Introduction

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, despite international pressure calling for their withdrawal. Over the past decade, Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan Heights.

Geography

 

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; land: 184,050 sq km; water: 1,130 sq km; note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory

 

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: territorial sea: 12 nm; contiguous zone: 41 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: 25.22%; permanent crops: 4.43%; other: 70.35% (2001)

 

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 agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, 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 (February 2002 est.)

 

People

 

Population: 18,448,752

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 (July 2005 est.)

 

Age structure: 0-14 years: 37.4% (male 3,556,795/female 3,350,267); 15-64 years: 59.3% (male 5,601,971/female 5,333,799); 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 288,868/female 317,052) (2005 est.)

 

Median age: total: 20.37 years; male: 20.24 years; female: 20.51 years (2005 est.)

 

Population growth rate: 2.34% (2005 est.)

 

Birth rate: 28.29 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Death rate: 4.88 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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: 0.91 male(s)/female; total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

 

Infant mortality rate: total: 29.53 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 29.76 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 29.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

 

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.03 years; male: 68.75 years; female: 71.38 years (2005 est.)

 

Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (2005 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 500 (2003 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

 

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: 76.9%; male: 89.7%; female: 64% (2003 est.)

 

Government

 

Country name: conventional long form: Syrian Arab Republic; conventional short form: Syria; local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah; local short form: Suriyah; former: United Arab Republic (with Egypt)

 

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 Naji al-UTRI (since 10 September 2003)

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 Hafiz al-ASAD, father of Bashar al-ASAD - (next to be held 2007); vice presidents appointed by the president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president

election results: Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.29%

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

 

Legislative branch: unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-Shaab (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 2-3 March 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)

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

 

Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court (justices are appointed for four-year terms by the president); High Judicial Council; Court of Cassation; State Security Courts

 

Economy

 

Economy - overview: Real GDP growth rose to 2.3 percent in 2004, a slight increase from 2003 when the predominantly statist economy suffered from disruptions caused by the war in Iraq and other developments in the region. Annual real GDP growth has averaged 2.3 percent for the last seven years. The Government of Syria has implemented modest economic reforms in the last few years, including cutting interest rates, opening private banks, consolidating some of the multiple exchange rates, and raising prices on some subsidized foodstuffs. Nevertheless, the economy remains highly controlled by the government. Long run economic constraints include declining oil production and exports and pressure on water supplies caused by rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and increased water pollution.

 

GDP: purchasing power parity - $60.44 billion (2004 est.)

 

GDP - real growth rate: 2.3% (2004 est.)

 

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,400 (2004 est.)

 

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 25%; industry: 31%; services: 44% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 5.12 million (2004 est.)

 

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 30%, industry 27%, services 43% (2002 est.)

 

Unemployment rate: 20% (2002 est.)

 

Population below poverty line: 20% (2004 est.)

 

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA; highest 10%: NA

 

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (2004 est.)

 

Investment (gross fixed): 16.3% of GDP (2004 est.)

 

Budget: revenues: $6.58 billion; expenditures: $9.45 billion, including capital expenditures of $4.67 billion (2004 est.)

 

Public debt: 32% of GDP (2004 est.)

 

Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk

 

Industries: petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining

 

Industrial production growth rate: 7% (2002 est.)

 

Electricity - production: 26.15 billion kWh (2002)

 

Electricity - consumption: 24.32 billion kWh (2002)

 

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)

 

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)

 

Oil - production: 525,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

 

Oil - consumption: 240,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

 

Oil - exports: 285,000 bbl/day (2004)

 

Oil - imports: NA

 

Oil - proved reserves: 2.5 billion bbl (2004 est.)

 

Natural gas - production: 5.84 billion cu m (2001 est.)

 

Natural gas - consumption: 5.84 billion cu m (2001 est.)

 

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

 

Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 240.7 billion cu m (2004)

 

Current account balance: $1.1 billion (2003)

 

Exports: $6.086 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

 

Exports - commodities: crude oil, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber,

clothing, meat and live animals, wheat

 

Exports - partners: Germany 16.5%, Italy 13.5%, UAE 8.6%, Lebanon 7.7%, France 6.3%, Turkey 5.1% (2004)

 

Imports: $5.042 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

 

Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper

 

Imports - partners: Italy 7.7%, China 7.6%, Germany 7.4%, Turkey 4.5%, France 4.4% (2004)

 

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $5 billion (2004 est.)

 

Debt - external: $4 billion (excludes military debt and debt to Russia) (2004 est.)

 

Economic aid - recipient: $180 million (2002 est.)

 

Currency (code): Syrian pound (SYP)

 

Exchange rates: Syrian pounds per US dollar - (official rate): 11.225 (2004), 11.225 (2003),

11.225 (2002), 11.225 (2001), 11.225 (2000), (parallel market rate in Amman and Beirut) NA (2004), 52.8 (2003), 52.4 (2002), 50.4 (2002), 49.4 (2000)

 

Fiscal year: calendar year

 

Communications

 

Telephones - main lines in use: 2,099,300 (2002)

 

Telephones - mobile cellular: 400,000 (2002)

 

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: country code - 963; 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)

 

Television broadcast stations: 44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)

 

Internet country code: .sy

 

Internet hosts: 11 (2004)

 

Internet users: 220,000 (2002)

 

Transportation

 

Railways: total: 2,711 km; standard gauge: 2,460 km 1.435-m gauge; narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2004)

 

Highways: total: 45,697 km; paved: 6,489 km (including 1,001 km of expressways); unpaved: 39,208 km (2002)

 

Waterways: 900 km (not economically significant) (2002)

 

Pipelines: gas 2,300 km; oil 2,183 km (2004)

 

Ports and harbors: Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus

 

Merchant marine: total: 120 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 446,981 GRT/636,620 DWT; by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 105, container 1, livestock carrier 4, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1; foreign-owned: 12 (Egypt 1, Greece 1, Jordan 2, Lebanon 7, Romania 1); registered in other countries: 73 (2005)

 

Airports: 92 (2004 est.)

 

Airports - with paved runways: total: 26; ver 3,047 m: 5; 2,438 to 3,047 m: 16; 914 to 1,523 m: 3; under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

 

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 66; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2; 914 to 1,523 m: 10

under 914 m: 54 (2004 est.)

 

Heliports: 7 (2004 est.)

 

Transnational Issues

 

Disputes - international: Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1,000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) patrolling a buffer zone since 1964; Lebanon claims Shaba'a farms in Golan Heights; international pressure prompts the removal of Syrian troops and intelligence personel stationed in Lebanon since October 1976; Syria protests Turkish hydrological projects regulating upper Euphrates waters; 2004 Agreement and pending demarcation settles border dispute with Jordan

 

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 413,827

(Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA))

 

IDPs: 170,000 (most displaced from Golan Heights during 1967 Arab-Israeli War) (2004)

 

Illicit drugs: a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls, bank privatization may leave it vulnerable to money-laundering.