Capital(and largest city) : Beirut 33°54′N, 35°32′E
Official languages : Arabic
Government : Republic
President : Émile Lahoud
Prime Minister : Fouad Siniora
Independence
Declared : November 26, 1941
Recognized : November 22, 1943
Area
Total : 10,452 km² (166th) 4,035 sq mi
Water (%) : 1.6
Population
July 2007 (estimate)estimate : 3,925,502 (128th)
Density : 358 /km² (26th) 948 /sq mi
GDP (PPP) : 2005 estimate
Total : $24.42 billion (103rd)
Per capita : 6,681 (90th)
HDI (2006) : 0.774 (medium) (78th)
Currency : Lebanese lira (LL) (LBP)
Time zone : EET (UTC+2)
Summer (DST) : EEST (UTC+3)
Internet TLD : lb
Calling code : +961

Beirut Governorate:

The Beirut Governorate is not divided into districts and is limited to the city of Beirut.

Nabatiyeh Governorate (Jabal Amel) - 4 districts

• Nabatieh
• Hasbaya
• Marjeyoun

Bint JbeilBeqaa Governorate - 5 districts

• Hermel
• Baalbek
• Zahle
• Western Beqaa (al-Beqaa al-Gharbi)
• Rashaya

Mount Lebanon Governorate (Jabal Lubnan) - 6 districts

• Jbeil
• Kesrwan
• Matn
• Baabda
• Aley
• Chouf

North Governorate (al-Shamal) - 7 districts

• Akkar
• Tripoli
• Zgharta
• Bsharri
• Batroun
• Koura
• Miniyeh-Danniyeh

South Governorate (al-Janoub) - 3 districts

• Sidon (Saida)
• Tyre (Sur)
• Jezzine

Economy

The urban population in Lebanon is noted for its commercial enterprise. Over the course of time, emigration has yielded Lebanese "commercial networks" throughout the world. Lebanon has a high proportion of skilled labour comparable to most European nations and the highest among Arab countries.

Agriculture:

Lebanon is ideally suited for agricultural activities in terms of water availability and soil fertility, as it possesses the highest proportion of cultivable land in the Arab world. Ironically though, Lebanon does not have a large agricultural sector. Attracting a mere 12% of the total workforce, agriculture is the least popular economic sector in Lebanon. It contributes approximately 11.7% of the country's GDP, also placing it in the lowest rank compared to other economic sectors.

Industry:

Lebanon's lack of raw materials for industry and its complete dependency on Arab countries for oil have made it difficult for the Lebanese to engage in significant industrial activity. As such, industry in Lebanon is mainly limited to small businesses concerned with reassembling and packaging imported parts. In 2004, industry ranked second in workforce, with 26% of the Lebanese working population, and second in GDP contribution, with 21% of Lebanon's GDP.

Services and commerce:

The Kadisha Valley is a World Heritage Site
A combination of beautiful climate, many historic landmarks and World Heritage Sites continues to attract large numbers of tourists to Lebanon annually, in spite of its political instability. In addition, Lebanon's strict financial secrecy and capitalist economy—unique in its area—have given it significant economic status among Arab countries. The thriving tourism and banking activities have naturally made the services sector the most important pillar of the Lebanese economy. The majority of the Lebanese workforce (nearly 65%) have preferred employment in the services sector, as a result of the abundant job opportunities and large paychecks. The GDP contribution, accordingly, is very large and amounts to roughly 67.3% of the annual Lebanese GDP.
The economy's dependence on services has always been an issue of great criticism and concern, since this renders the country subject to the instability of this sector and the vagaries of international trade.

Historical development:

The 1975-1990 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepôt and banking hub. The subsequent period of relative peace enabled the central government to restore control in Beirut, begin collecting taxes, and regain access to key port and government facilities. Economic recovery has been helped by a financially sound banking system and resilient small- and medium-scale manufacturers, with family remittances, banking services, manufactured and farm exports, and international aid as the main sources of foreign exchange.
Until the 2006 Lebanon War, Lebanon's economy witnessed excellent growth, with bank assets reaching over 75 billion dollars. By the end of the first half of 2006, the influx of tourists to Lebanon has already registered a 49.3% increase over 2005 figures Market capitalization was also at an all time high, estimated at $10.9 billion at the end of the second quarter of 2006, just weeks before the fighting started.
Beirut International airport re-opened in September 2006 and the efforts to revive the Lebanese economy have since been proceeding at a slow pace. Major contributors to the reconstruction of Lebanon include Saudi Arabia (with 1.5 billion US dollars pledged) the European Union (with about $1 billion) and a few other Gulf countries with contributions of up to $800 million.

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