Population
Marriages
Allowed to have more than one spouse
National composition
Armenians
Population
2000: Population growth to 3.5 million
Political system
- Hezbollah is a Shia party.
Economy
National debt
2020: Public debt 170% of GDP and the first default in history
In March 2020, Lebanon defaulted on Eurobonds due to "corruption that has gobbled up the country," Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said.
The maturity of bonds in the amount of $1.2 billion comes on March 9, 2020. Lebanon's public debt has reached 170% of GDP, one of the highest in the world. The country is about to declare the first default in its history.
The IMF estimates Lebanon's public debt will be 162% of GDP in 2020, the fourth highest in the world.
GDP
2020: 20.3% GDP cut
Lebanon's GDP contracted by 20.3% in 2020 and 6.7% a year earlier. The figure fell from nearly $55 billion in 2018 to $33 billion in 2020, and GDP per capita shrank by about 40% in dollar terms.
According to IMF estimates, published later, Lebanon's GDP in 2020 fell even more to just over $19 billion, the lowest level since 2002 and worse than in war-torn Yemen.
Lebanon's severe economic and financial crisis is likely to be one of the worst in the world in more than 150 years, according to a World Bank report in May 2021.
"The economic and financial crisis is likely to enter the top ten, and possibly the top three, in the world since the mid-nineteenth century."
The report says that the country's GDP is projected to decline by another 9.5% in 2021.
Currency
2023
Exchange rate drop to £ 100 per dollar
The peak of the Lebanese pound continues: the exchange rate has dropped to a record low: from 93 thousand to 100 thousand per US dollar.
According to Al-Jedid TV channel, the fall in the value of the national currency occurred against the background of the resumption from March 14, 2023 of an indefinite strike announced by the Association of Lebanese Banks. In October 2019, the Lebanese pound traded at 1,500 pounds per dollar.
Devaluation of official pound rate by 90% to 15,000 per dollar
On February 1, 2023, it became known that Lebanon will adopt a new official exchange rate of 15,000 pounds per US dollar from February 1, said the head of the Central Bank Riad Salameh, which means a 90% devaluation compared to the current official rate, which remained unchanged for 25 years.
Inflation
2022: Inflation in November - 162%
2020: Inflation 84.9%
Inflation in Lebanon reached a record 146% in December 2020, food prices soared by more than 400%. Annual inflation was 84.9% in 2020, up from just 2.9% a year earlier.
Lebanon's currency collapsed after worsening political and financial crises in 2019, as a result of foreign currency inflows and a reduction in the central bank's reserves.
Aid talks with the IMF have stalled after disputes with commercial lenders and the central bank.
Banks
2022: All banks closed temporarily
In October 2022, amid a wave of looting by disgruntled depositors, all banks in Lebanon decided to temporarily close.
Mining
2022: Demarcation of the maritime borders between Israel and Lebanon with the separation of gas fields
On October 11, 2022, officials Israel and Lebanon, through the mediation of Special Representative USA Amos Hochstein, reached an agreement on the demarcation of maritime borders between the countries.
The main stone in the years-long negotiations was the gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea and the issue of their ownership. Under the current agreement, sea borders will pass along line 23. The signing of the contract is tentatively scheduled for October 26. The Israeli authorities will gain control of the Karish field, and Lebanon will take the Kana deposits, albeit with some nuances.
Since Kana crosses the established border along line 23, Israel will be entitled to part of the profit from the sale of resources under a contract with the French company Total. The amount of payments will be regulated through the mediation of the American government.
For the Israeli authorities, the deal is a great success: after years of territorial disputes, the government will legally be able to start developing the Karish field. Thanks to the agreement with Total, Israelis do not need to spend resources on the development and construction of infrastructure for gas production.
In a global energy crisis, fields will help Israel meet its own hydrocarbon needs. Export plans to Europe raise doubts: gas reserves off the coast amount to just over 68 billion cubic meters, which is not enough to simultaneously meet domestic needs and sell abroad.
The American leadership again demonstrated mediation capabilities in the Middle East, ensuring the resolution of the territorial dispute between countries officially at war.
The administration of US President Biden was important to act as the main mediator of all regional disputes, especially before the midterm congressional elections. And they coped with this task in Washington.
The Lebanese authorities not only de facto lost more than 1800 square kilometers at sea: it is still unknown how much cubic meters of gas is contained in the Kana field.
According to the most optimistic estimates, its reserves can reach more than 424 billion cubic meters, which ideally will allow the authorities in Beirut to earn up to $6 billion annually for 15 years. But by agreement, part of the amount will go to Israel, and the rest will go to cover the colossal national debt of $100 billion.
However, the ongoing political and economic crisis since 2019 actually left the Lebanese authorities with no choice. For the government of the country, even a meager opportunity to get at least some profit is a lifeline designed to somehow correct the situation.
There is not a word in the agreement about how exactly the percentage of payments to Israel from the Kana deposits will be regulated. The lack of a legal framework may become a significant reason for the resumption of contradictions between the countries, the Rybar telegram channel noted.
The situation is complicated by Israeli obligations to Total, in case of non-fulfillment of which the French may unilaterally suspend field development.
Even if there are relatively large gas deposits in the Kana field, Lebanon does not have its own infrastructure for its production. Hiring a third-party contractor will further reduce government profits in Beirut. The lack of a legal framework governing the natural gas production and sale process sets a precedent for "sharing" profits among officials.
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah greeted the conclusion of the demarcation treaty with restraint. He noted that the Kana field is a great opportunity to help the Lebanese people. The statement was forced: years of political and economic crisis greatly shook the positions of all Lebanese political forces, and Hezbollah was no exception.
Criticism of the agreement with Israel would further reduce the popularity of the group among the poor, so the Shiite organization chose not to openly oppose the treaty with the worst enemy. Pragmatic Hezbollah, by the way, has consistently adhered to this position since November 2020.
However, among the radical members of the organization, Lebanon's agreement with Israel is a "defeat and weak-willed concession." In their opinion, the distinction should have passed along line 29.
Israel The United States and Russia expect an escalation of tensions and attempts to disrupt the signing of the treaty by both Hezbollah and the outside. Iran
In the past few days, an air hub and a E-11A communications relay have been patrolling along the coast of Lebanon, acting in the interests of the special forces of the Army and the US MTR command.
And south of Cyprus, at least two F-22 Raptor fighters deployed to the Souda Bay air base on the island of Crete as part of the exercise of the US Armed Forces and Ace allies demonstrate their American presence every day.
Agriculture
2001: Rain irrigation is the main model of agriculture
Consumption
Meat
2023: Poultry meat is the most consumed type of meat
Health care
2020: Duration of guaranteed paid sick leave 6 months or more
Education
2019: Number of years of education by citizens over 25
Armed Forces
2021: Defence spending - 3.03% of GDP
2020: US military aid worth $245 million
UN Peacekeeping Mission
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) appeared in 1978 with the goal of returning stability to the southern part of the country and preventing conflicts with neighboring Israel.
The "blue helmets" completely failed their task: over the years of their presence in the region, two big wars happened, not counting numerous shootings and raids.
With each new Israeli invasion and Hezbollah shelling, peacekeepers simply watched the fighting, and in the worst case, they found themselves between a hammer and an anvil.
Although more than 10 thousand UN peacekeepers are deployed in Lebanon in 2022, they have no real opportunity to separate the warring parties and have never had.
The Shiite organization Hezbollah not only prevents mission personnel from entering its facilities, but also interferes in every way with the work of UNIFIL. In particular, the group, with the help of the affiliated environmental organization Green Without Borders, blocks the movement of peacekeepers' cars.
Ordinary Lebanese are distrustful of the mission, and some directly accuse them of working for Israeli intelligence. Peacekeepers have no real ability to disarm anyone in the mandate zone: until September 2022, UNIFIL personnel could not even conduct independent patrols without separate coordination.
Israel also completely ignores the mission. Air Force aircraft quietly cross the country's airspace, and if necessary, the Israeli army strikes targets in southern Lebanon.
Although the mission has shown its futility in containing the parties, for more than 40 years, the UN has been extending its mandate every six months and allocating funding. Why is this happening? And just everyone is completely satisfied with the current state of affairs, wrote the Rybar channel.
The UN gets the opportunity to portray the activities of peaceful regulation in the Middle East and in every possible way emphasize its imaginary importance. No one will ask for the result of UNIFIL, and the number of patrols can always be reported for the allocated funds.
The peacekeepers simply do not interfere with Israel and Hezbollah. The "blue helmets" themselves do not affect their activities in any way, so both sides do not see much point in separately spending efforts on their expulsion from Lebanon.
On December 14, 2022 [1] , an Irish peacekeeper from the UN Interim Force was killed in southern Lebanon. The incident took place outside the village of El Akbia, south of the town of Saida. According to media reports, an SUV with peacekeepers came under fire from unknown persons while driving through the village. The driver was fatally wounded in the head, three more in the car received injuries of varying severity.
On December 26, 2022, the Lebanese army detained a resident of the village of Al-Akbiya, who is accused of killing an Irish peacemaker. Most likely, it was Hezbollah that surrendered the alleged criminal to the authorities: without its authorization, law enforcement agencies simply would not have been able to take him into custody. By extraditing the alleged killer of the peacemaker, Hezbollah solved two tasks at once: it publicly demonstrated loyalty to the letter of the law and deprived opponents of reasons for criticism, while maintaining the opportunity to pull its supporter out of prison in the future.
History
2024
The beginning of the third Lebanese-Israeli war
The third Lebanese-Israeli war began on September 19, 2024.
The Israeli Air Force announced the start of an "air operation" in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli Air Force launched an airstrike. Fierce fighting is underway between Hezbollah and the Israel Defense Forces on the border with Lebanon.
Lebanon has come under the most unprecedented attack in its history, a state of war, the Hezbollah leader said.
On September 23, Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed almost 500 people, according to the Ministry of Health. The country's deadliest day in decades.
The explosion of pagers by the special services of Israel
On August 17, a massive explosion of pagers occurred in Lebanon, as a result of which at least 12 people were killed, and about 2,800 residents of the country (figures from the local Ministry of Health) were injured. To answer questions about how this could be implemented from a technical point of view and how relevant this type of threat is for Russia, which is in a state of confrontation with the West, TAdviser spoke with experts. Read more here.
2022: Beirut left without mobile and internet due to lack of fuel
On January 16, 2022, a state-owned internet company Ogero in Lebanon warned of fan outages Internet and mobile communications as its generators ran out of fuel. This situation was another sign of the country's political and economic collapse. More. here
2021: Protests amid currency collapse and hyperinflation
In March 2021, protests broke out again in Lebanon a year and a half after mass anti-government actions amid a currency collapse and hyperinflation reaching hundreds of percent per annum.
On March 3, thousands of people took to the streets of Beirut, Tripoli and Saida, blocking traffic and setting tires on fire to warm up and illuminate their cities, plunged into darkness due to fanning power outages.
Since the beginning of the year, the Lebanese pound has depreciated by 20%, on the black market the dollar has risen to a record 10,000 pounds, while the official rate, which has not changed since the 1990s, is 85% lower.
Food prices jumped 400% year-on-year in the country, according to official government statistics, and now 45% of Lebanon's population is on the poverty line.
The explosive devaluation has seen the average salary - about 675,000 local pounds - now equal just $67.5. At the same time, the foreign exchange savings of the population were blocked in banks without the opportunity to withdraw money.
Dollar revenues fell tenfold and prices doubled. The Lebanese do not want to return back to the Stone Age, so they go out and demand that the authorities do at least something to improve the economic situation.
2020
Popular unrest and the resignation of the government
Against the backdrop of a humanitarian disaster related to the explosion in the port of Beirut, anti-government popular unrest broke out in the country. The demonstrations almost from the very beginning took on the character of riots - protesters seize state buildings and arrange clashes with police.
On August 10, 2020, under public pressure, the Lebanese government resigned in full force. Hassan Diab, Lebanon's prime minister, said in his farewell address to the people that "the catastrophe that hit the Lebanese people occurred as a result of systemic corruption in the state," and expressed regret that "the system of corruption was stronger than the state."
This government lasted only six months in power - the previous one was also forced to resign amid mass protests in October 2019.
Saltpeter explosion destroys Beirut port
On August 4, 2020, Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, was shaken by a powerful explosion, as a result of which more than 5,000 people were injured and more than 150 died, at least 300 thousand more people were left homeless.
After the explosion, a two-week emergency regime was declared in the country.
The cause of the explosion, according to preliminary data, was the detonation of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, which had been stored in a port warehouse for about 6 years.
In 2018, the port received about 7 million tons of various products, that is, almost 70% of the total volume of goods imported into the country by sea. In the same year, about a million tons of exports passed through it - almost 80% of the total volume of products exported from the country.
According to authorities, now the main transport hub of the country will be the port in Tripoli. The explosion destroyed not only huge stocks of various products, but also important objects of the city infrastructure of Beirut.
The Syrian crisis caused a sharp influx of refugees - Lebanon received about 1.5 million people, which caused a significant complication of the economic situation and caused a shortage of many basic goods. Coface experts believe that the disaster at the port will significantly worsen the shortage of food and medical products in the country.
2019: Protests force authorities not to impose WhatsApp call fees
On October 17, 2019, Lebanese authorities announced the abolition of the so-called "WhatsApp tax" after mass protests by residents.
Earlier, the country's government intended to make it paid to use applications for calls through instant messengers, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and FaceTime. It was planned to charge $0.2 daily for each user of such programs in order to increase the country's budget by $200 million per year. However, this measure never entered into force.
 | This issue has been removed from the cabinet agenda. Such services will be available as before, the Ministry of Communications said. |  |
Thousands of people took to the streets to express their disagreement with the decisions of the Cabinet. Protesters blocked roads in cities, as well as the Beirut-Damascus highway, demonstrators burned tires and demanded the resignation of the government, economic reforms and concrete actions in the fight against corruption. There are occasional clashes between demonstrators and police officers.
The country's public debt by October 2019 exceeds $86 million (more than 150% of GDP), and since September Lebanon has been under a state of emergency in the economy. The situation after banks restricted the free exchange of dollars, which caused concern about the devaluation of the national currency.
The country's authorities are forced to take unpopular measures, such as the introduction of a "WhatsApp tax," in order to receive foreign financial assistance and avoid default.
There are only two mobile operators in Lebanon, the companies are state owned. Mobile communications in the country is one of the most expensive in the Middle East.
While the government has abandoned plans to impose a "WhatsApp tax," unrest in the country has continued.
| | We are fighting here not for WhatsApp, but for everything: for fuel, food, bread, "one of the protesters in Beirut told the BBC.[1] | |
1983
1965
326 BC: As part of the empire of Alexander the Great
530 BC: As part of the Achaemenid Persian State
650 BC.
1404 BC: Amarna Archive - diplomatic correspondence with Egypt
The Amarna Archive is a collection of correspondence on clay tablets, mainly diplomatic, between the government of Ancient Egypt and its representatives in the Eastern Mediterranean (Canaan and Amurru), as well as the kings of other powerful powers of the region (Babylonia, Hatti, Mitanni, Assyria).
Notes
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