Lebanon

Lebanon joined the League of Arab States as a charter member in 1945. 

Nature and Structure of Government: 

- Capital: Beirut 

- Type: Republic

- Long Form of Name: Republic of Lebanon; note - may be changed to
Lebanese Republic 

- Independence: 22 November 1943 (from League of
Nations mandate under French administration)

- Administrative Regions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular -
muhafazah); Al Biqa, `Al Janub, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan

- Constitution: 26 May 1926 (amended)

- National Holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943)

- Legal System: Mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code,
and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

- Executive Branch: President, prime minister, Cabinet; note - by
custom, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a
Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a Shi`a Muslim

- Legislative Branch: Unicameral National Assembly (Arabic - Majlis
Alnuwab, French - Assemblee Nationale)

- Judicial Branch: Four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil
and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases)

- Suffrage: Compulsory for all males at age 21; authorized for women
at age 21 with elementary education

- Leaders: Chief of State: President Ilyas HARAWI (since 24 November
1989); Head of Government: Prime Minister Rafiq al-HARIRI

- Political Parties: Political party activity is organized along
largely sectarian lines; numerous political groupings exist,
consisting of individual political figures and followers motivated by
religious, clan, and economic considerations; most parties have
well-armed militias, which are still involved in occasional clashes

- Elections: National Assembly: elections should be held every four
years, but security conditions have prevented elections since May
1972; in June 1991, the Cabinet appointed 40 new deputies to fill
vacancies and balance Christian and Muslim representation; the
legislature's mandate expires in 1994

- Defense Expenditures: Exchange rate conversion - $271 million, 8.2%
of GDP (1992 budget)

- Military Branches: Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) (including Army,
Navy, and Air Force)

- Manpower Availability: Males 15-49, 750,319; 465,938 fit for
military service


Membership in Other Organizations: 

ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO


(from the 1995 entry in "Model League of Arab States"
http://192.203.180.62/index.htm)

BL - 95091l