Location: Middle East, bordering the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria.

Geographic coordinates: 33 50 N, 35 50 E

Area: total: 10,452 sq. km

Land boundaries: total : 454 km border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km

Coastline: 225 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea : 12 NM

Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows

Terrain: narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa' (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains

Elevation extremes: lowest point : Mediterranean Sea 0m highest point: Jabal al Makmal 3,087m

Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region

Land use: arable land : 21% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 8% other: 61% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 860 sq. km (1993 est.)

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: Nahr al Litani only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity

People

Population: 3,449,578 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 30% (male 531,171; female 511,522) 15-64 years: 64% (male 1,036,728; female 1,150,847) 65 years and over: 6% (male 100,682; female 118,628) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.62% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 22.74 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 6.56 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 32.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population : 70.35 years male: 67.82 years female : 73 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.32 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Lebanese (singular and plural) adjective: Lebanese

Ethnic groups: Arab 55%, Levantine 40%, Armenian 4%, other 1%

Religions: Christian and Muslim. Christian (11 legally recognized Christian groups - 6 Catholic, 4 Orthodox , 1 Protestant), Islam (5 legally recognized Islamic groups - Alawite or Nusayri, Druze, Isma'ilite, Shi'a, Sunni), Judaism.

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

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.4% male: 94.7% female: 90.3% (1995 est.)