embers of the National Assembly; the current Cabinet was
formed in 1995

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Arabic - Majlis Alnuwab French - Assembl:
elections last held in the summer of 1992 (next to be held NA 1996);
results - percent of vote NA; seats - (128 total, one-half Christian
and one-half Muslim) independents 128

Judicial branch: four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil
and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases)

Political parties and leaders: political party activity is
organized along largely sectarian lines; numerous political
groupings exist, consisting of individual political figures and
followers motivated by religious, clan, and economic considerations

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL,
AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Riyad TABBARAH
chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-6300
FAX: [1] (202) 939-6324
consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard H. JONES
embassy: Antelias, Beirut
mailing address: P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut; PSC 815, Box 2, FPO AE
09836-0002
telephone: [961] (1) 402200, 403300, 406650, 406651, 426183, 417774,
889926
FAX: [961] (1) 407112

Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width),
and red with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the white band

Economy
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Economic overview: The 1975-91 civil war seriously damaged
Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and
all but ended Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and
banking hub. Peace has enabled the central government to restore
control in Beirut, begin collecting taxes, and regain access to key
port and government facilities. Economic recovery has been helped by
a financially sound banking system and resilient small- and
medium-scale manufacturers. Family remittances, banking services,
manufactured and farm exports, and international aid are the main
sources of foreign exchange. In the relatively settled year of 1991,
industrial production, agr