Lebanon is a parliamentary democracy within the overall framework of confessionalism, in which the highest offices are proportionately reserved for representatives from certain religious communities. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Confessionalism is a System of government that distributes political and institutional power proportionally among religious communities The constitution grants the people the right to change their government. The Constitution of Lebanon was adopted on 23 May, 1926. The most recent amendment of the Constitution was for the Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation However, from the mid-1970s until the parliamentary elections in 1992, civil war precluded the exercise of political rights. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) According to the constitution, direct elections must be held for the parliament every 4 years. The last parliament election was in 2005. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Parliament, in turn, elects a President every 6 years to a single term. The Parliament of Lebanon (known as Le Parlement in Lebanon is the Lebanese national legislature. This page lists presidents of Lebanon Though it is not specifically stated in the constitution an unwritten understanding known as the National Pact (al-mithaq al-watani agreed in 1943 The President is not eligible for re-election. The last presidential election was in 1998. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) The president and parliament choose the Prime Minister. This page lists Prime ministers of Lebanon. By an unwritten agreement following independence the holder of this post must be a Sunni Muslim. Political parties may be formed; most are based on sectarian interests. Lebanon has numerous political parties, but they play a much less significant role in Lebanese politics than they do in most parliamentary democracies Syria has been charged by Arab League with disentangling the combatants and restoring calm the from the time of the second Lebanese civil war (which began in 1975) until 2005. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية The Arab League ( الجامعة العربية) officially called the League of Arab States ( جامعة الدول العربية The Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990 was a multifaceted Civil war whose antecedents can be traced back to the conflicts and political compromises reached after the end Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Israel occupied parts of Lebanon from 1978 to 2000. The 1982 Lebanon War (מלחמת לבנון Milhemet Levanon) (الإجتياح Al-Ijtīāḥ, "the invasion" called by Israel the Operation Peace

Political developments since 1943

Since the emergence of the post-1943 state, national policy has been determined largely by a relatively restricted group of traditional regional and sectarian leaders. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The 1943 National Pact, an unwritten agreement that established the political foundations of modern Lebanon, allocated political power on an essentially confessional system based on the 1932 census. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The National Pact is an unwritten agreement that laid the foundation of Lebanon as a multi-confessional state and has shaped the country to this day Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. Seats in parliament were divided on a 6-to-5 ratio of Christians to Muslims, until 1990 when the ratio changed to half and half. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Positions in the government bureaucracy are allocated on a similar basis. The pact also allocated public offices along religious lines, with the top three positions in the ruling "troika" distributed as follows:

• The President is required to be a Maronite Christian;
• The Prime Minister, a Sunni Muslim, and
• The Speaker of the Parliament, a Shi'a Muslim. This page lists presidents of Lebanon Though it is not specifically stated in the constitution an unwritten understanding known as the National Pact (al-mithaq al-watani agreed in 1943 Maronites ( الموارنة,, Syriac: ܡܪܘܢܝܐ, Latin: Ecclesia Maronitarum) are members of one of the Syriac Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings This page lists Prime ministers of Lebanon. By an unwritten agreement following independence the holder of this post must be a Sunni Muslim. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion This page lists speakers of the Parliament of Lebanon. By unwritten agreement following independence the holder of this post must be a Shiite Muslim. The Parliament of Lebanon (known as Le Parlement in Lebanon is the Lebanese national legislature.

Efforts to alter or abolish the confessional system of allocating power have been at the center of Lebanese politics for decades. Those religious groups most favored by the 1943 formula sought to preserve it, while those who saw themselves at a disadvantage sought either to revise it after updating key demographic data or to abolish it entirely. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Nonetheless, many of the provisions of the national pact were codified in the 1989 Ta'if Agreement, perpetuating sectarianism as a key element of Lebanese political life. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) The Taif Agreement ( Arabic: اتفاقية الطائف) (also "National Reconciliation Accord" or "Document of National Accord" was an agreement

Although moderated somewhat under Ta'if, the Constitution gives the President a strong and influential position. The Constitution of Lebanon was adopted on 23 May, 1926. The most recent amendment of the Constitution was for the Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation The President has the authority to promulgate laws passed by the Parliament, to issue supplementary regulations to ensure the execution of laws, and to negotiate and ratify treaties.

The Parliament is elected by adult suffrage (majority age for election is 21) based on a system of proportional representation for the various confessional groups. Most deputies do not represent political parties as they are known in the West, and rarely form Western-style groups in the assembly. Political blocs are usually based on confessional and local interests or on personal/family allegiance rather than on political affinities.

The parliament traditionally has played a significant role in financial affairs, since it has the responsibility for levying taxes and passing the budget. It also exercises political control over the cabinet through formal questioning of ministers on policy issues and by requesting a confidence debate.

Lebanon's judicial system is based on the Napoleonic Code. The Napoleonic Code, or Code Napoléon (originally called the Code civil des Français) is the French Civil code, established under Juries are not used in trials. The Lebanese court system has three levels--courts of first instance, courts of appeal, and the court of cassation. There also is a system of religious courts having jurisdiction over personal status matters within their own communities, e. g. , rules on such matters as marriage, divorce, and inheritance.

Lebanese political institutions often play a secondary role to highly confessionalized personality-based politics. Powerful families also still play an independent role in mobilizing votes for both local and parliamentary elections. Nonetheless, a lively panoply of domestic political parties, some even predating independence, exists. Lebanon has numerous political parties, but they play a much less significant role in Lebanese politics than they do in most parliamentary democracies The largest are all confessional based. The Free Patriotic Movement, although secular, represents the most the Christians according to the last elections in 2005. The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM ( Arabic: التيار الوطني الحر Al-Tayyar Al-Watani Al-Hur) also known as the "Aounist Current" (Arabic The Kataeb Party, also known as the Phalange Party, the National Bloc, National Liberal Party, Lebanese Forces and the Guardians of the Cedars (now outlawed) have their own base among Christians. The Lebanese Kataeb Party ( Arabic: الكتائب اللبنانية Kataeb is the Plural of Katiba which is a translation into Arabic of the Greek word Lebanese National Bloc ( Arabic:الكتلة الوطنية) is a Lebanese political party founded in 1936. The National Liberal Party (NLP Arabic: حزب الوطنيين الأحرار, literally Hizbu-l-waTaniyyīni-l-aHrār The Lebanese Forces (LF ( Arabic: القوات اللبنانية al-quwat al-lubnāniyya) is a Lebanese political party and a former The Guardians of the Cedars ( Arabic: حراس الأرز or Ḥurrās al-Arz) are a right-wing nationalist Lebanese party and Amal and Hezbollah are the main rivals for the organized Shi'a vote, and the PSP (Progressive Socialist Party) is the leading Druze party. For other uses of Amal see the disambiguation page. Amal Movement ( Arabic: abbreviation of أفواج المقاومة اللبنانية transliterated Hezbollah (حزب الله, literally " party of God " is a Shi'a Islamic political and Paramilitary organisation The Progressive Socialist Party (or PSP) ( Arabic "الحزب التقدمي الاشتراكي" al-hizb al-taqadummi al-ishtiraki) is a political The Druze ( Arabic: درزي derzī or durzī, plural دروز durūz) are a religious community found primarily in Syria, Lebanon While Shi'a and Druze parties command fierce loyalty to their leaderships, there is more factional infighting among many of the Christian parties. Sunni parties have not been the standard vehicle for launching political candidates, and tend to focus across Lebanon's borders on issues that are important to the community at large. Lebanon's Sunni parties include the Future Movement, Independent Nasserist Organization (INO), the Tawhid (Lebanon), and Ahbash. Future Movement ( Arabic: تيار المستقبل Tayyar Al Mustaqbal) (FM is a Lebanese Political movement in Lebanon, led by Movement of Independent Nasserists or al-Murabitoun (حركة الناصريين المستقلين-المرابطون is a Nasserist Political party Al-Ahbash is a religious sect and political party in Lebanon; alternative names are The Ahbash Habashis al Habashiyyin and Jam'iyyat al- Mashari' al-Khayriyya al-Islamiyya In addition to domestic parties, there are branches of pan-Arab secular parties (Ba'ath parties, socialist and communist parties) that were active in the 1960s and throughout the period of civil war. The Arab Socialist Ba'th Party (also spelled Baath or Ba'ath; Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي was founded in Damascus Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 The Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990 was a multifaceted Civil war whose antecedents can be traced back to the conflicts and political compromises reached after the end

There are differences both between and among Muslim and Christian parties regarding the role of religion in state affairs. There is a very high degree of political activism among religious leaders across the sectarian spectrum. The interplay for position and power among the religious, political, and party leaders and groups produces a political tapestry of extraordinary complexity.

In the past, the system worked to produce a viable democracy. Events over the last decade and long-term demographic trends, however, have upset the delicate Muslim-Christian-Druze balance and resulted in greater segregation across the social spectrum. Whether in political parties, places of residence, schools, media outlets, even workplaces, there is a lack of regular interaction across sectarian lines to facilitate the exchange of views and promote understanding. All factions have called for a reform of the political system.

Some Christians favor political and administrative decentralization of the government, with separate Muslim and Christian sectors operating within the framework of a confederation. Muslims, for the most part, prefer a unified, central government with an enhanced share of power commensurate with their larger share of the population. The reforms of the Ta'if agreement moved in this direction but have not been fully realized.

Palestinian refugees, predominantly Sunni Muslims, whose numbers are estimated at between 160,000-225,000, are not active on the domestic political scene. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Nonetheless, they constitute an important minority whose naturalization/ settlement in Lebanon is vigorously opposed by most Lebanese, who see them as a threat to Lebanon's delicate confessional balance.

On September 3, 2004, the Lebanese Parliament voted 96-29 to amend the constitution to extend President Émile Lahoud's six-year term (which was about to expire) by another three years. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " General Émile Jamil Lahoud ( اميل لحود; born 12 January 1936 is a former President of Lebanon. The move was supported by Syria, which maintained a large military presence in Lebanon.

Following the withdrawal of Syrian troops in April 2005, Lebanon held parliamentary elections in four rounds, from 29 May to 19 June. The President of Syria is commander in chief of the Syrian armed forces comprising some 400000 troops upon mobilization Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The 2005 Lebanese General Elections were the first elections in thirty years without a Syrian military or intelligence presence in Lebanon. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. The elections, the first for 33 years without the presence of Syrian military forces, were won by the Quadripartite alliance, whose was part the Rafik Hariri Martyr List, a coalition of several parties and organizations newly opposed to Syrian domination of Lebanese politics. The March 14 Alliance ( تحالف 14 آذار) or M14, named after the date of the Cedar Revolution, is a coalition of Anti-Syrian political

Executive branch

The President is elected by the Parliament for a six-year term ( election last held 3 September 2004, to amend the constitution to extend President Lahoud's term for another three years). This page lists presidents of Lebanon Though it is not specifically stated in the constitution an unwritten understanding known as the National Pact (al-mithaq al-watani agreed in 1943 Michel Suleiman or Sleiman ( ميشال سليمان, born 21 November 1948) is the current President of Lebanon. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common This page lists Prime ministers of Lebanon. By an unwritten agreement following independence the holder of this post must be a Sunni Muslim. Fouad Siniora (alternative spellings Fouad Sanyoura Fuad Siniora Fouad Saniora Fouad Seniora ( فؤاد السنيورة, Fu'ād As-Sanyūrah is the Prime Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This page lists presidents of Lebanon Though it is not specifically stated in the constitution an unwritten understanding known as the National Pact (al-mithaq al-watani agreed in 1943 The Parliament of Lebanon (known as Le Parlement in Lebanon is the Lebanese national legislature. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister are appointed by the President in consultation with the Parliament; the president is required to be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, and the Speaker of the Parliament a Shi'a Muslim. This page lists Prime ministers of Lebanon. By an unwritten agreement following independence the holder of this post must be a Sunni Muslim. Maronites ( الموارنة,, Syriac: ܡܪܘܢܝܐ, Latin: Ecclesia Maronitarum) are members of one of the Syriac A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion This page lists speakers of the Parliament of Lebanon. By unwritten agreement following independence the holder of this post must be a Shiite Muslim. The Parliament of Lebanon (known as Le Parlement in Lebanon is the Lebanese national legislature. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion See also list of the ministers and their political affiliation for a list of ministers. This is the list of the Lebanese government that was formed by Fouad Siniora on 19 July 2005 who was appointed by then president Émile Lahoud. This confessional system is based on 1932 census data which showed the Maronite Christians as having a substantial majority of the population, something which it no longer holds. The Government of Lebanon continues to refuse to undertake a new census.

Legislative branch

Lebanese parliament building at Place d'Étoile in Beirut

Lebanon's national legislature is called the Assembly of Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwab in Arabic). This is a list of legislatures by country, whether parliamentary or congressional, that act as a plenary general assembly of representatives The Parliament of Lebanon (known as Le Parlement in Lebanon is the Lebanese national legislature. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Since the elections of 1992 (the first since the reforms of the Taif Agreement of 1989 removed the built-in majority previously enjoyed by Christians and distributed the seats equally between Christians and Muslims), the Parliament has had 128 seats. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) The Taif Agreement ( Arabic: اتفاقية الطائف) (also "National Reconciliation Accord" or "Document of National Accord" was an agreement Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) The term was four years, but has recently been extended to five.

Seats in the Parliament are confessionally distributed but elected by universal suffrage. Universal suffrage (also universal adult suffrage, general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to Each religious community has an allotted number of seats in the Parliament (see the table below). They do not represent only their co-religionists, however; all candidates in a particular constituency, regardless of religious affiliation, must receive a plurality of the total vote, which includes followers of all confessions. The system was designed to minimize inter-sectarian competition and maximize cross-confessional cooperation: candidates are opposed only by co-religionists, but must seek support from outside of their own faith in order to be elected.

In practice, this system has led to gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is a form of redistribution in which electoral district or Constituency boundaries are manipulated for electoral advantage The opposition Qornet Shehwan Gathering, a group opposed to the former pro-Syrian regime, has claimed that constituency boundaries have been drawn so as to allow many Shi'a Muslims to be elected from Shi'a-majority constituencies (where the Hizbullah Party is strong), while allocating many Christian members to Muslim-majority constituencies, forcing Christian politicians to represent Muslim interests. The Qornet Shehwan Gathering ( Arabic: لقاء قرنة شهوان is a Lebanese political organization comprising politicians intellectuals and businessmen mostly Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Hezbollah (حزب الله, literally " party of God " is a Shi'a Islamic political and Paramilitary organisation (Similar charges, but in reverse, were made against the Chamoun administration in the 1950s). Camille Nimr Chamoun ( Arabic: كميل نمر شمعون Kamīl Sham'ūn) (b The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive

The following table sets out the confessional allocation of seats in the Parliament before and after the Taif Agreement. The Taif Agreement ( Arabic: اتفاقية الطائف) (also "National Reconciliation Accord" or "Document of National Accord" was an agreement

Lebanese Republic
Geography
Governorates · Cities Transport · The Mediterranean · Beirut
History of Lebanon
Phoenicians · 1982 Invasion of Lebanon · 1982-2000 South Lebanon conflict Sykes-Picot Agreement · Mandate of Lebanon · Lebanese Civil War
Israel-Lebanon conflict
1948 War · 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict 1983 agreement with: Israel · Israeli-Lebanese Ceasefire Understanding
Economy
Beirut
Demographics · Culture
Music of Lebanon · Lebanese cuisine Lebanese University · Arabic · Famous Lebanese
Religion
Islam in Lebanon · Christianity in Lebanon
Politics
Presidents · Prime Ministers · Émile Lahoud Fouad Siniora
Foreign affairs
United Nations · Arab League
Lebanese Armed Forces
Army ·
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Political parties and elections

Lebanon has numerous political parties, but they play a much less significant role in Lebanese politics than they do in most parliamentary democracies. Lebanon has numerous political parties, but they play a much less significant role in Lebanese politics than they do in most parliamentary democracies Many of the "parties" are simply lists of candidates endorsed by a prominent national or local figure. Loose coalitions, usually organized locally, are formed for electoral purposes by negotiation among clan leaders and candidates representing various religious communities; such coalitions usually exist only for the election, and rarely form a cohesive bloc in the Parliament after the election. The Parliament of Lebanon (known as Le Parlement in Lebanon is the Lebanese national legislature. No single party has ever won more than 12. 5 percent of the seats in the Parliament, and no coalition of parties has won more than 35 percent.

Especially outside of the major cities, elections tend to focus more on local than national issues, and it is not unusual for a party to join an electoral ticket in one constituency while aligned with a rival party - even an ideologically opposite party - in another constituency.

Main article: Lebanese general election, 2005

Judicial branch

The judicial branch is of:

• Four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases)
• The Constitutional Council (called for in the Ta'if Accord) rules on constitutionality of laws
• The Supreme Council hears charges against the president and prime minister as needed. The Parliament of Lebanon (known as Le Parlement in Lebanon is the Lebanese national legislature. The 2005 Lebanese General Elections were the first elections in thirty years without a Syrian military or intelligence presence in Lebanon. The March 14 Alliance ( تحالف 14 آذار) or M14, named after the date of the Cedar Revolution, is a coalition of Anti-Syrian political Future Movement ( Arabic: تيار المستقبل Tayyar Al Mustaqbal) (FM is a Lebanese Political movement in Lebanon, led by The Progressive Socialist Party (or PSP) ( Arabic "الحزب التقدمي الاشتراكي" al-hizb al-taqadummi al-ishtiraki) is a political The Lebanese Forces (LF ( Arabic: القوات اللبنانية al-quwat al-lubnāniyya) is a Lebanese political party and a former The Qornet Shehwan Gathering ( Arabic: لقاء قرنة شهوان is a Lebanese political organization comprising politicians intellectuals and businessmen mostly The Lebanese Kataeb Party ( Arabic: الكتائب اللبنانية Kataeb is the Plural of Katiba which is a translation into Arabic of the Greek word The Tripoli Bloc is one of the political blocs present in the Lebanese Parliament. The Democratic Renewal Movement is a reformist seculary orientated Political party in Lebanon. The Tripoli Bloc is one of the political blocs present in the Lebanese Parliament. The Democratic Left Movement (DLM Arabic, ĥarakatu-l-yasāri-d-dimuqrātī, Arabic Acronym HYD is a Political party in Lebanon founded in The Tripoli Bloc is one of the political blocs present in the Lebanese Parliament. The March 8 Alliance is a coalition of various political parties in Lebanon. For other uses of Amal see the disambiguation page. Amal Movement ( Arabic: abbreviation of أفواج المقاومة اللبنانية transliterated Hezbollah (حزب الله, literally " party of God " is a Shi'a Islamic political and Paramilitary organisation The Syrian Social Nationalist Party (or SSNP ( Arabic: الحزب السوري القومي الاجتماعي al-Hizb as-Sūrī al-Qawmī al-Ijtimā`ī) often referred The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM ( Arabic: التيار الوطني الحر Al-Tayyar Al-Watani Al-Hur) also known as the "Aounist Current" (Arabic Michel Murr ( Arabic: ميشال المرّ is a Lebanese politician and businessman The 2005 Lebanese General Elections were the first elections in thirty years without a Syrian military or intelligence presence in Lebanon.
• A system of military courts that also has jurisdiction over civilians for the crimes of espionage, treason, and other crimes that are considered to be security-related. [1]

Administrative divisions

Lebanon is divided in 6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Beirut, Mount Lebanon, North, Beqaa, South, Nabatiye. The Arabic word muhafazah (محافظة muḥāfaẓä plural محافظات muhafazat) is usually translated to Governorate in English occasionally to The Governorate of Beirut ( Arabic:, ar-Latn Muhāfazat Bayrūt is the only Lebanese governorate that consists of one District and one City Mount Lebanon ( Arabic: جبل لبنان as a geographic designation is the Lebanese mountain range known as the Western Mountain Range of Lebanon North Governorate (الشمال transliterated: ash- Shamal) is one of the Governorates of Lebanon. Beqaa ( البقاع) is a governorate in Lebanon with a population of 750000 inhabitants South Governorate (الجنوب transliterated: Al-Janub) is one of the governorates of Lebanon. Nabatieh Governorate (محافظة النبطية Muhaa-fza al-Nabatiya) is one of the six governorates of Lebanon.

Ambassadors and Foreign Representation

• Farid Abboud Ambassador to United States (1999-2007), Tunisia (present)

Lebanon in the News

• 1999 Conflict. Farid Abboud (فريد عبود born 1951 is the Lebanese Ambassador to Tunisia since July 2007 Farid Abboud discusses rebuilding after Israeli attacks. ^[1]
• June 1999 Lebanon Will Fight Corruption by "Authority of Law"^[2]
• 2002 Fighting along the disputed Lebanese/Israeli border ^[3]
• 2002 Lebanese Post-reconstruction Efforts^[4]
• 2005 Assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri ^[5]

International organization participation

ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, ITUC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO. The Agence de coopération culturelle et technique (ACCT French for Agency of cultural and technical cooperation) is an organisation that is part of La Francophonie The Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, or AFESD, is a Kuwait based pan-Arab development finance institute The Arab League ( الجامعة العربية) officially called the League of Arab States ( جامعة الدول العربية The Arab Monetary Fund is a Regional Arab Organization, Founded 1976, and has started operations in 1977, it is a working sub-organization to the Arab League The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, is one of the five regional The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of Developing nations designed to promote its members' collective Economic interests and create The International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD is one of five institutions that comprise the World Bank Group. The International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO) an agency of the United Nations, codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an International humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers worldwide who stated Islamic Development Bank (also known as IDB) is a multilateral development financing institution located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one History Founding In 1919 representatives from the National Red Cross Societies of Britain France Italy Japan and the US came together in Paris to found the League The International Labour Organization The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic Inmarsat plc ( is an international Telecommunications company originally operating as an Intergovernmental organization Inaugural Congress The founding and first congress of the ITUC was held November 1 - 3 2006 in Vienna Intelsat Ltd is the world’s largest commercial Satellite communications services provider The International Criminal Police Organization, better known by its telegraphic address Interpol is an organization facilitating international police cooperation The Non-Aligned Movement ( NAM) is an International organization of states considering themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC is an International organization with a permanent delegation to the United Nations. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ( UNCTAD) was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR (established December 14, 1950) is a The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO, French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system headquartered United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East ( UNRWA) is a relief and human development agency providing education health care social services The Universal Postal Union ( UPU, French: Union postale universelle) is an International organization that coordinates postal policies among member The World Customs Organization ( WCO) is an Intergovernmental organization that helps Members (Governments usually represented by Customs administrations from 173 countries WFTU-AM is a College radio station on Long Island operated by Five Towns College in Dix Hills New York. The World Intellectual Property Organization ( WIPO) is one of the 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations.

Notes

External links

News Sites

• Bluleb
• Naharnet
• Annahar
• Lebanon Files
• Lebanese Kataeb
• Lebanese Forces
• Tayyar News
• Tayyar News in German
• Assafir
• Ya Libnan

Blogs

• Lebanese Politics

Lebanon and Confessionalism

• Lebanon's Confessionalism: Problems and Prospects U. S. Institute of Peace Briefing, March 2006
• Lebanon's Constitution and the Current Political Crisis
• Demography and Democracy in Lebanon