CCBLA - Arab-Belgium-Luxemburg Chamber of Commerce - ABLCC

Country name : Lebanese Republic

Capital : Beirut

Area : 10,400 km²

Population : 3,925,502 (July 2007)

Density : 377 inhabitants/km²

Population growth rate : 1.198% (2007)

Age structure : 0-14 years : 26.2% - 15-64 years : 66.7% - 65 years and over : 7.1%

Life expectancy at birth : 73.15 years

Labour force : 1.5 million (in addition, there were as many as 1 million foreign workers in 2005)

Gross Domestic Product : US$40.65 billion (2007)

GDP – real growth rate : 0.3% (2007)

GDP – composition by sector : agriculture : 5.2% - industry : 18.4% - services : 76.4%

GDP – per capita : US$10,400 (2007)

Budget : revenues : US$6.116 billion - expenditures : US$9.421 billion (2007)

Industries : banking, tourism, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture, oil refining, metal fabricating

Industrial production growth rate : NA

Land use : arable land : 16.35% - permanent crops : 13.75% - other : 69%

Agricultural products : citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco

Exports : US$3.099 billion (2007)

Exports – commodities : jewelry, inorganic chemical, miscellaneous consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction materials, electric equipment, textile fibres, paper

Exports – partners : Syria (26.8%), UAE (12%), Switzerland (6%), Saudi Arabia (5.7%), Turkey (4.5%) (2006)

Imports : US$10 billion (2007)

Imports – commodities : petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco, electrical machinery

Imports – partners : Syria (11.6%), Italy (9.8%), US (9.3%), France (7.7%), Germany (6.1%), China (5%), Saudi Arabia (4.7%) (2006)

Current account balance : US$ -3.337 billion (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold : US$19.4 billion (31 December 2007)

External debt : US$34.67 billion (31 December 2007)