Location:  Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria. Geography:  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. Area:  total: 10,400 sq km, land: 10,230 sq km, water: 170 sq km. Capital:  Beirut. Industries: banking, tourism, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating. Languages:  Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian. National Holiday:  Independence Day, 22 November (1943)

Population:  4,125,247 (July 2010 est.). Labor force: 1.481 million In addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity):
•   $58.65 billion (2010 est.)
•   $54.71 billion (2009 est.)
•   $51.18 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
•   7.2% (2010 est.)
•   6.9% (2009 est.)
•   9.3% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
•   $14,200 (2010 est.)
•   $13,300 (2009 est.)
•   $12,700 (2008 est.)
Exports:
•   $5.187 billion (2010 est.)
•   $4.716 billion (2009 est.)
Imports:
•   $17.97 billion (2010 est.)
•   $15.9 billion (2009 est.)
Debt - external:
•   $34.45 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
•   $31.89 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
 $34.45 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
$31.89 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Military expenditures: 3.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Airports:  7
Airports - with paved runways: 5
•   Over 3,047 m: 1
•   2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
•   914 to 1,523 m: 1
•   Under 914 m: 1
Airports - with unpaved runways: 2
•   914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2010)
Aircraft Departures:  10,300.

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