Total Withdrawal Of Syria From Lebanon example essay topic

Lebanon Lebanon is a Middle Eastern country that is delimitated to the west by the Mediterranean and to the east by the Syr o-African Depression. Lebanon borders Syria to the north and to the east, and Israel in the south. Lebanon's climate is "Mediterranean"; mild to cool, wet winters, and hot, dry summers. Some of Lebanon's natural resources are the limestone, salt, water and iron ore. Like any other country there are natural hazards such as dust storms and sandstorms. [ Population pressures: growth, urbanization, immigration.

Lebanon's population consists of 3,777,218 (this data is from July, 2004) Age structure: ~ 0-14 years: 26.9% (male 517,356; female 496,888) 2004 estimation ~ 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 1,197,430; female 1,305,339) ~ 65 years and over: 6.9% (male 117,930; female 142,275) Median age: total: 26.9 years male: 25.9 years female: 27.9 years (2004 est.) Population growth rate: 1.3% (2004 est.) Birth rate: 19.31 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) Death rate: 6.28 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant (s) /1,000 population (2004 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male (s) /female under 15 years: 1.04 male (s) /female 15-64 years: 0.92 male (s) /female 65 years and over: 0.83 male (s) /female Total population: 0.94 male (s) /female Infant mortality rate: total: 25.48 deaths/1,000 live births male: 28.21 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.35 years male: 69.91 years female: 74.91 years Total fertility rate: 1.95 children born / woman (2004 est.) [ Economic issues: The Lebanese economy is "service-oriented: main growth sectors include banking and tourism". There are no limitations on foreign exchange or capital movement, and "bank secrecy" is strictly enforced. Lebanon recently adopted a law to combat 'money laundering'. Moreover there are no restrictions on foreign investment and there are no "country-specific U. S trade sanctions against Lebanon". Due to civil war, Lebanon's economy was highly affected, for instance central government institutions disintegrated. Therefore the estate was handicapped, and accumulated several debts, for example by 2001 Lebanon had reached $28 billion, or nearly 150% of GDP.

As a matter of fact, economic performance was sluggish in 2000 and 2001 and there was no growth in 2000. Lebanon's current program of reforms focuses on three main aspects: - Economic restoration and "sustainable growth" - "Fiscal consolidation and structural improvement in public sector finances- Monetary, financial, and price stability " The Lebanese pound is firmly pegged to the American dollar since September 1999. Furthermore Lebanese currency has "undetermined competitiveness, with merchandise exports falling from 23% of GDP in 1989 to 4% in 2000". In 2002, the Lebanese government increased gasoline taxes, reduced expenditures, and approved a "value-added-tax"; all of these became effective in February 2002. In Lebanon is it hard to finance the government because of the slow money growth and, which results in a burden to the 'Central Bank'. Some of the measurements that the government has put primary emphasis on privatization are: the telecom sector and electricity, Beirut port, and water utilities.

Lebanon's is U. S' fourth largest source of imported goods; the U. S has more than 160 offices representing them there. For example thanks to the lift of the passport restriction in 1997, several American companies have opened branches or regional offices such as: Parsons, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Cisco Systems, Arthur Anderson, FedEx, UPS, Microsoft, American Airlines, General Electric, etc. Statistics: GDP: purchasing power parity - $17.82 billion (2003 est.) GDP: real growth rate: 3% (2003 est.) GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,800 (2003 est.) GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 12%industry: 21%services: 67% (2000) Population below poverty line: 28% (1999 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%highest 10%: NA%Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (2003 est.) ~ Budget: revenues: $4.414 billion expenditures: $7.026 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003 est.) Industries: banking; food processing; jewelry; cement, textiles; mineral and chemical products; wood and furniture products; oil refining; metal fabricating Industrial production growth rate: NA%~ Electricity - production: 9,700 GWh (1998) dElectricity; production by source: - fossil fuel: 90.72%- hydro: 9.28%- nuclear: 0%- other: 0% (1998) dElectricity - consumption: 9,629 GWh (1998) dElectricity - exports: 0 k Wh (1998) dElectricity - imports: 608 GWh (1998) ~ Exports: $1.359 billion (f. o. b., 2003 est.) d Exports: commodities: foodstuffs and tobacco, textiles, chemicals, metal and metal products, electrical equipment and products, jewelry, paper and paper productsdExports - partners: UAE 10.3%, Switzerland 9.3%, Saudi Arabia 7.7%, U. S 7.5%, Turkey 4.6%, Jordan 4.5%, Syria (2003 est.) d Imports: $6.073 billion (f. o. b., 2003 est.) d Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, textiles, metals, fuels, agricultural foods d Imports - partners: France 13.1%, Germany 11.4%, Italy 10.5%, Syria 5.2%, China 5.1%, UK 4.8%, US 4.4% (2003 est.) Debt - external: $20.79 billion (2003 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $3.5 billion (pledges 1997-2001); $4.2 billion in soft loan pledges November 2002 Paris II Aid Conference (2002) Currency: 1 Lebanese pound = 100 Piasters Exchange rates: Lebanese pounds per US dollar - 1,507.5 (2003), 1,507.5 (2002), 1,507.5 (2001), 1,507.5 (2000), 1,507.84 (1999) Fiscal year: calendar yeardEnvironment: Lebanon's current environmental issues are: deforestation, soil erosion and desertification. Furthermore Beirut is highly polluted due to vehicular traffic, and the burning of industrial wastes.

And Lebanon's waters may be polluted from diffusion of contaminated waters such as oil spills and sewage. Some of environmental-international agreements party to: Nuclear test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship pollution Biodiversity, climate change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, and Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping and Wetlands. Lebanon just like any other place in the world has natural hazards and some examples are dust storms and sandstorms. The climate in Lebanon is Mediterranean (mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers.

Lebanon's mountains experience heavy winter snows). Lebanon's natural resources are limestone, iron ore, salt water-surplus state in water-deficit region, arable land. Lebanon is a country that has 21% of arable land, 9% of permanent crops, and 1% of permanent pastures. Its forests and woodlands occupy only an 8% and irrigated land 860 km 2, and finally others take up 61%. d History and causes of the conflict: Lebanon has been under Syrian domination since 1990; people are unhappy because they believe that Syria's' influence is too powerful over the Lebanese one.

After Rafi c Hariri's assassination, international pressure upon Syria was dramatically increased; they demand a total and prompt removal of Syrian's forces, and intelligence personnel from Lebanon. Lebanon is one of the places believed to be birthplace of humankind, it is the native home of the 'Phoenicians' [Phoenicia was an ancient civilization in the north of ancient Canaan: ancient term for a region roughly corresponding to present-day: Israel, West Bank, western Jordan, southern Syria and southern Lebanon]. The region [Lebanon's, current area] was territory of the Roman Empire and during the Middle Ages was involved in the Crusades which were series of military campaigns directed by the Papacy, and originally they were roman catholic trying to re-capture the Holy land from the Muslims [this dates back to the 11th through 13th centuries]. During those days Lebanon was taken by the Ottoman Empire, although the Ottoman Empire collapsed after World War I. Therefore the "league of Nations "mandated" the five provinces that make up the nowadays Lebanon to France. Lebanon became independent of France in 1943.

Due to the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1948, Lebanon was home to more than 110,000 Palestinian refugees who fled from Israel. The number of Palestinian refugees continued growing since several contests kept going on such as the "1967 Arab-Israeli war" and "Black September". For instance by 1975 there were more than 300,000 Palestinians in Lebanon, furthermore they were led by Yasir Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization [PLO]. This led to civil war within the Palestinian refugees in April 1975. One side were Maronites [members of eastern rites of the Catholic Church], and the other side a coalition of Palestinians. Things were not going well for the Maronites, so Syria sent 40,000 troops into Lebanon in order to prevent an overrun.

However Syrians fight against Palestinians was ironic, which led Maronites to realize that Syrian's real goal was to occupy Lebanon, and by September of 1978; Syrians were "feuding" openly. As a matter of fact Syrian forces stayed in Lebanon and dominated the Lebanese government during the first years of the 21st century. d Major breakthroughs or setbacks of the conflict: Smoke billows after Israeli warplanes launched two air raids on southern Lebanon after a series cross-border attacks in a disputed border area. ~ On February 14, 2005 after ten years of "political stability" Lebanon's former Prime Minister was assassinated in a car-bomb explosion, this was a protest against Syrian occupation, and counter demonstrations by Hezbollah in favor of Syrian occupation. Accusations of responsibility were directed at Syria, Israel and "local gangsters".

This is all due to extensive military and intelligence presence in Lebanon. Some other cases that have rise anger were the extension of President's Lahoud's term. ~ Hezbollah organized a large counter demonstration in Beirut in March 8, they were in favor of Syria and accused Israel and the U. S of interfering in Lebanese affairs. (Hezbollah is nevertheless considered a terrorist group by the U. S and Israel~ March 14; one month after Hairi's assassination 1 million protestors gathered in Martyr's Square which was considered one of the largest protests ever held there. The protest claimed for Lebanon's freedom of "Syria's hegemony". ~ Cross border attacks from Lebanon against Israeli territory that led to an Israeli invasion in March 1978, although Israel withdrew the same year due to UN pressures.

~ The PLO's armed forces continued to use Lebanon as a base to attack Israel with rockets and artillery, and in 1982, Israel again invaded Lebanon. ~ Israeli plans for Lebanon were post-dated because of the assassination of the "Phalangist leader and president-elect Bashir Gema yel in September 14, 1982" who was sympathetic to Israel. ~ The border with Israel has been approved by the United Nations, although a small piece of land called "She eba Fams" located in the 'Golan Heights' is claimed by Lebanon but occupied by Israel, who claim that is actually Syrian land. The UN has not officially declared this region not to be Lebanese territory, but Lebanese resistance occasionally launches attacks against Israeli positions within it. d Possible steps to solve the conflict: The country has been able to recover from the effects of civil war throughout the years thanks to tourism. Moreover some other ways for Lebanon to recover would be foreign investment; other companies establishing their businesses in Lebanon. War in Lebanon ended in 1989 due to the "Taif-Agreement" sponsored by the 'Arab League'.

And in September 2, 2004; the United Nations Security Council, approved the "Resolution 1559" which demanded total withdrawal of Syria from Lebanon. Another fact is that since there are many Palestinians in Lebanon their civil rights cannot be granted because of problems in the past. Furthermore Palestinians could be useful for Lebanon's economic issues if they are allowed to improve their economic and social situation; in other words integrate them. Nevertheless Palestinians have to conform to the Lebanese democratic traditions.