Legend:
Definition
Field Listing
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Background:
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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.
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Location:
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Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
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Geographic coordinates:
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35 00 N, 38 00 E
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Map references:
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Middle East
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Area:
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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
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than North Dakota
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,253 km
border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km
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Coastline:
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193 km
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 41 NM
territorial sea: 35 NM
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Climate:
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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
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Terrain:
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primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m
highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 26%
permanent crops: 4%
other: 70% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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12,130 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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dust storms, sandstorms
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
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Geography - note:
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there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 2001 est.)
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Population:
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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.)
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Age structure:
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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.)
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Population growth rate:
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2.5% (2002 est.)
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Birth rate:
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30.11 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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Death rate:
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5.12 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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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.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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32.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 69.08 years
female: 70.32 years (2002 est.)
male: 67.9 years
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Total fertility rate:
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3.84 children born/woman (2002 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.01% (1999 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA
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Nationality:
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noun: Syrian(s)
adjective: Syrian
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Ethnic groups:
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Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
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Religions:
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Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
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Languages:
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Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.8%
male: 85.7%
female: 55.8% (1997 est.)
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Country name:
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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
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Government type:
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republic under military regime since March 1963
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Capital:
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Damascus
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Administrative divisions:
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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
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Independence:
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17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 17 April (1946)
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Constitution:
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13 March 1973
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Legal system:
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based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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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%
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Legislative branch:
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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)
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Constitutional Court (justices are appointed for four-year terms by the president); High Judicial Council; Court of Cassation; State Security Courts
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Political parties and leaders:
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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]
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood (operates in exile in Jordan and Yemen); non-Ba'th parties have little effective political influence
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International organization participation:
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AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, 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
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador 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
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Flag description:
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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
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Economy - overview:
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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.
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $54.2 billion (2001 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2% (2001 est.)
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2001 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 27%
industry: 23%
services: 50% (2000 est.)
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Population below poverty line:
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15%-25%
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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0.3% (2001 est.)
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Labor force:
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4.7 million (1998 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 40%, industry 20%, services 40% (1996 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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20% (2000 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $5 billion
expenditures: $7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
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Industries:
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petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA%
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Electricity - production:
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19.7 billion kWh (2000)
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 64.47%
hydro: 35.53%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
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Electricity - consumption:
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17.671 billion kWh (2000)
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Electricity - exports:
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650 million kWh (2000)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2000)
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Agriculture - products:
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wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
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Exports:
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$5 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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crude oil 68%, textiles 7%, fruits and vegetables 6%, raw cotton 4% (1998 est.)
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Exports - partners:
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Germany 27%, Italy 12%, France 10%, Turkey 10%, Saudi Arabia 7% (2000 est.)
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Imports:
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$4 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and transport equipment 21%, food and livestock 18%, metal and metal products 15%, chemicals and chemical products 10% (2000 est.)
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Imports - partners:
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Italy 9%, Germany 7%, France 5%, Lebanon 5%, China 4%, South Korea 4%, Turkey 4%, US 4% (2000 est.)
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Debt - external:
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$22 billion (2001 est.)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$199 million (1997 est.)
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Currency:
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Syrian pound (SYP)
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Currency code:
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SYP
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Exchange rates:
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Syrian pounds per US dollar - 51 (December 2001), 46 (2000), 46 (1998), 41.9 (January 1997)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Railways:
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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
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Highways:
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total: 41,451 km
paved: 9,575 km (including 877 km of expressways)
unpaved: 31,876 km (1997)
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Waterways:
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870 km (minimal economic importance)
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Pipelines:
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crude oil 1,304 km; petroleum products 515 km
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Ports and harbors:
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Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus
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Merchant marine:
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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
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Airports:
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99 (2001)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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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
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 75
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 62 (2001)
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Heliports:
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2 (2001)
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This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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