In 2003, Lebanon was a small Middle Eastern country located between Syria and Israel. It had a population of around 4 million people and its capital was Beirut. The official language was Arabic but English and French were also widely spoken. Lebanon’s economy relied heavily on its services sector, banking and finance, tourism, manufacturing and agricultural exports such as olives, citrus fruits, tobacco and wine. Despite this, the country suffered from an unstable political environment due to internal conflicts between different religious sects as well as external influence from its powerful neighbors.
According to computergees, the government at the time was led by Prime Minister Rafic Hariri who had been in power since 1992. He implemented several economic reforms such as reducing taxes on imports and encouraging foreign investment in order to improve the country’s infrastructure and create jobs. Education levels were relatively high compared to other countries in the region, with a literacy rate around 83%. Healthcare access was also good due to government investment in medical services provided by foreign organizations.
Security forces were present throughout the country to maintain order but crime levels were still high compared to other countries in the region. Lebanon maintained strong cultural ties to its neighbors including its unique cuisine as well as its rich history of literature, music and art forms such as traditional folk songs which have been passed down for centuries. The country also had a vibrant nightlife with a variety of nightclubs, bars and restaurants located throughout Beirut.
Yearbook 2003
Lesotho. In August, the Supreme Court reduced the penalty for the Canadian construction company Acres International, which in 2002 was fined for paying bribes in the procurement for a major irrigation project. The court reduced the fine from the equivalent of just over SEK 20 million to about 14 million, as it was not considered unequivocally proven that some of the payments made to Lesotho officials were intended as bribes.
In total, twelve companies or consortia are facing bribery in connection with the procurement before the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, a gigantic project to direct water from Lesotho to South Africa. Swedish-Swiss ABB is one of them. Later in August, German Lahmeyer International became the second company to receive its verdict. Lahmeyer was sentenced to fines about SEK 11 million.
According to Countryaah.com, Lesotho Independence Day is October 4. The trials are very expensive for the poor Lesotho, but according to the prosecutor’s office, it is important to push the cases forward to elucidate Western big companies’ often unethical behavior in the “third world”.
Kingdom of Lesotho Brief Guide
According to AbbreviationFinder, Lesotho is a mountainous inland state in southern Africa. The country is an enclave completely surrounded by South Africa. Most of the UK’s more than 2 million inhabitants are Sothos. To the southeast of Lesotho are the Dragon Mountains.
Food & beverage
Lesotho’s food culture is inspired by African and English cuisine. Lesotho’s traditional food motoho is porridge made from fermented durrati. As you move through the villages, you will notice colorful flags promoting homemade drink and food. Lesotho tap water is generally not potable, so we recommend buying bottled water. Heated or tablet-purified water can be drunk.
Photography
It is a good practice to ask permission from the person being photographed before taking the picture. Care should be taken when photographing, as it may be difficult to photograph government buildings.