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):  
•   $61.44 billion (2011 est.) 
•   $60.53 billio (2010 est.) 
•   $56.57 billion (2009 est.) 
•   $51.18 billion (2008 est.) 
GDP (official exchange rate): 
$38.41 billion (2011 est.) 
GDP - real growth rate:  
•   1.5% (2011 est.) 
•   7% (2010 est.) 
•   8.5% (2009 est.) 
•   9.3% (2008 est.) 
GDP - per capita (PPP): 
•   $15,500 (2011 est.) 
•   $15,500 (2010 est.) 
•   $14,700 (2009 est.) 
•   $12,700 (2008 est.) 
Budget: 
Revenues: $9.334 billion 
Expenditures: $11.67 billion (2011 est.) 
Public debt: 
134% of GDP (2011 est.) 
141.7% of GDP (2010 est.) 
  
Exports:  
•   $5.386 billion (2011 est.) 
•   $4.689 billion (2010 est.) 
•   $4.716 billion (2009 est.) 
Imports:  
•   $19.3 billion (2011 est.) 
•   $17.19 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:  
 •   $29.47 billion (31 December 2011 est.) 
 •  $28.42 billion  (31 December 2010 est.) 
 •  $31.89 billion (31 December 2009 est.) 
Military expenditures: 3.1% of GDP (2005 est.) 
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 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  Aircraft Departures:  10,300. |  
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