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League of Arab States
جامعة الدول العربية
Jāmiʻat ad-Duwal al-ʻArabiyya
Location of the Arab League
HeadquartersCairo, Egypt1
Official languagesArabic
Membership
22 members
4 observers
Leaders
Amr Moussa (since 2001)
• Council of
the Arab League
Syria
• Speaker of
the Arab Parliament
Nabih Berri
Establishment
March 22, 1945
Area
• Total area with Western Sahara
13,953,041 km2 (5,387,299 sq mi) (2nd2)
• Area excluding Western Sahara
13,687,041 km2 (5,280,291 sq mi)
Population
• 2007 estimate
339,510,535 (3rd2)
• Density
24.33/km2 (63.0/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)2008 estimate
• Total
$2,604,639 million (6th2)
• Per capita
$7,672 (92nd)
Currency
21 currencies
Time zoneUTC+0 to +4
Website
Template:Ar icon http://arableagueonline.org
  1. From 1979 to 1989: Tunis, Tunisia
  2. If ranked among nation states.

Template:Contains Arabic text The Arab League (Template:Lang-ar al-Jāmiʻa al-ʻArabiyya), officially called the League of Arab States (Template:Lang-ar Jāmiʻat ad-Duwal al-ʻArabiyya), is a regional organization of Arab states in Southwest Asia, and North and Northeast Africa. It was formed in Cairo on March 22, 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan (renamed Jordan after 1946), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a member on May 5, 1945. The Arab League currently has 22 members and four observers. The main goal of the league is to "draw closer the relations between member States and co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries."[1]

Through institutions such as the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALESCO) and the Economic and Social Council of the Arab League's Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU), the Arab League facilitates political, economic, cultural, scientific and social programs designed to promote the interests of the Arab world.[2][3] It has served as a forum for the member states to coordinate their policy positions, to deliberate on matters of common concern, to settle some Arab disputes, and to limit conflicts such as the 1958 Lebanon crisis. The League has served as a platform for the drafting and conclusion of many landmark documents promoting economic integration. One example is the Joint Arab Economic Action Charter which sets out the principles for economic activities in the region.

Each member state has one vote in the League Council, while decisions are binding only for those states that have voted for them. The aims of the league in 1945 were to strengthen and coordinate the political, cultural, economic, and social programs of its members, and to mediate disputes among them or between them and third parties. Furthermore, the signing of an agreement on Joint Defense and Economic Cooperation on April 13, 1950 committed the signatories to coordination of military defense measures.

The Arab league has played an important role in shaping school curricula, advancing the role of women in the Arab societies, promoting child welfare, encouraging youth and sports programs, preserving Arab cultural heritage, and fostering cultural exchanges between the member states. [citation needed] Literacy campaigns have been launched, intellectual works reproduced, and modern technical terminology is translated for the use within member states. The league encourages measures against crime and drug abuse, and deals with labor issues—particularly among the emigrant Arab workforce.

Member states

Main article: Enlargement of the Arab League

The Arab League was founded in Cairo in 1945 by Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan (Jordan from 1946), and Yemen. There was a continual increase in membership during the second half of the 20th century, with additional 15 Arab states and 4 observers being admitted.

Egypt's membership was suspended in 1979 after it signed the Egyptian–Israeli Peace Treaty, and the League's headquarters were moved from Cairo to Tunis. In 1987, Arab countries restored diplomatic relations with Egypt and the country was readmitted to the league in 1989 while the league's headquarters moved back to Cairo.[4] In September 2006, Venezuela was accepted as an observer, and India in 2007.

Israel is not a member despite 20% of its population being of Arab origin, nearly half the Jewish population being descended from Jews from Arab countries, and Arabic being an official language. Neither is Chad a member, although Arabic is in both official and vernacular use there.

Four countries are observer states—a status that entitles them to express their opinion and give advice but denies them voting rights.[5] These are Eritrea, where Arabic is one of the official languages, as well as Brazil and Venezuela, which have large and influential Arab communities. India is another observer to the Arab League.

The current members of the Arab League are listed below:

Country
 Admission date
 Capital
 Area (km²)
 Population (2008)
 Density
(per km²)
 GDP (2008)[clarification needed]
in millions[citation needed]
 GDP (2009)[clarification needed]
per capita[citation needed]
 Currency
 Official languages
 Algeria 1962, August 16 Algiers 2,381,741 34,895,000 14.6 $159,669 $4,588 Dinar Arabic
 Bahrain 1971, September 11 Manama 750 791,000 1,189 $27,014 $34,662 Dinar Arabic
 Comoros 1993, November 20 Moroni 2,235 798,000 275 $754 $1,157 Franc Comorian, Arabic, French
 Djibouti 1977, September 4 Djibouti 23,200 864,000 37.2 $1,880 $2,396 Franc Arabic, French
 Egypt 1945, March 22 Cairo 1,002,450 77,420,000 82.3 $443,430 $5,896 Pound Arabic
 Iraq 1945, March 22 Baghdad 438,317 31,234,000 71.2 $114,151 $3,655 Dinar Arabic, Kurdish
 Jordan 1945, March 22 Amman 92,300 6,316,000 68.4 $32,416 $5,661 Dinar Arabic
 Kuwait 1961 July 20 Kuwait city 20,000 3,000,000 167.5 $137,450 $38,875 Dinar Arabic
 Lebanon 1945, March 22 Beirut 10,452 4,224,000 404 $53,818 $13,952 Lira Arabic
 Libya 1956, March 28 Tripoli 1,759,541 6,420,000 3.6 $60,609 $9,570 Dinar Arabic
 Mauritania 1973 November 26 Nouakchott 1,030,700 3,291,000 3.2 $6,232 $2,055 Ouguiya Arabic
 Morocco 1958, October 1 Rabat 446,550 31,993,000 71.6 $146.231 $4,587 Dirham Arabic
 Oman 1971, September 29 Muscat 309,550 2,845,000 9.2 $68,331 $24,674 Rial Arabic
 Palestine 1976, September 9 Ramallah approx: 6,000 4,136,540 – $11,950 $2,900 Dinar Arabic
 Qatar 1971, September 11 Doha 11,437 1,409,000 123.2 $94,404 $86,008 Riyal Arabic
 Saudi Arabia 1945, March 22 Riyadh 2,149,690 28,686,633 12 $592,886 $23,814 Riyal Arabic
 Somalia 1974, February 14 Mogadishu 637,661 9,133,000 14.3 $7,599 $795 Shilling Somali, Arabic
 Sudan 1956, January 19 Khartoum 2,505,813 42,272,000 16.9 $92,037 $2,309 Pound Arabic, English
 Syria 1945, March 22 Damascus 185,180 21,906,000 118.3 $55,024 $2,767 Lira Arabic
 Tunisia 1958, October 1 Tunis 163,610 10,432,500 63 $82,636 $8,002 Dinar Arabic
 United Arab Emirates 1971, December 6 Abu Dhabi 83,600 6,000,000 55 $187,851 $38,283 Dirham Arabic
 Yemen 1945, May 5 Sana'a 527,968 23,580,000 44.7 $55,393 $2,410 Rial Arabic

Geography

Administrative divisions in the Arab League
Main article: Geography of the Arab League

The area of members of the Arab League covers around 14,000,000 km2 (5,400,000 sq mi) and straddles two continents: Western Asia as well as Northern and Northeastern Africa. The area consists of large arid deserts, namely the Sahara. Nevertheless, it also contains several very fertile lands, such as the Nile Valley, the High Atlas Mountains, and the Fertile Crescent which stretches from Iraq over Syria and Lebanon to Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The area comprises also deep forests in southern Arabia and southern Sudan as well as the major parts of the world's longest river—the Nile.

The area has witnessed the rise and fall of many ancient civilizations: Ancient Egypt, Rome, Ancient Israel, Assyria, Babylon, Phoenicia, Carthage, Kush, and Nabateans.

Part of a series on the
Arab world
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Geography
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Attempts at political union
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Foreign relations
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Military
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Economy
Transportation
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Culture
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Sport
Demographics
Religion
Ethnicities
Lifestyles
Language

Governance

Main article: Government of the Arab League

The Charter of the Arab League[1] endorsed the principle of an Arab homeland while respecting the sovereignty of the individual member states. The internal regulations of the Council of the League[6] and the committees[7] were agreed in October 1951. Those of the Secretariat-General were agreed in May 1953.[8]

Since then, governance of the Arab League has been based on the duality of supra-national institutions and the sovereignty of the member states. Preservation of individual statehood derived its strengths from the natural preference of ruling elites to maintain their power and independence in decision making. Moreover, the fear of the richer that the poorer may share their wealth in the name of Arab nationalism, the feuds among Arab rulers, and the influence of external powers that might oppose Arab unity can be seen as obstacles towards a deeper integration of the league.

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Arab League

The Arab League is rich in resources, with enormous oil and natural gas resources; it also has great fertile lands in South of the Sudan, usually referred to as the food basket of the Arab World. The region's instability has not affected its tourism industry, that is considered the fastest growing industry in the region, with Egypt, UAE, Algeria, Tunisia, and Jordan leading the way. Another industry that is growing steadily in the Arab League is telecommunications. Within less than a decade, local companies such as Orascom and Etisalat have managed to compete internationally.

Economic achievements initiated by the League amongst member states have been less impressive than those achieved by other smaller Arab organizations such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). However, several promising major economic projects are set to be completed soon.[9] Among them is the Arab Gas Pipeline, scheduled to be accomplished in 2010. It will transport Egyptian and Iraqi gas to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey. The Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA), planned to come into effect on January 1, 2008, will render 95% of all Arab products free of customs.[citation needed]

Economic development in the Arab League is very disparate. Significant difference in wealth and economic conditions exist between the rich oil states of UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Algeria on the one hand, and poor countries like the Comoros, Mauritania, and Djibouti on the other hand. Arab economic funding is under development. As an example, the Arab League agreed to support the Sudanese region of Darfur with 500 million dollars, and Egyptian and Libyan companies are planning to build several wells in this dry area.

List of member states by GDP (PPP)

See also: List of countries by GDP (PPP) and List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita

Education

Arab League map indicating literacy by country (2009 Human Development Report) Grey = no data
Main article: List of countries by literacy rate

In collecting literacy data, many countries estimate the number of literate people based on self-reported data. Some use educational attainment data as a proxy, but measures of school attendance or grade completion may differ. Because definitions and data collection methods vary across countries, literacy estimates should be used with caution.| United Nations Development Programme Report 2009.[1][2]

Rank Country Literacy rate [b]
1  Kuwait 94.5
2 State of Palestine Palestine 93.8
3  Qatar 93.1
4  Jordan 91.1
5  United Arab Emirates 90.0 [l]
6  Lebanon 89.6 [j]
7  Bahrain 88.8
8  Libya 84.2 [l]
9  Saudi Arabia 82.9
10  Oman 81.4
11  Syria 80.8
12  Tunisia 74.3
13  Egypt 71.4
14  Djibouti 70.3 [j]
15  Algeria 69.9
16  Sudan 60.9 [aa]
17  Comoros 56.8 [j]
18  Yemen 54.1 [l]
19  Morocco 52.3
20  Mauritania 51.2
x  Iraq No info Submitted
x  Somalia No info Submitted

Status of Palestine

See also: Arab Peace Initiative

Mindful of their previous announcements in support of the Arabs of Palestine the framers of the Pact were determined to include them within the league from its inauguration.[10] This was done by means of an annex that declared:[1]

Even though Palestine was not able to control her own destiny, it was on the basis of the recognition of her independence that the Covenant of the League of Nations determined a system of government for her. Her existence and her independence among the nations can, therefore, no more be questioned de jure than the independence of any of the other Arab States. [...] Therefore, the States signatory to the Pact of the Arab League consider that in view of Palestine's special circumstances, the Council of the League should designate an Arab delegate from Palestine to participate in its work until this country enjoys actual independence

At the Cairo Summit of 1964, the Arab League initiated the creation of an organization representing the Palestinian people. The first Palestinian National Council convened in East Jerusalem on May 29, 1964. The Palestinian Liberation Organization was founded during this meeting on June 2, 1964.

At the Beirut Summit on March 28, 2002 the league adopted the Arab Peace Initiative,[11] a Saudi-inspired peace plan for the Arab–Israeli conflict. The initiative offered full normalization of the relations with Israel. In exchange, Israel was demanded to withdraw from all occupied territories, including the Golan Heights, to recognize an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital, as well as a "just solution" for the Palestinian refugees.

The Peace Initiative was again endorsed at 2007 in the Riyadh Summit. In July 2007, the Arab League sent a mission, consisting of the Jordanian and Egyptian foreign ministers, to Israel to promote the initiative. The mission was welcomed with reservations by Israel.[citation needed]

Following Venezuela's move to expel the resident Israeli diplomats amid the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict, Kuwaiti member of parliament Waleed al-Tabtabai made a public plea to move the Arab League headquarters from Cairo to Caracas, Venezuela.[12]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the Arab League

The Arab League is a culturally and ethnically diverse association of 22 member states, although a vast majority of the league consist of Arab people. As of January 1, 2007, about 340,000,000 people live in the states of the Arab League. Its population grows faster than in most other global regions. This threatens to diminish the slow economic expansion expected in the league's developing countries.[citation needed]

The most populous member state is Egypt, with a population of about 77.5 million. The least populated is Djibouti, with about 0.5 million inhabitants.

Since large parts of the Arab League are deserts, the population is concentrated in and around cities where most the trade and industry are located. The largest Arab city is Cairo, followed by Baghdad, Khartoum, Giza, Damascus, Riyadh, and Casablanca.

Pos Country Population
1 Egypt Egypt 77,500,000
2 Sudan Sudan 39,154,490
3 Algeria Algeria 34,895,000
4 Morocco Morocco 31,649,000
5 Iraq Iraq 30,747,000
6 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 25,721,000
7 Yemen Yemen 23,580,000
8 Syria Syria 21,906,000
9 Tunisia Tunisia 10,327,800
10 Somalia Somalia 9,133,000
11 Libya Libya 6,420,000
12 Jordan Jordan 6,316,000
13 United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates 4,599,000
14 Lebanon Lebanon 4,224,000
15 State of Palestine Palestine 4,136,540
16 Mauritania Mauritania 3,291,000
17 Kuwait Kuwait 2,985,000
18 Oman Oman 2,845,000
19 Qatar Qatar 1,409,000
20 Djibouti Djibouti 864,000
21 Bahrain Bahrain 791,000
22 Comoros Comoros 676,000
Total Arab League Arab League 360,029,936

Religion

Religions
Muslims
 
 90%
Christians
 
 10%

Islam, Christianity, and Judaism were all founded in or near areas that are now Arab League countries. Consequently, the majority of the Arab League's citizens are either Muslims, Christians or Jews. The members of the Arab League host several holy cities and other religiously significant locations, including Bethlehem, Alexandria, Mecca, Medina, Kirkuk, Arbil, and Baghdad. Sunni Muslims make up the Majority of the Arab League's citizens. However, large numbers of Shi'a Muslims make up the majority in areas of Lebanon, Iraq,Bahrain and Kuwait. Christianity is the second largest religion in the League, with over 20 million Christians living in countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Syria, and Jordan. There are smaller Jewish populations living mainly in the western part of the Arab league. Places such as Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, all have Jewish populations. However, most Arab Jews emigrated from the Arab states to Israel after its founding in 1948. Other minor religions such as the Bahá'í Faith are practiced on a much smaller scale.

Comparisons with other organizations

Size comparison of the Arab League with Russia, Contiguous USA, and Europe (without Russia)

The Arab League resembles the Organization of American States, Celtic League, the Council of Europe, and the African Union, in that it has primarily political aims. However, membership in the league is based on culture rather than geographical location. In this respect, the Arab League resembles organizations such as the Latin Union or the Caribbean Community.

The Arab League differs notably from the European Union, in that it has not achieved a significant degree of regional integration and the organization itself has no direct relations with the citizens of its member states. However, the Arab League is based on principles that support and promote a unified Arab nationalism and a common position among Arabic states on various issues.

All Arab League members are also members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. In turn, the memberships of the smaller GCC and Arab Maghreb Union organizations are subsets of that of the league.

Secretaries-General

Egypt Abdul Rahman Azzam 1945 to 1952
Egypt Abdul Khalek Hassouna 1952 to 1972
Egypt Mahmoud Riad 1972 to 1979
Tunisia Chedli Klibi 1979 to 1990
Lebanon Assad al-Assad 1990 to 1991
Egypt Ahmad Esmat Abd al Meguid 1991 to 2001
Egypt Amr Moussa 2001 to date

Summits

Summits Held in Arab Cities
2
  • Two summits are not added to the system of Arab League summits:
    • Anshas, Egypt: 28–29 May 1946
    • Beirut, Lebanon: 13 – 15 November 1956
  • Summit 14 in Fes, Morocco, occurred in two stages:
    • On 25 November 1981: The 5-hours meeting ended without an agreed on document.
    • On 6–9 September 1982

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Pact of the League of Arab States, March 22, 1945". The Avalon Project. Yale Law School. 1998. Retrieved 2008-07-09. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALESCO)".
  3. ^ Ashish K. Vaidya, Globalization, (ABC-CLIO: 2006), p.525
  4. ^ "Timeline: Arab League". BBC News. September 17, 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2009.
  5. ^ "India invited as observer for Arab League summit". Press Trust of India. 2007-03-27. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
  6. ^ "Internal Regulations of the Council of the League of Arab States". Model League of Arab States. Ed Haynes, Winthrop University. 1998-04-06. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  7. ^ "Internal Regulations of the Committees of the League of Arab States". Model League of Arab States. Ed Haynes, Winthrop University. 1998-04-06. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  8. ^ "Internal Regulations of the Secretariat-General of the League". Model League of Arab States. Ed Haynes, Winthrop University. 1998-04-06. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  9. ^ Reuters.com
  10. ^ Geddes, 1991, p. 208.
  11. ^ "The Arab Peace Initiative, 2002". al-bab.com. 2005-10-01. Retrieved 2008-07-09. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "Kuwaiti MP calls to move Arab league to Venezuela". AFP, via CaribbeanNetNews. 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2009-01-16.

Further reading

  • Ankerl, Guy: Coexisting Contemporary Civilizations: Arabo-Muslim, Bharati, Chinese, and Western. Geneva, INU Press, 2000. ISBN 2-88155-0044-5
  • Geddes, Charles L: A Documentary History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Greenwood Press, 1991. ISBN 0-275-93858-1
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