The
Arab League ( ), formally, the
League of Arab States ( ), is a
regional organization of
Arab countries in and around
North Africa, the
Horn of Africa and
Arabia. It was formed in
Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members:
Kingdom of Egypt,
Kingdom of Iraq,
Transjordan (renamed
Jordan in 1949),
Lebanon,
Saudi Arabia, and
Syria.
Yemen joined as a member on 5 May 1945. Currently, the League has
22 members, although
Syria's participation has been suspended since November 2011, as a consequence of government repression during the
ongoing uprising and civil war.