30 Important Facts About Lebanon

Last updated on March 3rd, 2020

27. Lebanese people living abroad sent an estimate of 9 billion US dollars to their family members in Lebanon in 2014.

28. Lebanon is the only Middle Eastern country without a desert. They do not even have indigenous camels.

29. There are 21 major daily newspapers that serve the audience in Lebanon. However, the media is at the mercy of political parties for funding, which is also why most of which are biased.

30. The country also has the largest population of Christians of any Middle Eastern country.

Lebanon – country at a glance

Independence22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Capital CityBeirut
(33°54′N 35°32′E)
Largest cityBeirut
(33°54′N 35°32′E)
Total areatotal: 10,400 sq km

land: 10,230 sq km

water: 170 sq km
Population5,296,814 (2022 est.)
Literacy rate95.1%
ContinentAsia
DemonymLebanese
National anthem"Kulluna lil-watan" (All Of Us, For Our Country!)
National symbolcedar tree
National holidayIndependence Day, 22 November (1943)
National colorsred, white, green
Official LanguagesArabic
Government typeparliamentary republic
President Michel Aoun
Prime MinisterNajib Mikati
BordersIsrael and Syria
Suffrage21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education; excludes military personnel
CurrencyLebanese pound (LBP)
ReligionMuslim 54% (27% Sunni, 27% Shia), Christian 40.5% (includes 21% Maronite Catholic, 8% Greek Orthodox, 5% Greek Catholic, 6.5% other Christian), Druze 5.6%, very small numbers of Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, Hindus, and Mormons (est. 2012)
Life expectancy at birth78.76 Years (2022)
GDP - per capita (PPP)$11,600 (2020 est.)
Industriesbanking, tourism, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating
Exports - commodities$18.17 billion (2019 est.)
gold, jewelry, shotguns, diamonds, scrap copper (2019)
Imports - commodities$31.34 billion (2019 est.)
refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, jewelry, gold (2019)
ClimateMediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; the Lebanon Mountains experience heavy winter snows
Terrainnarrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Mean elevation1,250 m
Lowest pointMediterranean Sea 0 m
Highest pointQornet es Saouda 3,088 m
Natural resourceslimestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land
Agricultural land63.3%
Birth rate13.1 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate5.57 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Sex ratio1 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Time ZoneEET (UTC+2)
Internet country code.lb
Calling Code+961
Drives on theRight
Table last updatedAugust 1, 2022