e 1,196,678)
65 years and over: 6% (male 105,133; female 125,395) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.61% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 22.5 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 6.45 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 30.53 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.93 years
male: 68.34 years
female: 73.66 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.25 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Lebanese

Ethnic groups: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%

Religions: Islam 70% (5 legally recognized Islamic groups--Alawite
or Nusayri, Druze, Isma'ilite, Shi'a, Sunni), Christian 30% (11
legally recognized Christian groups--4 Orthodox Christian, 6
Catholic, 1 Protestant), Judaism NEGL%

Languages: Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian widely
understood

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4%
male: 90.8%
female: 82.2% (1997 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
conventional short form: Lebanon
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
local short form: Lubnan

Data code: LE

Government type: republic

Capital: Beirut

Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat,
singular--muhafazah); Al Biqa', Al Janub, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal
Lubnan

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

National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943)

Constitution: 23 May 1926, amended a number of times

Legal system: mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code,
and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized
for women at age 21 with elementary education

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Emile LAHUD (since 24 November 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Salim al-HUSS (since 4 December
1998)
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with
the p