MUN Speeches

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Introduction On June 7 th 2000, the United Nations established a “blue line” to serve as a metric for determining the status of Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. This line, was never meant to be a final border, however no official border has been drawn up between the two countries. The area around the line has become a sort of no man’s land, with tensions running high at all times. The UN has been a major player in this conflict, arbitrating between the two countries and deploying a force that has been present since 1978. These efforts have been important factors in scaling down conflicts, but they still arise. The state of Lebanon urges the United Nations to create a Final Solution to this seemingly ever-present problem. The establishment of an agreed upon border between the two countries would surely help to resolve these conflicts. In fact, the original border was not even mutually agreed upon, considering it was drawn by the French and British in 1923 as they withdrew their colonies, and an agreed upon border has never existed between the two. In order to maintain this border, a peacekeeping mission would be sent to monitor the results. This would be distinct from the current UN force in Lebanon, in that it would not be affiliated with either country and would serve as an additional safeguard to further conflicts in the area. In addition to creating a final border between the two, it would help to foster dialogue between the two countries, easing overall tensions. We hope the United Nations will aid us in resolving this problem.

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Transcript of MUN Speeches

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IntroductionOn June 7th 2000, the United Nations established a “blue line” to serve as a metric for determining the status of Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. This line, was never meant to be a final border, however no official border has been drawn up between the two countries. The area around the line has become a sort of no man’s land, with tensions running high at all times. The UN has been a major player in this conflict, arbitrating between the two countries and deploying a force that has been present since 1978. These efforts have been important factors in scaling down conflicts, but they still arise. The state of Lebanon urges the United Nations to create a Final Solution to this seemingly ever-present problem. The establishment of an agreed upon border between the two countries would surely help to resolve these conflicts. In fact, the original border was not even mutually agreed upon, considering it was drawn by the French and British in 1923 as they withdrew their colonies, and an agreed upon border has never existed between the two. In order to maintain this border, a peacekeeping mission would be sent to monitor the results. This would be distinct from the current UN force in Lebanon, in that it would not be affiliated with either country and would serve as an additional safeguard to further conflicts in the area. In addition to creating a final border between the two, it would help to foster dialogue between the two countries, easing overall tensions. We hope the United Nations will aid us in resolving this problem.

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ResolutionThe Establishment of a Border between Lebanon and Israel.

The General Assembly:

Observing the lack of an agreed-upon border between Lebanon and Israel;

Deeply concerned with the current state of relations between the two countries;

Affirming the "Blue Line" drawn by the UN in 2000 and its purpose as a temporary border used as a marker to determine if Israel had pulled out in 2000;

Noting further that there have been multiple incidents regarding this border issue in the past 15 years;

Confident that the finalization of a border would ease tensions and prevent further conflicts;

The General Assembly hereby:

Calls upon the United Nations to form a commission of Lebanese, Israeli, and third parties to define and establish a permanent border between the two states;

Urges the United Nations Security Council to monitor the resulting defined border through a peacekeeping mission.

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Positions on Things

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Relations with Other Countries We like the other Arab countries, and hate the Jews.

Iran is a friend.

Honestly we’re on good terms with everyone but the Jews, and I’m to lazy to type everyone out.

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Facts

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Introduction :: LEBANON

Background:Following World War I , France acquired a mandate over the northern port ion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French demarcated the region of Lebanon in 1920 and granted this area independence in 1943. Since independence the country has been marked by periods of poli t ical turmoi l interspersed with prosperi ty built on i ts posit ion as a regional center for f inance and trade. The country's 1975-90 civi l war that resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatal it ies, was fol lowed by years of social and poli t ical instabi l i ty. Sectarianism is a key element of Lebanese poli t ical l i fe. Neighboring Syria has historically inf luenced Lebanon's foreign policy and internal policies, and i ts mil i tary occupied Lebanon from 1976 unti l 2005. The Lebanon-based Hizballah mil i t ia and Israel continued attacks and counterattacks against each other after Syria's withdrawal, and fought a brief war in 2006. Lebanon's borders with Syria and Israel remain unresolved.

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Geography :: 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

country comparison to the world:  170

Area - comparative:

about one-third the size of Maryland

Land boundaries:

total: 484 km

border countries (2):   Israel 81 km, Syria 403 km

Coastline:

225 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate:

Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; the 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:  Qornet es Saouda 3,088 m

Natural resources:

l imestone, i ron ore, sal t, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land

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Land use:

agricultural land:  63.3%

arable land 11.9%; permanent crops 12.3%; permanent pasture 39.1%

forest: 13.4%

other: 23.3% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land:

1,040 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

4.5 cu km (2011)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 1.31 cu km/yr (29%/11%/60%)

per capita:  316.8 cu m/yr (2005)

Natural hazards:

dust storms, sandstorms

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; soi l erosion; desert if ication; air pol lut ion in Beirut from vehicular traff ic and the burning of industrial wastes; pol lut ion of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spi l ls

Environment - international agreements:

party to:  Biodiversity, Cl imate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desert i f ication, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pol lut ion, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:  Environmental Modif ication, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:

smallest country in continental Asia; Nahr el Litani is the only major r iver 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

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People and Society :: LEBANON

Nationality:noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)

adjective: Lebanese

Ethnic groups:

Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%

note:  many Christ ian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians

Languages:

Arabic (off icial), French, English, Armenian

Religions:

Muslim 54% (27% Sunni, 27% Shia), Christ ian 40.5% (includes 21% Maronite Catholic, 8% Greek Orthodox, 5% Greek Catholic, 6.5% other Christ ian), Druze 5.6%, very smal l numbers of Jews, Baha' is, Buddhists, Hindus, and Mormons

note:  18 religious sects recognized (2012 est.)

Population:

6,184,701 (July 2015 est.)

country comparison to the world:  109

Age structure:

0-14 years: 25.08% (male 793,837/female 757,120)

15-24 years:  17.04% (male 539,232/female 514,394)

25-54 years:  44.13% (male 1,378,852/female 1,350,506)

55-64 years:  7.18% (male 205,933/female 237,849)

65 years and over:  6.58% (male 179,983/female 226,995) (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios:

total dependency ratio:  47.3%

youth dependency ratio:  35.4%

elderly dependency ratio:  12%

potential support ratio:  8.3% (2015 est.)

Median age:

total: 29.4 years

male:  28.8 years

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female: 30 years (2015 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.86% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world:  128

Birth rate:

14.59 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world:  133

Death rate:

4.88 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world:  191

Net migration rate:

-1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world:  150

Urbanization:

urban population: 87.8% of total population (2015)

rate of urbanization:  3.18% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas - population:

BEIRUT (capital) 2.226 mil l ion (2015)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years:  1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years:  1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years:  0.87 male(s)/female

65 years and over:  0.79 male(s)/female

total population: 1 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 7.76 deaths/1,000 l ive births

male:  8.18 deaths/1,000 l ive births

female: 7.32 deaths/1,000 l ive births (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world:  155

Life expectancy at birth:

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total population: 77.4 years

male:  76.18 years

female: 78.69 years (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world:  70

Total fertility rate:

1.73 children born/woman (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world:  169

Health expenditures:

7.2% of GDP (2013)

country comparison to the world:  73

Physicians density:

3.2 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

Hospital bed density:

3.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Drinking water source:

improved:

urban: 99% of population

rural: 99% of population

total : 99% of population

unimproved:

urban: 1% of population

rural: 1% of population

total : 1% of population (2015 est.)

Sanitation facility access:

improved:

urban: 80.7% of population

rural: 80.7% of population

total : 80.7% of population

unimproved:

urban: 19.3% of population

rural: 19.3% of population

total : 19.3% of population (2015 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.06% (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world:  116

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

1,800 (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world:  117

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

less than 100 (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world:  117

Obesity - adult prevalence rate:

30.8% (2014)

country comparison to the world:  40

Education expenditures:

2.6% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world:  162

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and wri te

total population: 93.9%

male:  96%

female: 91.8% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 14 years

male:  14 years

female: 14 years (2013)

Child labor - children ages 5-14:

total number:  54,387

percentage:  7% (2000 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:

total: 16.8%

male:  14.6%

female: 22.3% (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world:  71

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Government :: LEBANON

Country name:conventional long form:  Lebanese Republic

conventional short form: Lebanon

local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah

local short form: Lubnan

former: Greater Lebanon

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Beirut

geographic coordinates:  33 52 N, 35 30 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

6 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Beqaa, Beyrouth (Beirut), Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban, Nabatiye

note:   two new governorates - Aakkar and Baalbek-Hermel - have been legislated but not yet implemented

Independence:

22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 22 November (1943)

Constitution:

drafted 15 May 1926, adopted 23 May 1926; amended several t imes, last in 2004 (2015)

Legal system:

mixed legal system of civi l law based on the French civi l code, Ottoman legal tradit ion, and rel igious laws covering personal status, marriage, divorce, and other family relations of the Jewish, Islamic, and Christ ian communit ies

International law organization participation:

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdict ion declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship:

birthright citizenship:

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dual citizenship recognized:  yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

Suffrage:

21 years of age; compulsory for al l males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary educat ion; excludes mil i tary personnel

Executive branch:

chief of state:  President (vacant); note - President Michel SULAYMAN's term expired on 25 May 2014; the prime minister and his cabinet are temporari ly assuming the duties of the president; as of mid-2015, the National Assembly had failed to elect a president

head of government:  Prime Minister Tamam SALAM (since 6 Apri l 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Samir MOQBIL (since 7 July 2011)

cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultat ion with the president and National Assembly

elections/appointments:  president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 6-year term (el igible for non-consecutive terms); f irst round of election held on 23 Apri l 2014 (next to be held in 2020); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the Nat ional Assembly

election results:  NA; note - the Apri l 2014 parl iamentary vote failed to meet the required two-thirds majority vote threshold; subsequent voting from Apri l 2014 through October 2015 also failed to meet a quorum or was postponed

Legislative branch:

description:  unicameral National Assembly or Majl is al-Nuwab in Arabic or Assemblee Nationale in French (128 seats; members directly elected in mult i-seat consti tuencies by majori ty vote; members serve 4-year terms); note - seats are apport ioned among the Christ ian and Muslim denominations

elections:  last held on 7 June 2009 (next delayed due to a fai lure to elect a new president)

election results:  percent of vote by coali t ion - March 8 Coalit ion 54.7%, March 14 Coali t ion 45.3%; seats by coali t ion - March 14 Coal it ion 71; March 8 Coali t ion 57; seats by coalit ion fol lowing 16 July 2012 byelection held to f i l l one seat - March 14 Coal it ion 72, March 8 Coali t ion 56

Judicial branch:

highest court(s):  Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (organized into 4 divisions, each with a presiding judge and 2 associate judges); Consti tut ional Counci l (consists of 10 members)

judge selection and term of office:  Court of Cassation judges appointed by Supreme Judicial Council , headed by the chief justice, and includes other judicial off icials; judge tenure NA; Consti tut ional Council members appointed - 5 by the Council of Ministers and 5 by parl iament; members serve 5-year terms

subordinate courts:  Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; specialized tribunals, religious courts; mi l i tary courts

Political parties and leaders:

14 March Coalition:

Democratic Left Movement or DLM [El ias ATALLAH]

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Future Movement Bloc [Sa'ad al-HARIRI]

Kataeb Party [Amine GEMAYEL]

Lebanese Forces [Samir GEAGEA]

Social Democratic Hunchakian Party [Hagop DIKRANIAN]

8 March Coalition:

Amal Movement [Nabih BERRI]

Free Patriot ic Movement [Michel AOUN]

Lebanese Democrat ic Party [Emir Talal ARSLAN]

Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc [Mohammad RA'AD] ( includes Hizballah [Hassan NASRALLAH])

Syrian Ba'th Party [Abdel Mouin GHAZI]

Syrian Social Nationalist Party [Ali QANSO]

Tashnag or ARF [Hagop DHATCHERIAN]

Independent:

Progressive Social ist Party or PSP [Walid JUMBLATT]

Metn Bloc [Michel MURR]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Maronite Church [Patr iarch Bishara al-Ra' i]

note:  most sects retain mil i t ias and a number of mi l i tant groups operate in Palestinian refugee camps

International organization participation:

ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Antoine CHEDID (since 4 June 2008)

chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:  [1] (202) 939-6300

FAX:  [1] (202) 939-6324

consulate(s) general:  Detroi t, New York, Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador David HALE (since 6 September 2013)

embassy: Awkar, Lebanon (Awkar facing the Municipal ity)

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mailing address:  P. O. Box 70-840, Antel ias, Lebanon; from US: US Embassy Beirut, 6070 Beirut Place, Washington, DC 20521-6070

telephone:  [961] (4) 542600, 543600

FAX:  [961] (4) 544136

Flag description:

three horizontal bands consist ing of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in the white band; the red bands symbol ize blood shed for l iberation, the white band denotes peace, the snow of the mountains, and puri ty; the green cedar tree is the symbol of Lebanon and represents eterni ty, steadiness, happiness, and prosperi ty

National symbol(s):

cedar tree; national colors: red, white, green

National anthem:

name: "Kul luna l i l -watan" (All Of Us, For Our Country!)

lyrics/music: Rachid NAKHLE/Wadih SABRA

note:  adopted 1927; chosen following a nationwide competit ion

Hide

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Economy :: LEBANONPanel - Expanded

Economy - overview:Lebanon has a free-market economy and a strong laissez-faire commercial tradit ion. The government does not restr ict foreign investment; however, the investment cl imate suffers from red tape, corruption, arbi trary l icensing decisions, complex customs procedures, high taxes, tarif fs, and fees, archaic legislation, and weak intel lectual property r ights. The Lebanese economy is service-oriented; main growth sectors include banking and tourism. The 1975-90 civi l war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and derailed Lebanon's posit ion as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. Fol lowing the civi l war, Lebanon rebuil t much of i ts war-torn physical and f inancial infrastructure by borrowing heavi ly, mostly from domestic banks, which saddled the government with a huge debt burden. Pledges of economic and f inancial reforms made at separate international donor conferences during the 2000s have mostly gone unful f i l led, including those made during the Paris II I Donor Conference in 2007, fol lowing the July 2006 war. Spi l lover from the Syrian confl ict, including the inf lux of more than 1 mil l ion Syrian refugees, has increased internal tension and slowed economic growth to the 1-2% range in 2011-13, after four years of averaging 8% growth. Syrian refugees have increased the labor supply, but pushed more Lebanese into unemployment. Chronic f iscal deficits have made Lebanon’s debt-to-GDP ratio the third highest in the world; most of the debt is held internal ly by Lebanese banks. Weak economic growth l imits tax revenues, while the largest government expenditures remain debt servicing and transfers to the electr ici ty sector. These l imitat ions constrain other government spending and l imit the government’s abi l i ty to invest in necessary infrastructure improvements, such as water, electricity, and transportat ion.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$81.12 bi l l ion (2014 est.)

$79.53 bi l l ion (2013 est.)

$77.59 bi l l ion (2012 est.)

note:  data are in 2014 US dollars

country comparison to the world:  88

GDP (official exchange rate):

$49.92 bi l l ion (2014 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2.3% (2014 est.)

2.5% (2013 est.)

2.8% (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  138

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$18,000 (2014 est.)

$17,600 (2013 est.)

$17,200 (2012 est.)

note:  data are in 2014 US dollars

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country comparison to the world:  90

Gross national saving:

-2.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

-2.6% of GDP (2013 est.)

-0.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  136

GDP - composition, by end use:

household consumption:  82.2%

government consumption:  14.8%

investment in fixed capital:  30.4%

investment in inventories:  1%

exports of goods and services:  15.5%

imports of goods and services:  -43.9%

(2014 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:

agriculture:  6.3%

industry: 21.1%

services: 72.6% (2014 est.)

Agriculture - products:

citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, ol ives, tobacco; sheep, goats

Industries:

banking, tourism, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, texti les, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oi l ref ining, metal fabricating

Industrial production growth rate:

4% (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world:  74

Labor force:

1.481 mil l ion

note:  does not include as many as 1 mil l ion foreign workers (2007 est.)

country comparison to the world:  132

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture:  NA%

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industry: NA%

services: NA%

Unemployment rate:

NA%

Population below poverty line:

28.6% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $10.24 bi l l ion

expenditures: $14.89 bi l l ion (2014 est.)

Taxes and other revenues:

21.6% of GDP (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world:  149

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):

-9.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world:  201

Public debt:

142.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

139.9% of GDP (2013 est.)

note:  data cover central government debt, and exclude debt instruments issued (or owned) by government enti t ies other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign ent it ies; the data include debt issued by subnational entit ies, as wel l as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for reti rement, medical care, and unemployment

country comparison to the world:  4

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

1.9% (2014 est.)

5.6% (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world:  96

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Central bank discount rate:

3.5% (31 December 2010)

10% (31 December 2009)

country comparison to the world:  103

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

7.2% (31 December 2014 est.)

7.35% (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world:  121

Stock of narrow money:

$5.12 bil l ion (11 December 2014 est.)

$5.007 bi l l ion (11 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world:  99

Stock of broad money:

$48.04 bi l l ion (11 December 2014 est.)

$45.25 bi l l ion (11 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world:  68

Stock of domestic credit:

$87.04 bi l l ion (30 December 2014 est.)

$83.21 bi l l ion (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world:  57

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$11.22 bi l l ion (30 December 2014 est.)

$10.55 bi l l ion (30 December 2013)

$10.42 bi l l ion (28 December 2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  72

Current account balance:

-$12.45 bi l l ion (2014 est.)

-$5.05 bil l ion (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world:  163

Exports:

$4.092 bi l l ion (2014 est.)

$4.93 bil l ion (2013 est.)

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country comparison to the world:  121

Exports - commodities:

jewelry, base metals, chemicals, consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction minerals, electr ic power machinery and switchgear, text i le f ibers, paper

Exports - partners:

Saudi Arabia 10.8%, UAE 9.7%, Syria 8.7%, Iraq 7.6%, South Afr ica 7%, Switzerland 4% (2014)

Imports:

$20.08 bi l l ion (2014 est.)

$20.28 bi l l ion (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world:  78

Imports - commodities:

petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and l ive animals, consumer goods, paper, texti le fabrics, tobacco, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals

Imports - partners:

China 11.8%, Italy 7.7%, US 6.8%, France 6.2%, Germany 5.4%, Russia 4.5%, Greece 4.1% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$49.43 bi l l ion (30 December 2014 est.)

$47.85 bi l l ion (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world:  40

Debt - external:

$31.61 bi l l ion (30 December 2014 est.)

$31.56 bi l l ion (30 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world:  72

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA

Exchange rates:

Lebanese pounds (LBP) per US dollar -

1,507.5 (2014 est.)

1,507.5 (2013 est.)

1,507.5 (2012 est.)

1,507.5 (2011 est.)

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1,507.5 (2010 est.)

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Energy :: LEBANON

Electricity - production:13.99 bil l ion kWh (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  81

Electricity - consumption:

12.94 bil l ion kWh (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  80

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world:  161

Electricity - imports:

323 mil l ion kWh (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  69

Electricity - installed generating capacity:

2.26 mil l ion kW (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  101

Electricity - from fossil fuels:

90.2% of total instal led capacity (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  81

Electricity - from nuclear fuels:

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  124

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:

9.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  112

Electricity - from other renewable sources:

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  194

Crude oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world:  190

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Crude oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  142

Crude oil - imports:

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  208

Crude oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

country comparison to the world:  154

Refined petroleum products - production:

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  162

Refined petroleum products - consumption:

125,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world:  76

Refined petroleum products - exports:

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  192

Refined petroleum products - imports:

126,600 bbl/day (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  45

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world:  153

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world:  163

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world:  130

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2013 est.)

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Communications :: LEBANON

Telephones - fixed lines:total subscriptions:  970,000

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:  16 (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world:  77

Telephones - mobile cellular:

total: 4.4 mil l ion

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:  75 (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world:  125

Telephone system:

general assessment:  repair of the telecommunications system, severely damaged during the civi l war, now complete

domestic:  two mobi le-cellular networks provide good service; combined f ixed-l ine and mobile-cellular subscribership roughly 100 per 100 persons

international:  country code - 961; submarine cable l inks to Cyprus, Egypt, and Syria; satell i te earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean); coaxial cable to Syria (2011)

Broadcast media:

7 TV stations, 1 of which is state owned; more than 30 radio stat ions, 1 of which is state owned; satel l i te and cable TV services available; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible through partner stations (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 20, FM 30 (plus about a dozen unlicensed stations operating), shortwave 4 (2009)

Television broadcast stations:

12 (2009)

Internet country code:

. lb

Internet users:

total: 4 mil l ion

percent of population:  67.2% (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world:  76

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Transportation :: LEBANON

Airports:8 (2013)

country comparison to the world:  161

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 5

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 2

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 3

914 to 1,523 m: 2

under 914 m:

1 (2013)

Heliports:

1 (2013)

Pipelines:

gas 88 km (2013)

Railways:

total: 401 km

standard gauge: 319 km 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050-m gauge

note:  rai l system unusable due to damage sustained from fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2008)

country comparison to the world:  117

Roadways:

total: 6,970 km (includes 170 km of expressways) (2005)

country comparison to the world:  146

Merchant marine:

total: 29

by type: bulk carr ier 4, cargo 7, carr ier 17, vehicle carr ier 1

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foreign-owned: 2 (Syria 2)

registered in other countries:  34 (Barbados 2, Cambodia 5, Comoros 2, Egypt 1, Georgia 1, Honduras 2, Liberia 1, Malta 6, Moldova 1, Panama 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Sierra Leone 2, Togo 6, unknown 1) (2010)

country comparison to the world:  85

Ports and terminals:

major seaport(s):  Beirut, Tripol i

container port(s) (TEUs):  Beirut (1,034,249)

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Military :: LEBANON Military branches:

Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Lebanese Army ((Al Jaysh al Lubnani) includes Lebanese Navy (Al Quwwat al Bahir iyya al Lubnaniya), Lebanese Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Lubnaniya)) (2013)

Military service age and obligation:

17-30 years of age for voluntary mil i tary service; 18-24 years of age for off icer candidates; no conscript ion (2013)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,081,016

females age 16-49:  1,115,349 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 920,825

females age 16-49:  941,806 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male:  36,856

female: 35,121 (2010 est.)

Military expenditures:

4.04% of GDP (2012)

4.06% of GDP (2011)

4.04% of GDP (2010)

country comparison to the world:  11

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Transnational Issues :: LEBANON

Disputes - international:lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, port ions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute; since 2000, Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms area in the Israel i-occupied Golan Heights; the roughly 2,000-strong UN Interim Force in Lebanon has been in place since 1978

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin):  449,957 (Palestinian refugees (UNRWA)); 5,986 (Iraq) (2014); 1,078,338 (Syria) (2015)

IDPs: 19,719 (2007 Lebanese securi ty forces' destruction of Palestinian refugee camp) (2014)

stateless persons:  undetermined (2014); note - tens of thousands of persons are stateless in Lebanon, including many Palestinian refugees and their descendants, Syrian Kurds denaturali lzed in Syria in 1962, children born to Lebanese women married to foreign or stateless men; most babies born to Syrian refugees, and Lebanese children whose births are unregistered

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Lebanon is a source, transit, and destination country for women and chi ldren subjected to forced labor and sex traff icking; Eastern European women and children are transported through Lebanon for sexual exploitat ion in other Middle Eastern countr ies; women from Sri Lanka, the Phil ippines, Ethiopia, Kenya, Bangladesh, Nepal, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Togo, Cameroon, and Nigeria are recrui ted by agencies to work in domestic service but are often subject to condit ions indicative of forced labor, including the withholding of passports, nonpayment of wages, restr icted movement, threats, and abuse; Lebanon’s art iste visa program enabling women to work as dancers for three months in the adult entertainment industry sustains a signif icant sex trade; anecdotal information indicates some Lebanese children are vict ims of forced labor, such as street begging and commercial sexual exploi tat ion; Syrian refugee women and children in Lebanon are at increased r isked of sex traff icking

tier rating:  Tier 2 Watch List – Lebanon does not ful ly comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of traff icking; however, i t is making signif icant efforts to do so; the government has a wri tten plan that, i f implemented, would consti tute a signif icant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for el iminating human traff icking; in 2013, authorit ies conducted an increased number of investigations of human traff icking and prosecuted and convicted some traff icking offenders; the government identi f ied and referred some traff icking vict ims to NGO-run safe houses but did not directly fund protective services; Lebanon’s sponsorship system and the withholding of passports continued to put domestic workers at r isk of exploitat ion (2014)

Illicit drugs:

cannabis cult ivat ion dramatical ly reduced to 2,500 hectares in 2002 despite continued signif icant cannabis consumption; opium poppy cult ivation minimal; small amounts of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin transit country on way to European markets and for Middle Eastern consumption; money laundering of drug proceeds fuels concern that extremists are benefi t ing from drug traf f icking

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Conclusion Despite how long the problem has existed, a mutually agreed upon border has never been established between Lebanon and Israel. The border has been the site of continuous conflict for almost 50 years, and the time to resolve the problem is NOW. The establishment of a bipartisan border between Lebanon and Israel and its continued monitoring by the United Nations Security Council would serve to lessen conflicts, foster better relations between the two countries, and create a safer, friendlier, and more **** world. We hope you will join the state of Lebanon in the search for a better world.