Syria
Introduction Syria
------------------
Background: Following the breakup of the Ottoman
Empire during World War I, Syria was
administered by the French until
independence in 1946. In the 1967
Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the
Golan Heights to Israel. Since 1976,
Syrian troops have been stationed in
Lebanon, ostensibly in a
peacekeeping capacity. In recent
years, Syria and Israel have held
occasional peace talks over the
return of the Golan Heights.
Geography Syria
---------------
Location: Middle East, bordering the
Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon
and Turkey
Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references: Middle East
Area: total: 185,180 sq km
note: includes 1,295 sq km of
Israeli-occupied territory
water: 1,130 sq km
land: 184,050 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than North Dakota
Land boundaries: total: 2,253 km
border countries: Iraq 605 km,
Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon
375 km, Turkey 822 km
Coastline: 193 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 41 NM
territorial sea: 35 NM
Climate: mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny
summers (June to August) and mild,
rainy winters (December to February)
along coast; cold weather with snow
or sleet periodically in Damascus
Terrain: primarily semiarid and desert
plateau; narrow coastal plain;
mountains in west
Elevation extremes: lowest point: unnamed location near
Lake Tiberias -200 m
highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
Natural resources: petroleum, phosphates, chrome and
manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore,
rock salt, marble, gypsum,
hydropower
Land use: arable land: 25.96%
permanent crops: 4.08%
other: 69.96% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 12,130 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms
Environment - current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil
erosion; desertification; water
pollution from raw sewage and
petroleum refining wastes;
inadequate potable water
Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Desertification, Hazardous
Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification
Geography - note: there are 42 Israeli settlements and
civilian land use sites in the
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights
(August 2001 est.)
People Syria
------------
Population: 17,155,814 (July 2002 est.)
note: in addition, about 40,000
people live in the Israeli-occupied
Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000
Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and about
20,000 Israeli settlers (August 2001
est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 39.3% (male 3,467,267;
female 3,264,639)
15-64 years: 57.5% (male 5,052,841;
female 4,817,662)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male
267,803; female 285,602) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.5% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 30.11 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 5.12 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 32.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.08 years
female: 70.32 years (2002 est.)
male: 67.9 years
Total fertility rate: 3.84 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.01% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Syrian(s)
adjective: Syrian
Ethnic groups: Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and
other 9.7%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze,
and other Muslim sects 16%,
Christian (various sects) 10%,
Jewish (tiny communities in
Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
Languages: Arabic (official); Kurdish,
Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely
understood; French, English somewhat
understood
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 70.8%
male: 85.7%
female: 55.8% (1997 est.)
Government Syria
----------------
Country name: conventional long form: Syrian Arab
Republic
conventional short form: Syria
local short form: Suriyah
former: United Arab Republic (with
Egypt)
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al
Arabiyah as Suriyah
Government type: republic under military regime since
March 1963
Capital: Damascus
Administrative divisions: 14 provinces (muhafazat, singular -
muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al
Ladhiqiyah, Al Qunaytirah, Ar
Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az
Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims,
Idlib, Rif Dimashq, Tartus
Independence: 17 April 1946 (from League of
Nations mandate under French
administration)
National holiday: Independence Day, 17 April (1946)
Constitution: 13 March 1973
Legal system: based on Islamic law and civil law
system; special religious courts;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Bashar al-
ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice
Presidents Abd al-Halim ibn Said
KHADDAM (since 11 March 1984) and
Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11
March 1984)
head of government: Prime Minister
Muhammad Mustafa MIRU (since 13
March 2000), Deputy Prime Ministers
Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since 11
March 1984), Farouk al-SHARA (since
13 December 2001), Dr. Muhammad al-
HUSAYN (since 13 December 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
appointed by the president
elections: president elected by
popular vote for a seven-year term;
referendum/election last held 10
July 2000 - after the death of
President Hafez al-ASAD, father of
Bashar al-ASAD - (next to be held NA
2007); vice presidents appointed by
the president; prime minister and
deputy prime ministers appointed by
the president
note: Hafiz al-ASAD died on 10 June
2000; on 20 June 2000, the Ba'th
Party nominated Bashar al-ASAD for
president and presented his name to
the People's Council on 25 June 2000
election results: Bashar al-ASAD
elected president; percent of vote -
Bashar al-ASAD 97.29%
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Council or
Majlis al-shaab (250 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by
party - NPF 67%, independents 33%;
seats by party - NPF 167,
independents 83; note - the
constitution guarantees that the
Ba'th Party (part of the NPF
alliance) receives one-half of the
seats
elections: last held 30 November-
1 December 1998 (next to be held NA
2002)
Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court
(justices are appointed for four-
year terms by the president); High
Judicial Council; Court of
Cassation; State Security Courts
Political parties and leaders: National Progressive Front or NPF
(includes the Ba'th Party, ASU, Arab
Socialist Party, Socialist Unionist
Democratic Party, ASP, SCP)
[President Bashar al-ASAD,
chairman]; Arab Socialist
Renaissance (Ba'th) Party (governing
party) [President Bashar al-ASAD,
secretary general]; Syrian Arab
Socialist Party or ASP [Safwan
KOUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party or
SCP [Yusuf FAYSAL]; Syrian Social
National Party [Jubran URAYJI]
Political pressure groups and conservative religious leaders;
leaders: Muslim Brotherhood (operates in
exile in Jordan and Yemen); non-
Ba'th parties have little effective
political influence
International organization AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA,
participation: FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN,
UN Security Council (temporary),
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Rustum
al-ZU'BI
chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548
telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador
US: Theodore H. KATTOUF
embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansur
Street, No. 2, Damascus
mailing address: P. O. Box 29,
Damascus
telephone: [963] (11) 333-1342
FAX: [963] (11) 331-9678
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), white, and black, with two
small green five-pointed stars in a
horizontal line centered in the
white band; similar to the flag of
Yemen, which has a plain white band,
and of Iraq, which has three green
stars (plus an Arabic inscription)
in a horizontal line centered in the
white band; also similar to the flag
of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle
centered in the white band
Economy Syria
-------------
Economy - overview: Syria's predominantly statist
economy has been growing slower than
its 2.5% annual population growth
rate, causing a persistent decline
in per capita GDP. President Bashar
AL-ASAD has made little progress on
the economic front after one year in
office, but does appear willing to
permit a gradual strengthening of
the private sector. His most obvious
accomplishment to this end was the
recent passage of legislation
allowing private banks to operate in
Syria, although a private banking
sector will take years and further
government cooperation to develop.
ASAD's recent cabinet reshuffle may
improve his chances of implementing
further growth-oriented policies,
although external factors such as
the international war on terrorism,
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
and downturn in oil prices could
weaken the foreign investment and
government revenues Syria needs to
flourish. A long-run economic
constraint is the pressure on water
supplies caused by rapid population
growth, industrial expansion, and
increased water pollution.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $54.2
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,200
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 27%
industry: 23%
services: 50% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 15%-25%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.3% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 4.7 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry 20%,
services 40% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: 20% (2000 est.)
Budget: revenues: $5 billion
expenditures: $7 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2001
est.)
Industries: petroleum, textiles, food
processing, beverages, tobacco,
phosphate rock mining
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 19.7 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 64.47%
hydro: 35.53%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 17.671 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 650 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, cotton, lentils,
chickpeas, olives, sugar beets;
beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Exports: $5 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: crude oil 68%, textiles 7%, fruits
and vegetables 6%, raw cotton 4%
(1998 est.)
Exports - partners: Germany 27%, Italy 12%, France 10%,
Turkey 10%, Saudi Arabia 7% (2000
est.)
Imports: $4 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment
21%, food and livestock 18%, metal
and metal products 15%, chemicals
and chemical products 10% (2000
est.)
Imports - partners: Italy 9%, Germany 7%, France 5%,
Lebanon 5%, China 4%, South Korea
4%, Turkey 4%, US 4% (2000 est.)
Debt - external: $22 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $199 million (1997 est.)
Currency: Syrian pound (SYP)
Currency code: SYP
Exchange rates: Syrian pounds per US dollar - 51
(December 2001), 46 (2000), 46
(1998), 41.9 (January 1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Syria
--------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 1.313 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system: general assessment: fair system
currently undergoing significant
improvement and digital upgrades,
including fiber-optic technology
domestic: coaxial cable and
microwave radio relay network
international: satellite earth
stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean
region); 1 submarine cable; coaxial
cable and microwave radio relay to
Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey;
participant in Medarabtel
Radio broadcast stations: AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 4.15 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 1.05 million (1997)
Internet country code: .sy
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 32,000 (2001)
Transportation Syria
--------------------
Railways: total: 2,750 km
standard gauge: 2,423 km 1.435-
m gauge
note: rail link between Syria and
Iraq replaced in 2000 (2001)
narrow gauge: 327 km 1.050-m gauge
Highways: total: 41,451 km
paved: 9,575 km (including 877 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 31,876 km (1997)
Waterways: 870 km (minimal economic importance)
Pipelines: crude oil 1,304 km; petroleum
products 515 km
Ports and harbors: Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus
Merchant marine: total: 143 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 482,985 GRT/702,590 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned
ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Egypt 1, Greece 2,
Italy 1, Lebanon 10 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 12, cargo 126,
livestock carrier 4, roll on/roll
off 1
Airports: 99 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 24
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 16
under 914 m: 1 (2001)
914 to 1,523 m: 2
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 75
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 62 (2001)
Heliports: 2 (2001)
Military Syria
--------------
Military branches: Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy,
Syrian Arab Air Force (includes Air
Defense Forces), Police and Security
Force
Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 4,550,496 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 2,539,342 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching males: 200,859 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $921 million (FY00 est.); note -
figure: based on official budget data that
may understate actual spending
Military expenditures - percent of 5.9% (FY98)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Syria
--------------------------
Disputes - international: Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied;
dispute with upstream riparian
Turkey over Turkish water
development plans for the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers; Syrian troops in
northern, central, and eastern
Lebanon since October 1976; Turkey
is quick to rebuff any perceived
Syrian claim to Hatay province
Illicit drugs: a transit point for opiates and
hashish bound for regional and
Western markets
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