Lebanon - geography
Despite its limited extent, approximately 60 km wide and 210 km long, Lebanon has
large natural geographical differences. Two mountain ranges, Lebanon
and Antillibanon, divide the country lengthwise, parallel to the coast. The
highest reaches the mountains within the coast between Beirut and Tripoli. To
the west lies a fertile coastal strip, widest north of Tripoli and south
of Saida. East of the Lebanon Mountains lies the Bekaa Valley, which
geologically is a continuation of the East African Rift Valley, a 15-20 km wide
agricultural area that stretches up through central Lebanon for approximately 1000 m
altitude. The valley is drained by the Orontesand Litani, which run
respectively. north and south. To the east, Antilibanon forms the border with
Syria. The climate varies a lot. Bekaadalen has hot, dry summers and mild
winters, while the coast has a Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy
winters. In winter, a lot of precipitation falls as snow in the mountains.
Lebanon has limited natural resources, both in terms of minerals and
agriculture. Despite obvious problems in deforestation of the Lebanese
mountains, logging continues with extensive erosion as a result. The
famous cedar trees are now only found in delimited localities. The narrow
coastal plain is very fertile and intensively cultivated, while in the also
intensively cultivated Bekaadal there are problems with falling groundwater
levels due to overexploitation of the water.
Population
There has been no official census in the country since 1932 for fear of
destroying the delicate political balance based on the weight of the ethnic and
religious groups at the time. According to
AllCityPopulation.com,
the Christians then constituted a small
majority. The population is estimated at approximately 3.6 million in addition to
approximately 405,000 Palestinians, of whom 215,000 live in refugee camps scattered
across most of the country. In addition, there are guest workers from several
countries, so the total de facto population is probably approximately 4.5
million.
- Countryaah:
Do you know how many people there are in Lebanon? Check this site to see
population pyramid and resident density about this country.
The population is composed of several religious groups, and the number and
influence of the various groups was a significant point of contention in the
civil war. It is estimated that 28% are now Christians (60% of them Maronites),
28% Sunni Muslims, 36% Shia Muslims and 8% Druze. The share of Christians has
been declining, and especially the rise of Shia Muslims. In addition to the
religious, the social differences are also very large. Lebanon has a small but
very wealthy and cosmopolitan-oriented upper class, a fairly large,
well-educated middle class by Middle Eastern conditions, and a large,
predominantly Shia Muslim underclass. Beirut holds approximately half of the country's
population and has large, impoverished Shiite neighborhoods to the south that
are growing rapidly. The second largest city, Tripoli, has a Sunni Muslim
character.
- SONGAAH.COM:
Are you interested in song associated with Lebanon? Here is where you can
see song lyrics and singer about this country.
Industries
Agriculture is characterized by small farms and outdated forms of farming
that do not effectively utilize Lebanon's limited but fertile land. Much is
grown for the domestic market, but the country's tradition of large exports of
citrus fruits and vegetables is being rebuilt after the Civil War. Limited
fishing is also growing, but in total the primary industries contribute only one
tenth of GDP.
The Lebanese industry has suffered a lot during the civil war and has far
from returned to the level before 1975. Important products are cement, refined
oil products, precious stones, electronic equipment and clothing. Of greater
importance is the tertiary sector, where Beirut is in the process of
re-establishing its position as the Middle East's trade and finance
center. Tourism, which was of great importance before the Civil War, is also on
the rise again. Pga. the many conflicts, however, this factor is extremely
unstable. The political assassinations of recent years and the war in 2006 have
partially halted development. Lebanon has very great potential in this area:
breathtaking nature and many, very well-preserved archaeological remains.
Infrastructure
The mountainous terrain and the devastation of the Civil War created major
traffic difficulties, which were remedied during the 1990's. North and south of
Beirut, the roads were put in good condition and expanded, but due to the
rapidly growing number of cars, they are still heavily congested. The road
to Damascus over the mountains of Lebanon and the valley of the Bekaa are far too
narrow; only on the Syrian side of Antilibanon do the incessant queues
cease. The railway network was destroyed during the Civil War and has not been
restored. In general, public transport remains very deficient; this is
especially true in Beirut, where traffic is breaking down daily. Large motorway,
tunnel and bridge facilities were launched here as part of the capital's
ambitious urban renewal and to relieve the extensive traffic in and out of the
capital. Part of the southbound road network was destroyed in the summer of
2006.
Lebanon - language
The spoken language is variants of Syrian-Palestinian Arabic, which is
strongly influenced by Aramaic and by Turkish, Persian and French
loanwords. English and French are frequently used. Official language is modern
standard Arabic, which is also used in writing. See also Arabic.
Lebanon - religion
The population of Lebanon is divided into 18 different religious groups, the
largest of which are Shia Muslims, Maronites and Sunni Muslims; in addition,
Greek Orthodox, Druze, and Armenian Christians. The groups play a crucial role
in the country's political life, because a number of private law matters
are decided by their representatives. A significant part of the Lebanese
education system is controlled by the religious groupings through private
primary schools, colleges and universities. Provisions of the Constitution
ensure that representatives of all the major religions of the country have a
permanent seat in Parliament.
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