non continues to be partially occupied by Syrian troops,
which are deployed in East and West Beirut, its southern suburbs,
the Bekaa Valley, and throughout northern Lebanon.

Iran also maintains a small contingent of revolutionary guards
in the Bekaa Valley and South Lebanon to support Lebanese Islamic
fundamentalist groups.

Israel withdrew the bulk of its forces from the south in 1985,
although it still retains troops in a 10-km-deep security zone north
of its border with Lebanon. Israel arms and trains the Army of South
Lebanon (ASL), which also occupies the security zone and is Israel's
first line of defense against attacks on its northern border.

The following description is based on the present constitutional
and customary practices of the Lebanese system.

_#_Long-form name: Republic of Lebanon; note--may be changed to
Lebanese Republic

_#_Type: republic

_#_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)

_#_Constitution: 26 May 1926 (amended)

_#_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

_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943)

_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet; note--by
custom, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a
Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a Shia Muslim

_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Arabic--Majlis
Alnuwab, French--Assemblee Nationale)

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

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State--Ilyas HARAWI (since 24 November 1989);

Head of Government--Prime Minister Umar KARAMI (since 20
December 1990)

_#_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; most parties
have well-armed militias, which are still involved in occasional clashes

_#_Suffrage: compulsory for all males at age 21; authorized for women
at age 2