National capital: Beirut
Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular-muhafazah); Al Biqa', Al Janub, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan
Independence: 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under
French administration)
National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
Constitution: 23 May 1926, amended a number of times
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
Suffrage: 21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ilyas HARAWI (since 24 November 1989) head of government: Prime Minister Rafiq al-HARIRI (since 22 October 1992) cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the members of the National Assembly; the current Cabinet was formed in 1996 elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year term; election last held 24 November 1989 (next to be held NA 1998); note-in 1995, the National Assembly amended the constitution to extend the president's term by three years; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly; 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 election results: Ilyas HARAWI elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis Alnuwab (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 in the summer of 1996 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-NA (one-half Christian and one-half Muslim)
Judicial branch: four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases); Constitutional Council (called for in Ta'if Accord-rules on constitutionality of laws); Supreme Council (hears charges against the president and prime minister as needed)