Article
11 of Lebanon's Constitution states that "Arabic is the
official national language. A law determines the cases
in which the French language may be used".The majority
of Lebanese people speak Lebanese Arabic, while formal
Arabic is mostly used in magazines and newspapers.
Currency:
The Lebanese pound, denoted by the ISO
code LBP, is the official currency of Lebanon. The pound
is known as the Lira in Arabic, as that is the Arabic
translation. Prior to World War I, the Ottoman Lira was
the official currency in Lebanon.
The population of Lebanon is estimated
at 3, 578, 037, according to July 2000 estimates, an
increase of 578, 037 from 1980. In 2000, Lebanon's birth
rate stood at 20.26 per 1, 000, while the death rate was
reported at 6.42 per 1, 000.
Capital City:
Beirut is the capital and largest city
of Lebanon with a population ranging from some 1 million
to more than 2 million as of 2007.
