BASIC INFORMATION (accurate as of October 2005)

Full Country Name: The Lebanese Republic (al-Jumhuriyah al-Lubnaniyah) Conventional short form: Lebanon (Lubnan)

Flag:

Area: 10,452 sq km (4,036 sq miles)

Location: Lebanon is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south

Population: 3.6m (Lebanon has not taken a census since 1932)

Capital City: Beirut (population: 1.6m, estimate 1996)

Administrative districts: 6 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Beirut, Beqaa, North Lebanon, South Lebanon, Mount Lebanon, Nabatiyeh.

People: 4 million, including an estimated 250,000 Palestinian refugees. The population is predominantly Arab (95%) with a sizeable Armenian minority (4%). The Lebanese diaspora is thought to total 14 million

Languages: Arabic (official), English, French, Armenian

Religions (estimates): One-third Christian (Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant), two-thirds Muslim (the largest sects being Shia, Sunni and Druze, respectively) Shia (34%), Sunni (21%), Druze (7%). There are 18 registered sects in Lebanon

Literacy: 86.4% of Lebanese aged over 15 can read and write (90.8% of men, 83.2% of women)

Currency: Lebanese Pound (Lira)

Politics: Numerous political parties exist, organised along mostly sectarian lines. Lebanon is a parliamentary republic with a centralised, multi-religious and multi-party government. Lebanon is described as a confessional democracy because its political power and government bureaucracy are organised according to religious groups. The constitution calls for a Maronite Christian president, a Sunni Muslim prime minister and a Shia Muslim speaker of parliament. The legal system is a mixture of Ottoman law, Canon law, Napoleonic code and civil law. Parliament has 128 seats, with members elected by popular vote on the basis of sectarian proportional representation to serve a 4-year term. 64 seats are assigned to Christian MPs, 64 to Muslim MPs.

Head of State: President Emile Lahoud

Prime Minister/Premier: Fouad Seniora

Foreign Minister: Fawzi Salloukh

Most recent elections: 29 May 2005

GDP: $18.2 billion

GDP per head: $5,000

Annual Growth: 1% (2000)

Inflation: 4.5%

Major Industries: Banking, food processing, jewellery, textiles, mineral and chemical products

Major trading partners: Exports: France 12%, US 10%, Saudi Arabia 9%, UAE 9%, Switzerland 6%. Imports: Italy 11%, France 9%, Germany 8%, Switzerland 7%, US 7%

Exchange rate: $1: L1,500

International dialing code: 961

For additional facts and figures, please visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office country profile on Lebanon.