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Lebanon

Marwan Eldam, originally from Lebanon, participated in 2006 training class

Farmer Profile - Marwan Eldam

Marwan Eldam arrived in the U.S. in 2001. He is originally from Lebanon, and speaks Arabic and English. Prior to arriving in the U.S., Marwan studied plant and soil science at Alexandria University in Egypt. He has a background in forestry, bee keeping, growing vegetables and raising lambs. 

Country Facts

The population of Lebanon comprises various Christian and Muslim sects as well as Druze. No official census has been taken since 1932. While there is no consensus over the religious breakdown of the population, it is safe to say that the Muslim sects as a whole make up a majority, and that Shi'as, Sunnis, and Maronites are the three largest groups.

396,000 Palestinian refugees have registered in Lebanon with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) since 1948. They are not accorded the legal rights enjoyed by the rest of the population.

With no official figures available, it is estimated that 600,000-900,000 persons fled the country during the initial years of civil war (1975-76). Although some returned, continuing conflict through 1990 sparked further waves of emigration, casting even more doubt on population figures. As much as 7% of the population was killed during the civil war between 1975 and 1990. Approximately 17,000-20,000 people are still "missing" or unaccounted for from the civil war period.

Location: Lebanon lies at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea north of Israel and west of Syria. It is four-fifths the size of Connecticut.
Capital: Beitrut
Area: 3,950 sq mi (10,230 sq km);
Climate: Mediteranean (similar to Southern California)
Terrain: The Lebanon Mountains, which parallel the coast on the west, cover most of the country, while on the eastern border is the Anti-Lebanon range. Between the two lies the Bekaa Valley, the principal agricultural area.
Land Use: Arable land 17%
Environmental Issues: Industrial pollution remains a serious issue virtually unregulated by government, quarrying has gone on with impunity carving out whole sections of Lebanon's beautiful mountain heritage, and Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, ostensibly publicly owned, has been increasingly encroached upon by private developers. Yet, environmental concerns have become a more prominent part of the 'public domain'. Lebanon now has a Ministry of the Environment, created in 1993; in response to the emergence of local environmental NGOs in the postwar world, the government has also sanctioned the creation of the Lebanese Environmental Forum (LEF), a national NGO environmental coordinating committee.
Population: 3,874,050
Life Expectancy: 73
GDP per capita: per capita $5,300
Under 5 mortality rate (per 1000 live births): 31
Ethnic Groups: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
Languages: Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
Major Religions:  Islam 60%, Christian 39%, other 1%

Agriculture

Agriculture is 11% of GDP. Almost one-fourth of Lebanon's land is cultivable--the highest proportion in the Arab world. The variety of Lebanon's agricultural lands, from the interior plateau of the Biqa Valley to the narrow valleys sweeping down to the sea, enables farmers to grow both European and tropical crops.

Agriculture Products: citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco; sheep, goats

Traditional Foods

Lebanese food combines the sophistication of European cuisine with the excitement of eastern spices, and it is Lebanon's culinary contributions that have been the greatest influence on modern Arabic cuisine. Dishes from the Lebanon provide the framework for the exotic cuisine recognized internationally as Arabic.