Post by Bozur on Feb 27, 2005 4:17:58 GMT -5
Thursday, February 24, 2005 · Last updated 1:00 p.m. PT
Facts, figures on Lebanon
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Here are some facts and figures on Lebanon:
THE LAND - Lebanon lies in the eastern Mediterranean and covers about 4,020 square miles. From a narrow coastal strip, the land rises steeply to the Mount Lebanon range whose highest peak reaches 10,131 feet.
THE PEOPLE - Muslims make up at least 60 percent of the estimated 3.5 million population. The rest are Christians. A census has not been held since 1932, when the French carried out one, because the sectarian breakdown is politically very sensitive. There are 18 religious sects. The biggest is the Shiite Muslims who number about 1.2 million. The country's makeup reflects waves of people fleeing persecution who took refuge in the rugged mountains. Lebanon also hosts about 350,000 Palestinian refugees.
THE HISTORY - Some Lebanese claim descent from the Phoenicians. Assyrians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Mamelukes, Arabs and Ottoman Turks all ruled what is now Lebanon. After World War I, Lebanon was put under a French mandate. It gained independence in 1943. The Christians dominated, but Muslim demands for political reforms helped trigger the 1975-90 civil war. Some 150,000 people were killed in the fighting, in which Syria and Israel intervened. The warring parties signed an Arab-brokered agreement in 1989 that ended the war a year later. The conflict had dismembered Lebanon into sectarian statelets, but the peace reunited it. Israel withdrew from parts of south Lebanon in 2000. Syrian troops remained in many parts of the country and Damascus emerged as the main power broker.
THE POLITICS - Lebanon's political system is drawn from the country's multisectarian makeup. The presidency is allotted to a Maronite Catholic; the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of parliament a Shiite Muslim. The Cabinet and the parliament's 128 seats are divided equally between Christians and Muslims. Parliament is elected by the people - the last election was in mid-2000 - and the prime minister is appointed by the president. The president is elected for a six-year term by parliament. In 1996, parliament amended the constitution to give President Elias Hrawi another two years in office. In 2004, parliament again amended the constitution to extend President Emile Lahoud's term by three more years.
THE ECONOMY - Lebanon has few natural resources so, for centuries, the people have specialized in commerce. The tradition originated with the ancient Phoenicians who controlled Mediterranean trade. Before the civil war, Lebanon was the commercial center of the Middle East and its currency was one of the strongest in the region. It was also a major tourist center. The war gutted the economy and destroyed much of the infrastructure. After the war, a multimillion dollar reconstruction program rebuilt central Beirut and other facilities, but plunged the country into debt, estimated at over $32 billion.
Facts, figures on Lebanon
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Here are some facts and figures on Lebanon:
THE LAND - Lebanon lies in the eastern Mediterranean and covers about 4,020 square miles. From a narrow coastal strip, the land rises steeply to the Mount Lebanon range whose highest peak reaches 10,131 feet.
THE PEOPLE - Muslims make up at least 60 percent of the estimated 3.5 million population. The rest are Christians. A census has not been held since 1932, when the French carried out one, because the sectarian breakdown is politically very sensitive. There are 18 religious sects. The biggest is the Shiite Muslims who number about 1.2 million. The country's makeup reflects waves of people fleeing persecution who took refuge in the rugged mountains. Lebanon also hosts about 350,000 Palestinian refugees.
THE HISTORY - Some Lebanese claim descent from the Phoenicians. Assyrians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Mamelukes, Arabs and Ottoman Turks all ruled what is now Lebanon. After World War I, Lebanon was put under a French mandate. It gained independence in 1943. The Christians dominated, but Muslim demands for political reforms helped trigger the 1975-90 civil war. Some 150,000 people were killed in the fighting, in which Syria and Israel intervened. The warring parties signed an Arab-brokered agreement in 1989 that ended the war a year later. The conflict had dismembered Lebanon into sectarian statelets, but the peace reunited it. Israel withdrew from parts of south Lebanon in 2000. Syrian troops remained in many parts of the country and Damascus emerged as the main power broker.
THE POLITICS - Lebanon's political system is drawn from the country's multisectarian makeup. The presidency is allotted to a Maronite Catholic; the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of parliament a Shiite Muslim. The Cabinet and the parliament's 128 seats are divided equally between Christians and Muslims. Parliament is elected by the people - the last election was in mid-2000 - and the prime minister is appointed by the president. The president is elected for a six-year term by parliament. In 1996, parliament amended the constitution to give President Elias Hrawi another two years in office. In 2004, parliament again amended the constitution to extend President Emile Lahoud's term by three more years.
THE ECONOMY - Lebanon has few natural resources so, for centuries, the people have specialized in commerce. The tradition originated with the ancient Phoenicians who controlled Mediterranean trade. Before the civil war, Lebanon was the commercial center of the Middle East and its currency was one of the strongest in the region. It was also a major tourist center. The war gutted the economy and destroyed much of the infrastructure. After the war, a multimillion dollar reconstruction program rebuilt central Beirut and other facilities, but plunged the country into debt, estimated at over $32 billion.