Lebanon - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Lebanon, it was derives from the Semitic root "lbn" meaning "white" and refers to snow-capped Mount Lebanon. The Government system in this country is the parliamentary democratic republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 8 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Aakkar, Baalbek-Hermel, Beqaa (Bekaa), Beyrouth (Beirut), Liban-Nord (North Lebanon), Liban-Sud (South Lebanon), Mont-Liban (Mount Lebanon), Nabatiye
National symbols
Cedar tree; national colors: red, white, green.
The flag
The National flag of Lebanon has 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.
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The National Anthem
| Title | "Kulluna lil-watan" (All Of Us, For Our Country!) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Rachid NAKHLE/Wadih SABRA |
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note: adopted 1927; chosen following a nationwide competition
More about the government of Lebanon
| Date of Independence | 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Independence Day, 22 November (1943) |
| 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 |
| Constitution | |
| History | Drafted 15 May 1926, adopted 23 May 1926 |
| Amendments | Proposed by the president of the republic and introduced as a government bill to the National Assembly or proposed by at least 10 members of the Assembly and agreed upon by two thirds of its members; if proposed by the National Assembly, review and approval by two-thirds majority of the Cabinet is required; if approved, the proposal is next submitted to the Cabinet for drafting as an amendment; Cabinet approval requires at least two-thirds majority, followed by submission to the National Assembly for discussion and vote; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of a required two-thirds quorum of the Assembly membership and promulgation by the president; amended several times, last in 2004 |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | the father must be a citizen of Lebanon |
| Dual citizenship recognized | yes |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | unknown |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | president (vacant) |
| Head of government | Caretaker Prime Minister Najib MIQATI (since 20 September 2021) |
| Cabinet | Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and Parliament |
| Elections/appointments | president indirectly elected by a qualified majority of two-thirds of Parliament members in the first round and if needed a two-thirds quorum of members by simple majority vote in a second round for a 6-year term (eligible for non-consecutive terms); last held on 31 October 2016; prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with Parliament |
| Election results | 2023: on 14 June 2023, Parliament failed in its twelfth attempt to elect a president; note - the Hezbollah bloc withdrew following the first round of voting and a second round was not possible since Parliament lacked the required 86-member quorum for a second round of voting 2016: Michel AWN elected president in second round; Parliament vote - Michel AWN (FPM) 83; the president was finally elected in its 46th attempt on 31 October 2016 |
| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Unicameral House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwab in Arabic, Chambre des députés in French (128 seats; members directly elected in multi-member constituencies by open list proportional representation vote, apportioned evenly between Christian and Muslims; members serve 4-year terms) |
| Elections | Last held on 15 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2026) |
| Election results | Percent of vote by party/coalition – NA; seats by party/coalition – FPM 16, LF 14, Amal Movement 13, Hezbollah 13, PSP 9, Kata’ib Party 4, other 30, independent 29; composition - men 120, women 8, percentage women 6.3%; note - a dozen of the elected deputies are from groups pushing for reform with origins in the recent protest movements against the established elite and have formed a group called the "Forces of Change" |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (organized into 8 chambers, 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, a 10-member body 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; Courts of First Instance; specialized tribunals, religious courts; military courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Waël HACHEM, Counselor (since 15 March 2021) |
| Chancery | 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 939-6300 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 939-6324 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] http://www.lebanonembassyus.org/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Detroit, New York, Los Angeles |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador-designate Lisa A. JOHNSON (since 11 January 2024) |
| Embassy | Awkar facing the Municipality P.O. Box 70-840 Antelias, Beirut |
| Mailing address | 6070 Beirut Place, Washington DC 20521-6070 |
| Telephone | [961] (04) 543-600 |
| FAX | [961] (4) 544-019 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://lb.usembassy.gov/ |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 6 (all cultural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Anjar; Baalbek; Byblos; Tyre; Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab); Rachid Karami International Fair-Tripoli |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Lebanon
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Al-Ahbash (Association of Islamic Charitable Projects) or AICP [Shaykh Hussam QARAQIRA]
International organization participation
All Important Facts about Lebanon
Want to know more about Lebanon? Check all different factbooks for Lebanon below.
