Finance          Automotive          Computers          Health          Shopping          Sports         News          Reference           Print Facts in English - BCUZ.COMlos hechos en Español

Lebanon



Beiteddine Palace, the venue of Beiteddine Festival.
Beiteddine Palace, the venue of Beiteddine Festival.

Several international music festivals are held in Lebanon, featuring world-renowned artists and drawing crowds from Lebanon and abroad. Among the most famous are Baalbeck International Festival, Beiteddine Festival, Byblos International Festival, and the Al-Bustan Festival. Beirut (Beirut Nights) in particular has a very vibrant arts scene, with numerous performances, exhibits, fashion shows, and concerts held throughout the year in its galleries, museums, theatres, and public spaces.

[

Politics

Lebanon

This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
Lebanon
Other countries · Atlas
 Politics Portal
view • talk • edit
Main article: Politics of Lebanon

Lebanon is a parliamentary, democratic republic, which implements a special system known as confessionalism.[67] This system, allegedly meant to ensure that sectarian conflict is kept at bay, attempts to fairly represent the demographic distribution of religious sects in the governing body.[68][69] As such, high-ranking offices in are reserved for members of specific religious groups. The President, for example, has to be a Maronite Catholic Christian, the Speaker of the Parliament a Shi’a Muslim, the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim and the Deputy Prime Minister an Orthodox Christian.[70][71]

The Lebanese parliament building at the Place de l'Étoile
The Lebanese parliament building at the Place de l'Étoile

This trend continues in the distribution of the 128 parliamentary seats, which are divided equally between Muslims and Christians. Prior to 1990, the ratio stood at 6:5 in favor of Christians; however, the Taif Accord, which put an end to the 1975-1990 civil war, adjusted the ratio to grant equal representation to followers of the two religions.[70] According to the constitution, direct elections must be held for the parliament every four years, although for much of Lebanon’s recent history, civil war precluded the exercise of this right.

The parliament elects the president for a non-renewable six-year term. At the urging of the Syrian government, this constitutional rule has been bypassed by ad hoc amendment twice in recent history. Elias Hrawi’s term, which was due to end in 1995, was extended for three years.[72] This procedure, denounced by pro-democracy campaigners, was repeated in 2004 to allow Émile Lahoud to remain in office until 2007.[73]

The President appoints the Prime Minister on the nomination of the parliament (which is, in most cases, binding).[74] Following consultations with the parliament and the President, the Prime Minister forms the Cabinet, which must also adhere to the sectarian distribution set out by confessionalism.

The Grand Serail, the government headquarters in downtown Beirut
The Grand Serail, the government headquarters in downtown Beirut

Lebanon's judicial system is based on the Napoleonic Code. Juries are not used in trials. The Lebanese court system consists of 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, with rules on matters such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Lebanese law does not provide for Civil marriage (although it recognizes such marriages contracted abroad); efforts by former President Elias Hrawi to legalize civil marriage in the late 1990s floundered on objections mostly from Muslim clerics. Additionally, Lebanon has a system of military courts that also has jurisdiction over civilians for crimes of espionage, treason, and other crimes that are considered to be security-related.[75] These military courts have been criticized by human rights organizations such as Amnesty International for "seriously fall[ing] short of international standards for fair trial" and having "very wide jurisdiction over civilians".[76]

After Rafic Hariri's assassination on 14 February 2005, the country has seen turbulent political times, and it shaped the Cedar Revolution and the rise of the March 14 alliance which is made of: Lebanese Forces, Future Movement and the PSP.

[

International rankings

Organization Survey Ranking
United Nations Development Programme Human Development Index 88 out of 177
Yale University/Columbia University Environmental Sustainability Index, 2005 (pdf) 129 out of 146
Reporters Without Borders World-wide Press Freedom Index 2006 98 out of 168
Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2005 99 out of 159
Heritage Foundation/The Wall Street Journal Index of Economic Freedom, 2007 72 out of 161
World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index, 2008 85 out of 178
The Economist Global Peace Index 114 out of 121
Fund for Peace/ForeignPolicy.com Failed States Index, 2007 28 out of 177[77]

[

See also

Lebanon Portal
Articles about recent events
Miscellaneous
Tourism

[

Footnotes

  1. ^ According to the website of the Embassy of Lebanon in the U.S. and the website of the Lebanese presidency
  2. ^ According to U.S. government sources such as the CIA and State Department country guides
  3. ^ Countries Quest. Jonathan Trumbull was born here "Lebanon, Government". Retrieved December 14, 2006.
  4. ^ U.S. Department of State. "Background Note: Lebanon (History) August 2005" Retrieved December 2, 2006.
  5. ^ a b Anna Johnson (2006). "Lebanon: Tourism Depends on Stability". Retrieved October 31, 2006.
  6. ^ TC Online (2002). "Paris of Western Asia". Retrieved October 31, 2006.
  7. ^ Canadian International Development Agency. "Lebanon: Country Profile". Retrieved December 2, 2006.
  8. ^ Center for the Study of the Built Environment. "Deconstructing Beirut's Reconstruction: 1990-2000". Retrieved October 31, 2006.
  9. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Semitic Roots Index. Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
  10. ^ a b Antoine Harb (2004). "Lebanon: A Name through 4000 Years". Retrieved November 1, 2006.
  11. ^ Christian World News. "Lebanon Historically Linked to the Bible". Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  12. ^ Roger Yazbeck. "Lebanon was mentioned 71 times in the Holy Bible...". Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  13. ^ Ross, Kelley L. "The Pronunciation of Ancient Egyptian". The Proceedings of the Friesian School, Fourth Series. [1].
  14. ^ "Byblos". Retrieved July 31, 2007.
  15. ^ About.com (1987)."Lebanon in Ancient Times". Retrieved December 17, 2006.
  16. ^ U.S. Library of Congress. "History: Present-Day Syria". Retrieved May 2, 2007.
  17. ^ Chorbishop Seely Beggiani (2005). "Aspects of Maronite History (Part Eleven) The twentieth century in Western Asia". Retrieved January 24, 2007.
  18. ^ Lebanese Global Information Center. "History of Lebanon". Retrieved December 9, 2006.
  19. ^ a b Lebanon
  20. ^ a b Karsh, Efraim (2002). The Arab-Israeli Conflict. The Palestine War 1948. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1841763721, p. 27
  21. ^ Avi Shlaim. "Israel and the Arab Coalition in 1948". Retrieved December 9, 2006.
  22. ^ Time (1991). "After the War, the Mop-Up". Retrieved November 30, 2006.
  23. ^ Council on Foreign Relations (2006). "The Future of Lebanon". Retrieved December 18, 2006.
  24. ^ People's Daily (2000). "Lebanese Troops Patrol Near Fatma Gate Along Border With Israel". Retrieved December 18, 2006.
  25. ^ Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2000)."Withdrawal from Lebanon: Press Briefing by Foreign Minister David Levy". Retrieved November 1, 2006.
  26. ^ The key to Shebaa, Al-Jazeera online, Retrieved April 1, 2007.
  27. ^ Hariri.info (2005). "Rafik Hariri". Retrieved December 10, 2006.
  28. ^ CBC News Indepth (2006). "Recent background on Syria's presence in Lebanon". Retrieved December 10, 2006.
  29. ^ See this MEMRI bulletin, includes several statements and sources.
  30. ^ "United Nations Security Council Resolution 1595 (2005)".
  31. ^ United Nations Security Council (2005). "Letter dated 20 October 2005 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council". Retrieved November 2, 2006.
  32. ^ BBC News (2005). "Syria begins Lebanon withdrawal". Retrieved December 11, 2006.
  33. ^ CNN (2005). "Last Syrian troops leave Lebanon". Retrieved December 11, 2006.
  34. ^ Telegraph (2000) "Israel's Withdrawal from Lebanon Given UN's Endorsement". Retrieved November 1, 2006.
  35. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. "Lebanon". Retrieved December 10, 2006.
  36. ^ (Bonechi et al.) (2004) Golden Book Lebanon, p. 3, Florence, Italy: Casa Editrice Bonechi. ISBN 88-476-1489-9
  37. ^ Country Studies US. "Lebanon - Climate". Retrieved November 5, 2006.
  38. ^ a b Blue Planet Biomes. "Lebanon Cedar - Cedrus libani". Retrieved December 10, 2006.
  39. ^ USAID Lebanon. "USAID Lebanon—Definitions of Terms used". Retrieved December 17, 2006.
  40. ^ [2] CIA World Factbook - Lebanon
  41. ^ a b c CIA, the World Factbook (2006). "Lebanon". Retrieved November 7, 2006.
  42. ^ Marina Sarruf (2006). "Brazil Has More Lebanese than Lebanon". Retrieved November 30, 2006.
  43. ^ U.S. Department of State (1994) Header: People, 4th paragraph. Retrieved December 3, 2006.
  44. ^ Background Note: Lebanon "www.washingtoninstitute.org" Retrieved December 3, 2006.
  45. ^ United Nations Population Fund."Lebanon - Overview". Retrieved November 9, 2006.
  46. ^ Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, U.S.A. 1986-1988. [3]. Retrieved December 2, 2006.
  47. ^ a b c Jean Hayek et al, 1999. The Structure, Properties, and Main Foundations of the Lebanese Economy. In The Scientific Series in Geography, Grade 11, 110-114. Beirut: Dar Habib.
  48. ^ a b c US Department of State (2005). "Lebanon". Retrieved November 1, 2006.
  49. ^ CIA World Factbook 2001. Retrieved 2006-12-04.
  50. ^ a b c Bank Audi (2006). "Lebanon Economic Report: 2nd Quarter, 2006". Retrieved November 27, 2005.
  51. ^ Cyprus News (2006). "Saudi Arabia Key Contributor To Lebanon's Reconstruction". Retrieved November 26, 2006.
  52. ^ Lebanon Under Siege (2006). "Donors pledge more than $940 million for Lebanon". Retrieved November 26, 2006.
  53. ^ Ain-Al-Yaqeen (2006). "The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Reviews with the Jordanian King the Situation in Lebanon...". Retrieved November 27, 2006.
  54. ^ Lebanon (11/07)
  55. ^ Samidoun (2006). "Aid groups scramble to fix buildings, fill backpacks before school bell rings". Retrieved December 9, 2006.
  56. ^ US Department of State (2005). "Lebanon". Retrieved December 15, 2006.
  57. ^ Infopro Management. "Lebanon Opportunities - Business Information". Retrieved January 30, 2007.
  58. ^ (Arabic)Lebanese Directory of Higher Education. "Decrees". Retrieved January 30, 2007.
  59. ^ eIFL.net Regional Workshop (2005). "Country Report: Lebanon". Retrieved December 14, 2006.
  60. ^ Université Saint-Joseph. "125 years of history - A timeline". Retrieved December 8, 2006.
  61. ^ Yalla!. "Yalla! Students". Retrieved December 15, 2006.
  62. ^ Human development indicators (PDF). United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Reports. Retrieved on 2006-11-16.
  63. ^ ["Article 11 of the Lebanese Constitution" http://www.servat.unibe.ch/law/icl/le00000_.html#A011_]. Retrieved December 16, 2007.
  64. ^ Lebanon CIA World Fact Book. [4]. December 18, 2006.
  65. ^ Lebanon Culture. [5]. December 18, 2006.
  66. ^ The Hindu (January 5, 2003). "Called by life";. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
  67. ^ Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (2002). "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2002: Lebanon". Retrieved January 3, 2007.
  68. ^ Lijphart, Arend. Consociational Democracy, in "World Politics", Vol. 21, No. 2 (January 1969), pp. 207-225.
  69. ^ Lijphart, Arend. Multiethnic democracy, in S. Lipset (ed.), "The Encyclopedia of Democracy". London, Routledge, 1995, Volume III, pp. 853-865.
  70. ^ a b United States Institute of Peace (March 2006). "Lebanon's Confessionalism: Problems and Prospects". Retrieved January 3, 2007.
  71. ^ Marie-Joëlle Zahar. "CHAPTER 9 POWER SHARING IN LEBANON: FOREIGN PROTECTORS, DOMESTIC PEACE, AND DEMOCRATIC FAILURE1". (DOC) Retrieved January 3, 2007.
  72. ^ Western Asia Intelligence Bulletin (2004). "The US and France Tip the Scale in Lebanon's Power Struggle". Retrieved January 6, 2007.
  73. ^ New Age International (November 6, 2006). "Lebanon leaders head for talks amid street protest threats". Retrieved January 3, 2007.
  74. ^ Lebanon2000.com. "Factbook - Lebanon". Retrieved January 3, 2006.
  75. ^ US Department of State (2006). "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 2005: Lebanon". Retrieved December 17, 2006.
  76. ^ Amnesty International (2005). "A Human Rights Agenda for the Parliamentary Elections, Lebanon". Retrieved December 17, 2006.
  77. ^ larger number indicates sustainability

[

Book References

  • Fisk, Robert. Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon. New York: Nation Books, 2002.
  • Firzli, Nicola Y. Al-Baath wa-Lubnân [Arabic only] ("The Baath and Lebanon"). Beirut: Dar-al-Tali'a Books, 1973
  • Hitti Philip K. History of Syria Including Lebanon and Palestine, Vol. 2 (2002) (ISBN 1-931956-61-8)
  • Holst, Sanford. Phoenicians: Lebanon's Epic Heritage. Los Angeles: Cambridge and Boston Press, 2005.
  • Norton, Augustus R. Amal and the Shi'a: Struggle for the Soul of Lebanon. Austin and London: University of Texas Press, 1987.
  • Riley-Smith, Jonathan. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
  • Salibi, Kamal. A House of Many Mansions: The History of Lebanon Reconsidered. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990.

[

External links

Find more about Lebanon on Wikipedia's sister projects:
Dictionary definitions
Textbooks
Quotations
Source texts
Images and media
News stories
Learning resources
Web portals
Government
News
Culture and education
General information
Festivals
Travel and Tourism


v • d • e
Lebanon topics
History Flag of Lebanon
Politics
Geography
Economy
Culture
WikiProject Lebanon
 
Geographic locale
v • d • e
Countries of Southwest Asia

Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Cyprus · Georgia · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Northern Cyprus, Turkish Republic of1 · Oman · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Syria · Turkey · United Arab Emirates · Yemen

1 The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is not officially recognized by the United Nations, recognized only by Turkey; see Cyprus dispute.
v • d • e
Countries of Asia

Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan1 · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Burma · Cambodia · China, People's Republic of · China, Republic of (Taiwan)2 · Cyprus · Egypt3 · Georgia1 · India · Indonesia4 · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan1 · Korea, Democratic People's Republic of · Korea, Republic of · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Nepal · Oman · Pakistan · Philippines · Qatar · Russia1 · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Thailand · Timor-Leste (East Timor)4 · Turkey1 · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen3

For dependent and other territories, see Dependent territory.

1 Partly or significantly in Europe.  2 The Republic of China (Taiwan) is not officially recognized by the United Nations; see Political status of Taiwan.
3 Partly or significantly in Africa.  4 Partly or wholly reckoned in Oceania.
v • d • e
Countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea
For dependent and other territories, see Dependent territory and List of unrecognized countries.
 
International membership
v • d • e
Flag of the League of Arab StatesArab League
Members
Algeria · Bahrain · Comoros · Djibouti · Egypt · Iraq · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Libya · Mauritania · Morocco · Oman · Palestine · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Sudan · Somalia · Syria · Tunisia · United Arab Emirates · Yemen
 Flag of the Arab League
Observers



BCUZ.com FACTS Encyclopedia content is licensed under the GFDL as approved by Wikipedia.
For more information review our copyright contact and privacy policy.
© 1996 - BCUZ.COM - We have all the FACTS you need about Small Business Financing, Behavior Disorder, Having Too Many Bills, Needing Cash Fast, Structured Settlements, Frequent Flier Programs, Top Steak Houses, The Mayan Indians, Norfolk and Suffolk England, Growing Longer Hair and a full reference English Encyclopedia and Spanish Encyclopedia.Privacy Policy