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Lebanon
Lebanon
 
Capital: Beirut
Area size: 10230 sq. km Slightly smaller than Northern Ireland
Time zone: GMT +2
Currency: Lebanese pound
Area code: (+) 961
Driving: Right
Climate description: Warm, hot and humid summers along the coast, while winters are mild with rain. Inland, summers are drier, cool and fresh, with snow on higher peaks between December and April.
 

People
Standard of living
Economy & aid
Health
Disasters, conflict & migration
Language
Arabic is the official and predominant language and French and English are spoken.

Population
2007 4.1 million U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006)
2006 4.1 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2005 4.0 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2004 4.0 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2003 3.9 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2002 3.9 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2001 3.8 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2000 3.8 million U.N. DESA (2006)

Future population estimates
5.4 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2006)

Ethnic groups
Lebanese Arabs 80 percent. There is a significant Palestinian minority, as well as Armenians, Syrians, Kurds and Europeans.
Source: NI World Guide

Religion
Muslims make up more than half of the population, with a Shia majority. There is a large Christian population, predominantly Catholic and Maronite but also Orthodox Christians. There is a sizeable Druze minority.
Source: NI World Guide

Percentage urban population
2007 86.9 percent U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005
2006 86.7 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2005 86.6 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2004 86.5 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2003 86.4 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2002 86.2 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2001 86.1 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2000 86.0 percent U.N. DESA (2005)

Year women granted right to vote
1952
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.

Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
82 (2006)
Source: U.N. Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)

Percentage of population under 15
2005 28.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 29.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 29.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 29.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 30.2 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 31.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002


Average life expectancy
2005 71.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 72.2 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 72.0 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 73.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 73.3 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 73.1 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - male
2005 69.4 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 70.1 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 69.8 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 71.8 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 71.7 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 71.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - female
2005 73.7 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 74.4 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 74.2 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 75.0 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 74.8 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 74.6 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Infant mortality
2006 26 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005 27 per 1,000 live births U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007
2004 27 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003 27 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 28 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 28 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 28 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
2006 30 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005 30 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
2004 31 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003 31 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 32 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2004

Births attended by skilled personnel
1997-2005 No data available percent
1996-2004 89 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1995-2003 89 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1995-2002 89 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1995-2001 88 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
1995-2000 88 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Maternal mortality
2005 150 per 100,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2000 150 per 100,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2006

Human development index (HDI rank)
2005 88 UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 78 UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 81 UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 80 UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 83 UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 75 UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
2000-2006 4 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
1996-2005 4 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
1996-2004 3 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
1995-2003 3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1995-2002 3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1995-2000 No data available percent

Percentage of undernourished population
2002-2004 average 3 percent U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2006
2001-2003average 3 percent FAO 2006

Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.

Population with access to improved water
2004 100 percent UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006
2002 100 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2000 100 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004

Population with access to improved sanitation
2004 98 percent UNICEF and WHO 2006
2002 98 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2000 98 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004

Literacy - average
2004 No data available percent
2003 86.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 No data available percent
2001 86.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 86.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Literacy - male
2004 No data available percent
2003 92.4 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 92.4 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 92.4 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 92.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Literacy - female
2004 No data available percent
2003 81.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 81.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 81.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 80.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Landlines telephones
2006 189 per 1,000 people International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2007
2005 178 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2004 178 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2003 200 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2002 199 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2001 187 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2000 175 per 1,000 people ITU 2007

Cellular telephone subscribers
2006 305 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2005 278 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2004 249 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2003 227 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2002 227 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2001 229 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2000 226 per 1,000 people ITU 2007

Internet users
2006 263 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2005 196 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2004 169 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2003 143 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2002 117 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2001 78 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2000 91 per 1,000 people ITU 2007

Transparency International corruption ranking (1=least corrupt, 179=most corrupt)
2007 99 (joint) Transparency International 2007
2006 63 (joint) Transparency International
2005 83 (joint) Transparency International
2004 97 (joint) Transparency International
2003 78 (joint) Transparency International
2002 Not ranked
2001 Not ranked
2000 Not ranked

Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
Yes (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Yes (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

International humanitarian aid flows
Access the Financial Tracking Service, a global real-time database which records all reported humanitarian aid - including that for NGOs, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, bilateral aid, in-kind aid and private donations - searchable by country.
Source: Financial Tracking Service, ReliefWeb

Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
No data available percent

GNI per capita, Atlas method
2006 5580  current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 5520 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 5580 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 4830 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 4520 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 4570 current US$ WorldBankDataProfileTables2008
2000 4580 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country’s exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.

GDP
2006 22.7 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 21.5 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 21.5 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 19.8 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 18.7 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 17.2 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000 16.8 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Annual GDP growth
2005 1 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2004 6.3 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2003 4.2 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2002 3.2 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2001 4.5 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2000 1.7 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007

Annual inflation
2005 0.3 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2004 2.9 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2003 1.6 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2002 5.3 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2001 -2.1 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2000 -2.8 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007

Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available

Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available

Physicians
2000-2004 325 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1990-2004 325 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1990-2003 274 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1990-2002 274 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
2005 No data available percent
2003 0.1 percent U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2006

Malaria
No risk
Source: WHO

TB cases
2006 11 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2005 11 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2004 11 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2003 12 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2002 14 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2001 16 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2000 18 per 100,000 people WHO 2008

Chronology of natural disasters
Access EM-DAT, a database of natural disasters from 1900 to the present - death tolls and numbers of affected people - searchable by country.
Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium

Number of refugees originating here
2006 12252 Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
2005 18323 UNHCR
2004 19866 UNHCR
2003 24932 UNHCR
2002 26320 UNHCR
2001 8763 UNHCR
2000 10215 UNHCR

Number of refugees residing here
2006 20164 UNHCR
2005 1078 UNHCR
2004 1753 UNHCR
2003 2522 UNHCR
2002 2820 UNHCR
2001 2815 UNHCR
2000 2672 UNHCR

Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
2008 90000-390000 Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) 2008
2007 90000 - 390000 Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) 2008
2006 216000 - 800000 IDMC 2006
2005 50000 - 600000 IDMC 2006

Landmine casualties per year
2004 14 Landmine Monitor Report 2005
2003 26 Landmine Monitor Report 2004

Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
No
Source: Landmine Monitor Report

Percentage of GDP spent on military
2005 4.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 3.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 4.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005

Percentage of GDP spent on education
2002-2005 2.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2002-2004 2.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2000-2002 2.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1999-2001 2.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1998-2000 3.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage of GDP spent on health
2004 3.2 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2003-2004 3.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2002 3.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2001 No data available percent
2000 No data available percent


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