General information about Lebanon
According to bridgat, the official name is the Lebanese Republic (Al Jumhuriya al Lubnania, Lebanese Republic). It is located in Western Asia on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The area is 10.452 thousand km2, the population is 3.678 million people. (2002). The official language is Arabic. The capital is Beirut (1.3 million people, with suburbs 1.9 million people, 2001). Public holiday – Independence Day November 22 (since 1943). The monetary unit is the Lebanese pound.
Member of the UN (since 1945), Arab League (since 1945), WTO (since 1999 as an observer), etc.
Geography of Lebanon
Located in the Eastern Mediterranean between 33° and 34°40′ N, 35° and 36°40′ E. The western part of Lebanon is washed by the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon has land borders in the south with Israel, and in the east and north with Syria. The length of the coastline from north to south is 210 km. The width of the country is in different places from 34 to 100 km. In a number of places, the rocky coastline is indented by small bays. Two mountain ranges run parallel to the coast: the Lebanese Range (Jabel Lubnan), the largest mountain range in the Eastern Mediterranean, and Anti-Lebanon (Jabel al-Sharqi). The highest point of the Lebanese Range is the peak of Kornet al-Saud (3038 m). The mountains are made up of limestone and sandstone. Along the coast stretches the coastal plain of al-Sahel, very narrow in the north and in the central part, excluding the cape on which Beirut stands. The far seaside (al-Wasat), located above the Sahl, covers the western slope up to a height of 1500 m. In the highland zone of Lebanon (al-Jurd), the soils are predominantly stony with pebble scree, and rare vegetation is found. The Bekaa Valley, a high mountain plateau 130 km long, 8-10 km wide and 900 m above sea level, separates the Lebanese Range and the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. The middle part of the valley is covered with red soil, in the northern part of the valley there are rocky desert areas. The three largest rivers of the Eastern Mediterranean originate in the Lebanese mountains: al-Asi (Orontes), al-Litani (Leont) and al-Urdun (Jordan). a high-altitude plateau 130 km long, 8-10 km wide and 900 m above sea level, separates the Lebanese Range and the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. The middle part of the valley is covered with red soil, in the northern part of the valley there are rocky desert areas. The three largest rivers of the Eastern Mediterranean originate in the Lebanese mountains: al-Asi (Orontes), al-Litani (Leont) and al-Urdun (Jordan). a high-altitude plateau 130 km long, 8-10 km wide and 900 m above sea level, separates the Lebanese Range and the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. The middle part of the valley is covered with red soil, in the northern part of the valley there are rocky desert areas. The three largest rivers of the Eastern Mediterranean originate in the Lebanese mountains: al-Asi (Orontes), al-Litani (Leont) and al-Urdun (Jordan).
The warm sea and two mountain ranges divide Lebanon into three main climatic zones: coast, mountains and hinterland. On the coast, the climate is subtropical Mediterranean with warm summers and mild winters. In the mountains on the western slopes of the Lebanon Range, the climate is temperate in summer and cool in winter, with thick snow cover for several months of the year. The Bekaa Valley has a pronounced continental climate: hot and dry summers, cold and harsh winters.
Palm trees, cypresses, figs, olive trees, citrus and fruit trees, bananas, grapes grow on the coast. Apples, peaches, apricots, pears, nuts, and mulberries grow on higher plots. Holly, carob and oak are common up to a height of 100 m. Up to 1800 m there are various types of pine and spruce. Cedars have been preserved in very small numbers in the form of several groups of trees located at an altitude of 1000-2000 m. Maple, poplar, ash, hornbeam, dogwood, and wild walnut grow in the Oronte Valley.
Large mammals include jackals and hyenas. Voles, grasshoppers, lizards and other small animals serve as food for eagles, falcons, sea eagles, hawks. Snakes live in the mountains and desert areas.
Population of Lebanon
Population growth in 2002 is 1.36%. Birth rate 19.96%, mortality 6.35%, infant mortality 27.39 people. per 1000 newborns, life expectancy is 71.79 years (including men 69.38; women 74.32).
Sex and age structure of the population: 0-14 years – 27.3% (men 511,902, women 491,804), 15-64 years – 65.9% (1,157,688 men and 1,267,106 women), 65 years and older – 6, 8% (113,341 men and 135,939 women) (2002). Lebanon has always been considered a country with a high literacy rate. According to 1997 data, 88.4% of Lebanese over the age of 15, including 90.8% of men and 82.2% of women, are literate.
Lebanese live mainly in cities – 90%, rural population 10% (2001). Settlement density 1 person. at 306 km2. The Coastal Plain and the Far Seashore are densely populated and heavily cultivated. In the highlands of Lebanon, settlements are located at an altitude of no more than 1600 m, while agricultural land is found up to an altitude of 1900 m.
Lebanon is 95% Arab, 4% Armenian and 1% other ethnic groups. Languages: Arabic, French, English, Armenian are also common.
In 2002, Muslims made up 70% of the Lebanese population (including Sunnis, Shiites, Druze, Alawites, Ismailis), while Christians (Maronites, Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants) represent 30% of Lebanese. Beirut is considered a multi-confessional city, where representatives of various religious communities settle in certain areas. Thus, West Beirut is considered predominantly Muslim, East and North Beirut – Christian. Sunnis and Christians live in the northern regions of the country, in Tripoli and in Said. Tire and the southern regions of Lebanon are predominantly Shiites, as well as Christians of various churches. In the Beqaa Valley and Baalbek, the population is mainly Shia, but the city of Zahle is inhabited by Christians.
