head of State: Michel Aoun
Head of Government: Hassan Diab
Per capita GDP (2018): US $ 8,270
GNI per capita (2018): US $ 7,690
Currency unit: 1 pound = 100 piaster
Currency code: LBP
Country number (telephony): 961
Internet Domain Name: lb
Time difference compared to Sweden: +1
National Day: November 22 (Independence Day, 1943)

Nature

Land use: forest (8%), agricultural land (30%), other (62%)
Highest mountain: Qurnat as-Sawda (3,087 m asl)

Population

Population density (2019): 650 residents per km²
Natural population growth (2019): 1.3%; birth rate 17 ‰, death figure 4 ‰
Age structure (2019): 0-14 years (26%), 15-64 (67%), 65- (7%)
Life expectancy (2019): men 77 years, women 81 years
Infant mortality (2019): 9 per 1,000 live births
Population forecast 2050: 6 million residents
HDI (2017): 0.757 (place 80 of 189)
Urbanization rate (2019): 89%
Most populous cities (2018): Beirut (1.6 million residents), Tripoli (450,000)

Business

Industry’s contribution to GDP (2017): agriculture (4%), industry (13%), service (83%)
Exports (2017): US $ 3,524 million
Main export products: jewelry, metal, chemicals
Main exporting countries: China, United Arab Emirates, South Africa
Imports (2017): US $ 18,340 million
Main import products: oil products, vehicles, medicine
Main importing countries: China, Italy, Greece
Railway network (2017): 400 km

The majority of the country is met by a 170 km long and 10–55 km wide mountain ridge. To the west of it is a narrow coastal plain on the Mediterranean Sea, and east of the mountain ridge a fertile burial mound, Bekadalen, and east of it the mountain ridge Anti-Lebanon. The climate is of warm temperate, Mediterranean type and is characterized by proximity to the sea and the high mountains.

According to the constitution, elections to the parliament are to be held every four years, and the president is elected for six years. The President and the government share the executive power.

Lebanon has few natural resources, and trade and services have long been the dominant industries. The country became independent in 1944. Before the outbreak of the civil war in 1975, Lebanon was an important center of trade and finance for the Middle East. However, the prolonged war has seriously damaged the economy and led to great material destruction. During the 1990s, several economic reforms were implemented, including extensive privatization. Despite some stabilization of the economy, the country still has large trade and budget deficits.