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
| Independence | 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration) |
|---|---|
| Capital City | Beirut (33°54′N 35°32′E) |
| Largest city | Beirut (33°54′N 35°32′E) |
| Total area | total: 10,400 sq km land: 10,230 sq km water: 170 sq km (about one-third the size of Maryland) |
| Population | 5,364,482 (2024 est.) |
| Continent | Asia |
| Demonym | Lebanese |
| National anthem | "Kulluna lil-watan" (All Of Us, For Our Country!) |
| National symbol | cedar tree |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 22 November (1943) |
| National colors | red, white, green |
| Official Languages | Arabic |
| Government type | parliamentary republic |
| President | Joseph Aoun |
| Prime Minister | Nawaf Salam |
| Borders | Israel and Syria |
| Suffrage | 21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education; excludes military personnel |
| Currency | Lebanese pound (LBP) |
| Religion | Muslim 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 birth | 79.2 years (2024 est.) |
| Literacy rate | 95.1% |
| Birth rate | 12.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
| Death rate | 5.6 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
| Sex ratio | 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.) |
| Climate | Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; the Lebanon Mountains experience heavy winter snows |
| Terrain | narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains |
| Mean elevation | 1,250 m |
| Lowest point | Mediterranean Sea 0 m |
| Highest point | Qornet es Saouda 3,088 m |
| Coastline | 225 km |
| Natural resources | limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land |
| Agricultural land | 63.3% |
| Industries | banking, tourism, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating |
| Exports - commodities | $11.77 billion (2023 est.) gold, jewelry, shotguns, diamonds, scrap copper (2019) |
| Imports - commodities | $23.313 billion (2023 est.) refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, jewelry, gold (2019) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $12,300 (2023 est.) |
| Time Zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| Internet country code | .lb |
| Calling Code | +961 |
| Drives on the | Right |
| Table last updated | February 27, 2025 |