Country name:
conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
conventional short form:
Lebanon
local long form:
Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
local short form:
Lubnan
former:
Greater Lebanon
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name:
Beirut
geographic coordinates:
33 52 N, 35 30 E
time difference:
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time:
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
6 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Beqaa, Beyrouth (Beirut), Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban, Nabatiye
note:
two new governorates - Aakkar and Baalbek-Hermel - have been legislated but not yet implemented
Independence:
22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
Constitution:
drafted 15 May 1926, adopted 23 May 1926; amended several times, last in 2004 (2013)
Legal system:
mixed legal system of civil law based on the French civil code, Ottoman legal tradition, and religious laws covering personal status, marriage, divorce, and other family relations of the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian communities
International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Suffrage:
21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education; excludes military personnel
[see also: Suffrage country ranks ]
:
chief of state:
President (vacant); note - Parliament has tried six times to elect a president and failed; President Michel SULAYMAN's term expired on 24 May 2014; the prime minister and his cabinet are temporarily taking over the duties of the president
head of government:
Prime Minister Tamam SALAM (since 6 April 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Samir MOQBIL (since 7 July 2011)
cabinet:
Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and members of the National Assembly
elections:
president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); first round of election held on 23 April 2014 (next to be held in 2020); the prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly
election results:
23 April 2014 first round parliamentary vote - Samir GEAGEA 48, Henri HELOU 16, Amin GEMAYEL 1; note - 86 out of a possible 128 votes required to win election; five subsequent rounds have failed because there was no quorum; a seventh round is scheduled to take place 18 June 2014
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Nuwab (Arabic) or Assemblee Nationale (French) (128 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of sectarian proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections:
last held on 7 June 2009 (next to be held in 2013)
election results:
percent of vote by group - March 8 Coalition 54.7%, March 14 Coalition 45.3%; seats by group - March 14 Coalition 71; March 8 Coalition 57; seats by party following 16 July 2012 byelection held to fill one seat - March 14 Coalition 72, March 8 Coalition 56
Judicial branch:
highest court(s):
Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (organized into 4 divisions, each with a presiding judge and 2 associate judges); Constitutional Council (consists of 10 members)
judge selection and term of office:
Court of Cassation judges appointed by Supreme Judicial Council, headed by the chief justice, and includes other judicial officials; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Council members appointed - 5 by the Council of Ministers and 5 by parliament; members serve 5-year terms
subordinate courts:
Courts of Appeal (6); Courts of First Instance; specialized tribunals, religious courts; military courts
Political parties and leaders:
14 March Coalition:
Democratic Left [Ilyas ATALLAH]
Democratic Renewal Movement [Nassib LAHUD]
Future Movement Bloc [Sa'ad al-HARIRI]
Kataeb Party [Amine GEMAYEL]
Lebanese Forces [Samir JA'JA]
Tripoli Independent Bloc
8 March Coalition:
Development and Resistance Bloc [Nabih BERRI, leader of Amal Movement]
Free Patriotic Movement [Michel AWN]
Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc [Mohammad RA'AD] (includes Hizballah [Hassan NASRALLAH])
Nasserite Popular Movement [Usama SAAD]
Popular Bloc [Elias SKAFF]
Syrian Ba'th Party [Sayez SHUKR]
Syrian Social Nationalist Party [Ali QANSO]
Tashnaq [Hovig MEKHITIRIAN]
Independent:
Democratic Gathering Bloc [Walid JUNBLATT, leader of Progressive Socialist Party]
Metn Bloc [Michel MURR]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Maronite Church [Patriarch Bishara al-Ra'i]
other:
note - most sects retain militias and a number of militant groups operate in Palestinian refugee camps
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Antoine CHEDID (since 4 June 2008)
chancery:
2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 939-6300
FAX:
[1] (202) 939-6324
consulate(s) general:
Detroit, New York, Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador David HALE (since 6 September 2013)
embassy:
Awkar, Lebanon (Awkar facing the Municipality)
mailing address:
P. O. Box 70-840, Antelias, Lebanon; from US: US Embassy Beirut, 6070 Beirut Place, Washington, DC 20521-6070
telephone:
[961] (4) 542600, 543600
FAX:
[961] (4) 544136
Flag description:
three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in the white band; the red bands symbolize blood shed for liberation, the white band denotes peace, the snow of the mountains, and purity; the green cedar tree is the symbol of Lebanon and represents eternity, steadiness, happiness, and prosperity
National symbol(s):
cedar tree
National anthem:
name:
"Kulluna lil-watan" (All Of Us, For Our Country!)
lyrics/music: Rachid NAKHLE/Wadih SABRA
note: adopted 1927; the anthem was chosen following a nationwide competition