|
LEBANON'S POPULATION
Lebanon's population and the numerical ratios of the
various sects and religions have acquired mythological dimensions as they get
manipulated and modified to suit political agendas.
NALA has never believed that
the exact numbers are material to the inalienable rights of any Lebanese
individual or group. Human and civil rights should be equally afforded to all
citizens regardless of whether they belong to the largest or smallest community.
However, the rest of the world
appears hung on this particular issue. Regional and international Governments
seem to judge the rights of people by their relative numbers in the country.
In recent years the Lebanese
Government in line with the rest of the Arab world has taken it upon itself to
systematically reduce the official number of Christians in the country to
justify the lopsided policy of marginalization.
Officials continually assert that the Christians who make up no more than 25-30%
of the population should be grateful that they still have the rights they do.
Islamic Fundamentalists have
raised the banner of an Islamic republic that denies all rights to non-Moslems
based on this misrepresentation of facts.
As such we feel it imperative
that the real numbers be revealed to the extent possible.
Voters Registration
The voters registration is the
closest we get to an official census in Lebanon.
It is important to note
the following:
-
Lebanon has not had any
official census since the first and only census in 1932.
-
Lebanese residing outside
Lebanon who still hold a Lebanese citizenship are at least equal to those
residing in Lebanon.
-
Under Syrian tutelage, the
Lebanese government has opted to selectively delete many of those to adapt
the population numbers to its own agenda.
-
In the early 1990s hundreds
of thousands of non-Lebanese, mostly Syrians and Palestinians were
arbitrarily granted Lebanese citizenship to further alter the demographic
and political make up of the country. Those were all Moslems.
-
The total eligible voters
reported at 2.75 million would suggest a total Lebanese citizenship of
roughly 5.5 million. But, the actual numbers are much higher by any count.
Resident Lebanese are
estimated at 4,5 million with another 1 million temporarily working in the
Arab world and Africa. Those alone match the official numbers, leaving the
Lebanese in the rest of the world, estimated in the millions, unaccounted
for. If all holders of
Lebanese citizenship over age 21 are counted, the voters rolls would amount
to between 4 and 5 million as opposed to the 2.75 million officially
reported.
Yet, in spite of all of the
manipulations and arbitrary deletions and additions, Moslems barely outnumbered Christians on the official voter
rolls in 2000 by a margin of 56% to 44%. The Government however continues to insist the Christians amount
to no more than 30%.
Bellow is the detailed
break-down of the Voters registration as stated by the Lebanese Government in
2000.
|
|
Voter
Summary 2000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Muhafaza
|
Voters
|
Christian %
|
Christian #
|
Moslem %
|
Moslem #
|
|
North
|
618,959
|
47%
|
291,299
|
53%
|
327,660
|
|
|
Mt
Lebanon
|
694,566
|
67%
|
464,589
|
33%
|
229,977
|
|
|
Beirut
|
399,630
|
45%
|
178,665
|
55%
|
220,965
|
|
|
South
|
293,386
|
25%
|
74,721
|
75%
|
218,665
|
|
|
Nabatyeh
|
303,502
|
13%
|
38,424
|
87%
|
265,078
|
|
|
Bekaa
|
444,247
|
33%
|
148,678
|
67%
|
295,560
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
2,754,290
|
43%
|
1,196,376
|
57%
|
1,557,905
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Voter Details
2000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mt Leb
|
Beirut
|
North
|
Bekaa
|
South
|
Nabatyeh
|
|
Total
|
% of Total
|
|
Maronite
|
322,755
|
25,378
|
182,415
|
50,677
|
43,817
|
18,178
|
|
643,220
|
23.35%
|
|
Orthdox
|
50,006
|
42,599
|
99,466
|
26,121
|
1,025
|
10,752
|
|
229,969
|
8.35%
|
|
Catholic
|
35,051
|
18,854
|
3,854
|
52,643
|
26,826
|
6,843
|
|
144,071
|
5.23%
|
|
Ar. Orh.
|
28,691
|
47,969
|
2,093
|
8,708
|
1,340
|
86
|
|
88,887
|
3.23%
|
|
Ar. Cath.
|
7,770
|
9,831
|
496
|
1,861
|
174
|
47
|
|
20,179
|
0.73%
|
|
Ar. Prot.
|
2,302
|
3,833
|
141
|
907
|
204
|
0
|
|
7,387
|
0.27%
|
|
Syriac
|
4,374
|
13,337
|
585
|
5,600
|
61
|
25
|
|
23,982
|
0.87%
|
|
Kelidan
|
559
|
1,680
|
60
|
359
|
15
|
0
|
|
2,673
|
0.10%
|
|
Latin
|
1,730
|
5,570
|
288
|
239
|
259
|
167
|
|
8,253
|
0.30%
|
|
Protestant
|
1,878
|
3,187
|
1,155
|
877
|
741
|
1,376
|
|
9,214
|
0.33%
|
|
Other C.
|
9,473
|
6,427
|
746
|
695
|
259
|
950
|
|
18,550
|
0.67%
|
|
Total C.
|
464,589
|
178,665
|
291,299
|
148,687
|
74,721
|
38,424
|
|
1,196,385
|
43.44%
|
|
%Christians
|
66.89%
|
44.71%
|
47.06%
|
33.47%
|
25.47%
|
12.66%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shiite
|
52,064
|
53,317
|
3,970
|
179,717
|
169,532
|
234,752
|
|
693,352
|
25.17%
|
|
Sunni
|
54,388
|
162,806
|
323,684
|
100,806
|
48,663
|
18,507
|
|
708,854
|
25.74%
|
|
Druze
|
123,525
|
4,842
|
6
|
15,037
|
470
|
11,819
|
|
155,699
|
5.65%
|
|
Alawite
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
0
|
0.00%
|
|
Total M.
|
229,977
|
220,965
|
327,660
|
295,560
|
218,665
|
265,078
|
|
1,557,905
|
56.56%
|
|
%Moslems
|
33.11%
|
55.29%
|
52.94%
|
66.53%
|
74.53%
|
87.34%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
694,566
|
399,630
|
618,959
|
444,247
|
293,386
|
303,502
|
2,754,290
|
100.00%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
