|
Capital Beirut
33°54? N 35°32? E Largest city Beirut Official language(s) Arabic 1 May 23, 1926
From the French Mandate of Lebanon
November 26, 1941
November 22, 1943 Area
• Total
• Water (%)
3,826,018 2 (123rd)
861,399 3
358/km² (16th)
{{{population_densitymi²}}}/mi² 2005 estimate
$23,638 million (104th)
$6,205 (96th) 0.759 (81st) – medium Currency Time zone
• Summer (DST) UTC+2 (UTC)
UTC+3 (UTC) Internet TLD .lb Calling code +961 |
|
Lebanon Information
Politics - Politics portal
Lebanon
This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
Lebanon
Constitution
President
Emile Lahoud
Prime Minister
Fouad Siniora
Present government
Parliament
Speaker
Political parties
Elections
Foreign relations
edit
Main article: Politics of Lebanon
Lebanon is a republic in which the three highest offices are reserved for members of specific religious groups:
the President must be a Maronite Catholic Christian.
the Prime Minister must be a Sunni Muslim, and
the Speaker of the Parliament must be a Shi'a Muslim.
This arrangement is part of the "National Pact" (al Mithaq al Watani), an unwritten agreement which was established in 1943 during meetings between Lebanon's first president (a Maronite) and its first prime minister (a Sunni), although it was not formalized in the Constitution until 1990, following the Taif Agreement. The pact included a promise by the Christians not to seek French protection and to accept Lebanon's "Arab face", and a Muslim promise to recognize independence and legitimacy of the Lebanese state in its 1920 boundaries and to renounce aspirations for union with Syria. This pact was thought at the time to be an interim compromise, necessary until Lebanon formed its own sense of a national identity. Its continued existence and the fallout from subsequent civil wars continue to dominate politics in Lebanon.
The pact also stipulated that seats in the Parliament would be allocated by religion and region, in a ratio of 6 Christians to 5 Muslims, a ratio based on the 1932 census, which was taken at a time when Christians still had a slight majority. The Taif Agreement adjusted the ratio to grant equal representation to followers of the two religions, but some argue that they still do not reflect current demographics: owing to a higher Muslim birthrate and a higher rate of emigration among Christians, Muslims are now believed to have a slight majority, 59 percent of the population counting the Druze. However a majority of Lebanese living abroad are Christians.
The Constitution grants the people the right to change their government. However, from the mid-1970s until the parliamentary elections in 1992, civil war precluded the exercise of political rights. According to the constitution, direct elections must be held for the parliament every four years. The last parliament election was in 2000; the election due to be held in 2004 was postponed for one year.
The parliament composition is based on more ethnic and religious identities rather than ideological features. The distribution of parliament seats has been modified recently.
Parliament of Lebanon Seat Allocation
Confession
Before Taif
After Taif
Maronite
30
34
Greek Orthodox
11
14
Greek Catholic
6
8
Armenian Orthodox
4
5
Armenian Catholic
1
1
Protestant
1
1
Other Christians
1
1
Total Christians
54
64
Sunni
20
27
Shi'a
19
27
Druze
6
8
Alawite
0
2
Total Muslims
45
64
TOTAL
99
128
The Parliament elects the President of the republic to a six-year term. Consecutive terms for the president are forbidden. This constitutional rule has been bypassed by ad-hoc amendment twice in recent history, however, at the urging of the Syrian government. Elias Hrawi's term, which was due to end in 1995, was extended for three years. This procedure was repeated in 2004 to allow Emile Lahoud to remain in office until 2007. Pro-democracy campaigners denounced the moves.
The last presidential election was in 1998. The President appoints the Prime Minister on the nomination of the Parliament. Lebanon has numerous political parties, but their role is less important than in most parliamentary systems. Most represent, in practice if not in theory, sectarian interests; many are little more than ad-hoc lists of candidates endorsed by a well-known national or local figure. Electoral tickets are often formed on a constituency-by-constituency basis by negotiation among local leaders of clans, religious groups, and political parties; these loose coalitions generally exist only for the election and rarely form cohesive blocs in the Parliament subsequently.
Lebanon's judicial system is based on the Napoleonic Code. 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, 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 foundered on objections mostly from Muslim clerics.
Lebanon has been under Syrian domination since 1990. More information is available here. Many Lebanese are unhappy with what they see as the undue influence exerted by the Syrian government over their affairs. The pro-Syrian administration of Emile Lahoud has curbed freedom of speech, and has attempted (successfully, until recently) to ban demonstrations. Recently, after the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, international pressure on Syria was dramatically increased, demanding a complete and immediate withdrawal of its forces, including intelligence personnel, from Lebanon.
 Administrative division.
Administrative division.
On Monday February 28, 2005, the Syrian-backed government of Prime Minister Omar Karami announced its resignation, staying on in a caretaker role. However, Karami was reappointed and asked to head a national unity government on Wednesday March 9, 2005, one day after a massive demonstration expressing support for Syria. Negotiations over the formation of the national unity government have stalled, however, over the demands of some politicians for the immediate withdrawal of Syrian forces, and over the reluctance of others (such as Walid Jumblatt) to serve in a government under President Lahoud.
|
Main article: Geography of Lebanon
A Israel for 79 kilometres to the south. The border with Israel has been approved by the United Nations (see Blue Line (Lebanon)), although a small piece of land called "Shebaa Farms" located in the Golan Heights is claimed by Lebanon but occupied by Israel, who claim that it is actually Syrian land. The UN has officially declared this region not to be Lebanese territory, but Hizbulla occasionally launches attacks against Israeli positions within it.
 Cedar Grove in Lebanon
Cedar Grove in Lebanon
|
Main article: Demographics of Lebanon
The population of Lebanon is comprised of different ethnic groups and religions: Muslims (Shi'ites and Sunnis), Christians (Maronite Catholics, Melkite Greek Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Assyrians, Copts) and others (including the Druze and Alawite sects). No official census has been taken since 1932, reflecting the political sensitivity in Lebanon over confessional (religious) balance. It is estimated that a slight majority of the resident population is Muslim; the rest Christian. There is a small minority of Jews, mostly living in the eastern region of Beirut. Also, a small community (less than 1%) of Kurds (also known as Mhallamis or Mardins) live in Lebanon. There are approximately 15 million people of Lebanese descent, mainly Christians and Druze, spread all over the world.
While 360,000 Palestinian refugees have registered in Lebanon with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) since 1948, estimates of those remaining range between 160,000 and 225,000.
The urban population, concentrated mainly in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, is noted for its commercial enterprise. A century and a half of migration and return have produced Lebanese commercial networks around the globe from North and South America to Europe, the Gulf, and Africa. Lebanon has a high proportion of skilled labor compared with many other Middle Eastern countries.
|
Lebanon is famous for its tourism. The country has many attractions and the government made some serious attempts throughout the years to maintain and preservce tourist sites. The main attractions are located in Tripoli, Byblos, Baalbek, Sidon, Tyre, Anjar, Beiteddine, and the capital Beirut. There are other minor sites.
Beirut
 Beirut City Hall
Beirut City Hall
 The Raouché Rock
The Raouché Rock
 Beirut's Downtown
Beirut's Downtown
With a population cap of over one million, the capital stands as a main attraction not only due to its geographical location and economic status, but also due to the downtown area which was recently rebuilt and reconstructed to its former architecture with a modern look. After surviving the years of war, the city now breathes with life due to the different cultural perspectives that enrich it.
The city has witnessed a colossal restoration effort led by former Prime Minister the late Rafik Hariri. The downtown area is vibrant every single day of the week and various activities and fairs take place throughout Beirut. The Corniche is especially famous because of the moderate weather which adds to the beauty of the city.
This makes Beirut an international venue for conferences, exhibitions, and conventions. You can always find something to do in famous locations like Hamra Street, the Downtown, and the Corniche. Here are some of main landmarks of the capital Beirut:
Group of five Columns
Roman Exedra
Roman Baths
Four Corniced Columns
Highly Carved Colonnade
Floor Mosaics
Medieval Walls
Crusader Castle
Grand Serail
Ottoman Clock Tower
Ottoman Military Hospital
Al-Omari Mosque
Zawiyat Ibn al-'Arraq
Amir 'Assaf Mosque
Amir munzer Mosque
Majidjiyyeh Mosque
The Greek-Orthodox Cathedral of Saint George
The Greek-Catholic cathedral of Saint Elias
The Saint Louis Church of the Capucins
The Evangelical Church
The Maronite Cathedral of Saint George
National Museum
Sursock Museum
The Archeological Museum of the American university of Beirut (AUB)
Raouché
Baalbeck Ruins
 The Temple of Bacchus
The Temple of Bacchus
Known as Heliopolis in the ancient Roman Empire, the city of Baalbek lies 86 kilometers northeast of Beirut. It is considered an important Tourist center and contains some of the oldest human-made stones in existence. The term Baal is Phoenician meaning god or lord. Bek might refer to the surrounding Bekaa valley, which is an extremely fertile landscape providing a fundamental source of income to many people in the region.
The greatest of the three temples of Baalbeck is The Temple of Jupiter, synonymous to Zeus, the king of Gods. Huge structures and columns with delicate sculptures are the main attractions.
Many historians and scientists tried to explain that the only way possible for ancient people to be able to build such wonders is by laboriously dragging and piling the stones; akin to the way the Egyptians were able to construct the pyramids. They also state that there is no known method today of constructing such wonders. In addition, there are virtually no records in the Roman scripts that include even one reference to the ruins of Baalbeck.
 The Jeita Grotto
The Jeita Grotto
 Stalactites inside the cave
Stalactites inside the cave
The Jeita Grotto is the biggest natural cave in the entire Keserwan area.
The Jeita Grotto is divided into two sections: An upper cave and a lower cave. The lower was discovered in 1836 and opened to the public in 1958; an underground river runs through the cave where you can take a boat trip to a distance of approximately 500 m of the 6200 m explored area.
The upper cave on the other hand was discovered in 1958 and officialy opened to the public in 1969. You can walk on foot over the crystallized grounds for a distance of approximately 750 m of the 2200 m explored. The temperature remains stable in the Grotto the whole year (16 ºC in the lower cave; 22 ºC in the upper cave) allowing the tourists to experience both the warm climate in winter and the cool climate in summer.
The visiting times are as follows:
In summer: Every day from 09:00 till 18:00. (Saturdays and Sundays till 19:00)
In winter: Every day from 09:00 till 17:00.
Mondays are off except in July and August, unless it's a national holiday.
Annual vacation is 4 weeks during January and February.
There's a ropeway that ascends through the Valley of Dog River that carries visitors to the upper cave. Alternatively, they can use the train shuttle that continuously runs back and forth between the upper and lower caves.
|
|
