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| Lebanon General Info |
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Area
10,452 square kilometres (4036 square miles).
Population
3,700,000 people (the official estimate for 2003).
Population Density
344 people per square kilometre.
Capital
Beirut.
Population of Beirut
1,171,000 (the official estimate for 2003).
Geography
Some key geographical facts:
 Lebanon lies to the east of the Mediterranean.
It shares borders to the north and east with the Syrian Arab Republic and to the south with Lebanon / Palestinian Territory.
Lebanon is a mountainous country and between the 2 mountain ranges of Jebel Lubnan (Mount Lebanon), Mount Hermon and the Anti-Lebanon range lies the fertile Bekaa Valley.
Approximately half of the country lies at an altitude of over 900 metres (3,000 feet).
Although a small country, Lebanon is packed such a variety of scenery that there are few places to equal it in beauty and choice.
The famous cedar trees grow high in the mountains, while the lower slopes bear grapes, plums, apricots, peaches, figs, olives and barley, often on terraces painstakingly cut out from the mountainsides.
On the coastal plain, bananas, citrus fruit and vegetables are cultivated, with radishes and beans grown in tiny patches.
Government
The government in Lebanon is Republic.
The Head of State has been President Emil Jamil Lahoud since 1998. His term of presidency was set to end in November 2004 but was controversially extended by another term (lasting 3 years) when the constitution was amended to allow Lahoud to remain in office.
The Head of Government has been Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri since 2000.
Language
The official language in Lebanon is Arabic, followed by French as the 2nd language, English is widely spoken. Armenian is spoken by a small percentage of the population.
Religion
Islam and Christianity are the main religions in Lebanon. Islam (predominantly Shi’ite) accounts for approximately 40 % of the population’s beliefs.
Christian denominations, mainly Greek Orthodox, Maronite, Armenian and Protestant account for another 40 %. Other religions account for the remaining 20 % (including a very small Jewish community).
Time Zone
Greenich Mean Time (GMT) + 2 (GMT + 3 from April to September).
Electricity
230 volts AC, 50Hz. |
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