TOEFL Test Centers in Lebanon

EDU February 16, 2019

Lebanon Overview

Lebanon, republic on the east coast of the Mediterranean in the Middle East. The predominantly mountainous country has fertile valleys and coasts where citrus fruits, olives and cereals are grown. The most important branches of industry are textile, food and wood industries.

History: Lebanon, in ancient times part of Greater Syria and the core area of ​​the Phoenicians, was under Turkish rule from 1516–1918, then came under French mandate administration and became independent in 1944.

After the 1st Israeli-Arab War (1948), the country took out numerous refugees Palestine. The increasing tensions between pro-Western Christians and Arab-nationalist Muslims led to a civil war that was increasingly related to the Middle East conflict and was only ended in 1991 under pressure from Syria; Nevertheless, heavy fighting continued. A Syrian-Lebanese cooperation agreement in 1991 made Lebanon practically a protectorate of Syria. In southern Lebanon, which Israel occupied from 1982–85, a security zone against Israel emerged, from which Israel withdrew in mid-2000. In 2005, the Syrian troops stationed in Lebanon were withdrawn. With the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers on July 12, 2006, Hezbollah provoked an immediate Israeli military operation, which it responded to with rocket fire. In August, both sides accepted a ceasefire. In May / June 2007, heavy fighting broke out between the Lebanese military and the Islamist terrorist group “Fatah al-Islam” in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian camp (near Tripoli). Michel Suleiman (* 1948) was President of Lebanon from 2008 to 2014. The civil war in Syria increasingly influenced Lebanese domestic politics from 2012 onwards. By the end of 2014, Lebanon had taken in over 1,000,000 Syrian refugees. Supporters and opponents of the Syrian Assad regime repeatedly fought heavy fighting in Tripoli. In view of the poor security situation, also due to Hezbollah attacks, it was decided to postpone the elections, which had already been postponed to 2014, to June 2017. After Suleiman’s term of office had expired, the office of president remained vacant for a long time because it was not possible to elect a successor. The former General Michel Aoun (* 1935) has been the new President of Lebanon since the end of October 2016.

Country facts

• Official name: Lebanese Republic
• License plate: RL
• ISO-3166: LB, LBN (422)
• Internet domain:.lb
• Currency: 1 Lebanese pound (L £) = 100 piastres
• Area: 10 450 km²
• Population (2018): 6.8 million
• Capital: Beirut
• Official language (s): Arabic
• Form of government: Parliamentary republic
• Administrative division: 8 provinces (Mohafazat)
• Head of State: President (Maronite Christian) Michel Aoun
• Prime Minister: Hassan Diab
• Religion (s) (2018): 61% Muslims (31% Sunnis, 30% Shiites), 34% Christians (Maronites, Orthodox, Greek-Catholic etc.), 5% Druze
• Time zone: Central European Time +1 hour
• National Day: November 22nd

Location and infrastructure

• Location (geographical): Middle East
• Position (coordinates): between 33 and 35 ° north latitude and 35 ° and 36 ° 40 ‘east longitude
• Climate: Warm, summer-dry Mediterranean climate
• Highest mountain: Qurnat as-Sawda (3,088 m)
• Road network (2017): 21 705 km
• Railway network (2017): 401 km

Population

• Annual population growth (2020): -6.7%
• Birth rate (2020): 13.6 per 1000 inh.
• Death rate (2020): 5.4 per 1000 pop.
• Average age (2020): 33.7 years
• Average life expectancy (2020): 78.3 years (men 76.9; women 79.8)
• Age structure (2020): 20.8% younger than 15 years, 8% older than 65 years
• Literacy rate (15-year-olds and older) (2018): 95.1%
• Mobile phone contracts (pre-paid and post-paid) (2017): 78 per 100 residents
• Internet users (2017): 72 per 100 residents

Economy

• GDP per capita (2018): US $ 9,257
• Total GDP (2018): US $ 56 billion
• GNI per capita (2018): US $ 7,920
• Education expenditure (2013): 2.5% of GDP
• Military expenditure (2019): 4.2% of GDP
• Unemployment rate (15 years and older) (2017): 6.3%

Transportation

The transport infrastructure was badly damaged or destroyed in 2006 by bombing and rocket attacks. Of the approximately 7,000 km long road network, around 170 km are expressways and motorways. The most important connections are the coastal road and the connection from Beirut to Damascus. The railway network covers around 400 km, but is still only partially usable after the destruction in the civil war. The main ports are Beirut and Tripoli. Beirut International Airport is the seat of the national airline Middle East Airlines.

History

The assassination of Bashir Gemayel (* 1947), elected successor to President Sarkis, on September 14, 1982 triggered a massacre by Christian militiamen of residents of the Palestinian camps Sabra and Shatila. President Amin Gemayel (* 1942; 1982–88) bowed to Syria’s growing influence in Lebanon; Israel withdrew from Lebanon by June 1985 (except for a narrow security zone in the south); v. a. the Shiite Amal militia. The predominantly Christian, pro-Israel South Lebanese Army was formed in the security zone in 1984 (abbreviation SLA; dissolved in May 2000). Despite various reconciliation conferences of the civil war parties (1983 and 1984), the fighting could not be resolved. The “Government of National Unity” under Karame, formed in 1984 at the instigation of Syria(murdered June 1, 1987) was unsuccessful. Since the mid-1980s, Syria has endeavored to end the heavy fighting between the Shiite militias Amal and Hezbollah. With the end of his term of office (September 1988) Gemayel appointed General M. Aoun in a controversial manner as interim head of government. Previously, Parliament had not been able to agree on a successor for Gemayel.