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Geography of Lebanon

Location:Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria
Geographic coordinates:33 50 N, 35 50 E
Map references:Middle East
Area:total: 10,400 sq km
land: 10,230 sq km
water: 170 sq km
Area - comparative:about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
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; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Qurnat as Sawda' 3,088 m
Natural resources:limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land
Land use:arable land: 16.35%
permanent crops: 13.75%
other: 69.9% (2005)
Irrigated land:1,040 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:dust storms, sandstorms
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:Nahr el Litani is the 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

Lebanon Quickstats

  • Population: 3,925,502 (July 2007 est.)
  • Area: 10,400 sq km
  • Density: 358 /km² (26th)
  • GDP (total): $21.45 billion (103rd)
  • GDP (per capita): $5,500 (90th)
  • Literacy: 87.4%

Languages of Lebanon

Useful to know

  • Currency: Lebanese lira (LL) (LBP)
  • Dial code: +961

International Trade

External sites

More Resources

Lebanon Internet

  • Usage: 600,000
  • Penetration: 13.4 %
  • Top Domain: .le

WT eBusiness info:

  • Success Ranking: 100
  • Market testing: Untested
  • Overall risk: High
  • Overall reward: Low

e-maturity:

  • Tourism: 10%
  • eCommerce: 10%
  • Gaming: 10%
  • eLearning: 10%

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