he devastating 16-year civil war. Under the Ta'if Accord - the
blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese have established
a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a
greater say in the political process while institutionalizing
sectarian divisions in the government. Since the end of the war, the
Lebanese have conducted several successful elections, most of the
militias have been weakened or disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed
Forces (LAF) have extended central government authority over about
two-thirds of the country. Hizballah, the radical Shi'a party, retains
its weapons. Foreign forces still occupy areas of Lebanon. Israel
maintains troops in southern Lebanon and continues to support a proxy
militia, the Army of South Lebanon (ASL), along a narrow stretch of
territory contiguous to its border. Syria maintains about 25,000
troops in Lebanon based mainly in Beirut, North Lebanon, and the Bekaa
Valley. Syria's troop deployment was legitimized by the Arab League
during Lebanon's civil war and in the Ta'if Accord. Damascus justifies
its continued military presence in Lebanon by citing the continued
weakness of the LAF, Beirut's requests, and the failure of the
Lebanese Government to implement all of the constitutional reforms in
the Ta'if Accord.

@Lebanon:Geography

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

Area - comparative: about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries:
total: 454 km
border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km

Coastline: 225 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry
summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows

Terrain: narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa' (Bekaa Valley) separates
Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Qurnat as Sawda' 3,088 m

Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a
water-deficit region, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 21%
permanent crops: 9%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 8%
other: 61% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 860 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion;
desertifica