Lebanon: Jewel of the Eastern Mediterranean
The Lebanese Republic is a small country located in the eastern Mediterranean. Created by the French during the early 20th century as a state for the Christian minorities of the Middle East, Lebanon achieved its national independence after the Second World War and has for long been one of the most stable and developed countries in the region. In spite of being at the crossroads of several major conflicts during the 20th century, the country has prospered as a regional center for tourism, banking & finance, trade, and higher education. Furthermore, Lebanon is a multiethnic nation with Arabic, French, and English being widely spoken throughout. The country has a total territory of little over 10.000 square kilometers, which is more than twice the size of Rhode Island. Geographically, a coastal plain covers western Lebanon, while valleys and mountains dominate the interior. The total population living in the country exceeds 6.2 million; however, Lebanon has one of the largest diaspora populations spread throughout the world. Amongst those in the country, almost 90% live in an urban setting, particularly the capital city of Beirut that has 2.2 million inhabitants and is known as the Paris of the Mediterranean.
Currently, the Lebanese annual gross domestic product (GDP) is approximately US$80 billion and it has experienced positive economic growth in recent years. The country’s national economy is divided into 6% agriculture, 25% manufacturing, and 69% services. Meanwhile, the agriculture industry utilizes some 63% of the national territory, while another 14% is forested. In terms of natural resources, Lebanon has limestone, iron ore, salt, arable land, and important amounts of water. Within manufacturing, the national industry is focused on food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, minerals, chemical & wood products, oil refining, and metallurgy. Meanwhile, the country’s agricultural industry has as main products citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, sheep, and goats. In terms of trade, Lebanon’s main partners are the European Union, China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and amongst others.
Lebanon: Jewel of the Eastern Mediterranean
In recent years, the average per capita protein intake of animal origin amongst the Lebanese population has been of 32 grams daily. Meanwhile, cereals, roots, and tubers supply approximately 39% of the food energy intake in the country. Simultaneously, land distribution and agricultural output in Lebanon have evolved throughout the last half century. Back in 1961, permanent pastures and meadows in the country covered 300.000 hectares, while arable land covered over 170.000 hectares and permanent crops accounted for 90.000 hectares. More recently, by 2014, permanent pastures and meadows had increased to account for 400.000 hectares, while arable land represented more than 130.000 hectares and permanent crops covered about 126.000 hectares. Meanwhile, in 1961, the cereals market in Lebanon utilized over 90.000 hectares of land and yielded some 96.500 metric tons annually. Finally, in 2014, the country devoted more than 67.400 hectares of land to cereals production and yielded over 176.600 metric tons.