Syria

Branches

Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force, Syrian Arab Air Defense Forces, Police and Security Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $875 million, 8% of GDP (1994 est.); note - based on official budget data that understate actual spending

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: 3,590,557 males fit for military service: 2,011,610 males reach military age (19) annually: 164,598 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 9, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios

3.392 million (1992 est.)

Telephone system

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

Telephones

541,465 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations

17

Televisions

700,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Agriculture

wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas; beef, lamb, eggs, poultry, milk

Budget

revenues: $2.5 billion expenditures: $3.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

Currency

1 Syrian pound (LS) = 100 piastres

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $259 million (1993)

Economic overview

During 1990-92 Syria's state-dominated economy benefited from the Gulf war, increased oil production, good weather, and economic reform. Economic growth averaged roughly 10%. The war led to a Syrian aid windfall of nearly $5 billion from Arab, European, and Japanese donors. Most positive economic trends ended in 1993 due to the dissipation of the Gulf war boom, a domestic financial crisis, and economic policy missteps. Economic growth has dropped below 5%, income inequality is increasing, the government budget deficit is growing, and international accounts are weakening. For the long run, Syria's economy is saddled with a large number of poorly performing public sector firms and low industrial productivity. Oil production is likely to ebb by the end of the decade. Unemployment will likely rise as the more than 60% of the population under age 20 moves into the labor force. The economic benefits of any peace treaty with Israel will depend in large part on the pace of economic reform.

Electricity

capacity: 4,160,000 kW production: 13.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 865 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Syrian pounds (LS) per US$1 - 11.225 (official fixed rate), 26.6 ("blended rate" used by the UN and diplomatic missions), 42.0 ("neighboring country rate" - applies to most state enterprise imports), 48.0 - 52.0 (offshore rate) (1994)

Exports

$3.5 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: petroleum 66%, cotton, fruits and vegetables 14%, textiles 9%, animal products 4%, industrial products 3% partners: EU 61%, Arab countries 24%, former CEMA countries, China, Yugoslavia 5%, US and Canada 3% (1993 est.)

External debt

$21.2 billion (1995 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $91.2 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: 30% industry: 25% services: 45% (1994 est.)

GDP per capita

$5,900 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

4.4% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

a transit point for Lebanese and Turkish refined cocaine going to Europe and heroin and hashish bound for regional and Western markets

Imports

$5.4 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: machinery 25%, metal products 16%, transport equipment 15%, foodstuffs 12%, textiles 10% partners: EU 37%, former CEMA countries, China, Yugoslavia 17%, US and Canada 7%, Arab countries 6% (1993 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

5% (1994 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

15.1% (1994 est.)

Labor force

4.7 million (1995 est.) by occupation: services 42%, industry 36%, agriculture 22% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate

8% (1994 est.)

Area

total area: 185,180 sq km land area: 184,050 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than North Dakota note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory

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 hitting Damascus

Coastline

193 km

Environment

current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from dumping of raw sewage and wastes from petroleum refining; inadequate supplies of potable water natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms international agreements: party to - Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Desertification, Environmental Modification

Geographic coordinates

35 00 N, 38 00 E

Geographic note

there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 1995 est.)

International disputes

Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Hatay question with Turkey; dispute over Turkey's water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; Syrian troops in northern, central, and eastern Lebanon since October 1976

Irrigated land

10,000 sq km (1992)

Land boundaries

total: 2,253 km border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km

Land use

arable land: 28% permanent crops: 3% meadows and pastures: 46% forest and woodland: 3% other: 20%

Location

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 41 nm territorial sea: 35 nm

Natural resources

petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum

Terrain

primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m

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

Capital

Damascus

Constitution

13 March 1973

Data code

SY

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Walid MUALEM chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313

Executive branch

chief of state: President Hafiz al-ASAD (since 22 February 1971; see note) was reelected for a seven-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 2 December 1991 (next to be held NA December 1998); results - President Hafiz al-ASAD was reelected for a fourth seven-year term with 99.98% of the vote; note - President ASAD seized power in the November 1970 coup, assumed presidential powers 22 February 1971, and was confirmed as president in the 12 March 1971 national elections; Vice Presidents 'Abd al-Halim ibn Said KHADDAM (since NA), Rifaat al-ASAD (since NA), and Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984) were appointed by the president head of government: Prime Minister Mahmud ZUBI (since 1 November 1987), Deputy Prime Ministers Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since 11 March 1984), Salim YASIN (since NA December 1981), and Rashid AKHTARINI (since 4 July 1992) were appointed by the president cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the president

FAX

[1] (202) 234-9548

FAX

[963] (11) 224-7938

Flag

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 symbolic eagle centered in the white band

Independence

17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)

International organization participation

ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral People's Council (Majlis al-Chaab): elections last held 24-25 August 1994 (next to be held NA 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (250 total) National Progressive Front 167, independents 83

Name of country

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)

National Progressive Front includes

the ruling Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party, Hafiz al-ASAD, president of the republic, secretary general of the party, and chairman of the National Progressive Front; Syrian Arab Socialist Party (ASP), 'Abd al-Ghani KANNUT; Arab Socialist Union (ASU), Jamal ATASSI; Syrian Communist Party (SCP), Wisal FARHAH; Arab Socialist Unionist Movement, Sami SOUFAN; and Democratic Socialist Union Party, Ghassan UTHMAN

National holiday

National Day, 17 April (1946)

Other political or pressure groups

non-Ba'th parties have little effective political influence; Communist party ineffective; conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic under military regime since March 1963

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher W. S. ROSS embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansur Street No. 2, Damascus mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus telephone: [963] (11) 333-2814, 333-0788, 332-0783

Age structure

0-14 years: 47% (male 3,738,671; female 3,557,474) 15-64 years: 50% (male 4,013,355; female 3,843,466) 65 years and over: 3% (male 227,249; female 228,433) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

39.56 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

5.86 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%

Infant mortality rate

40 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French widely understood

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 67.13 years male: 65.94 years female: 68.38 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 70.8% male: 85.7% female: 55.8%

Nationality

noun: Syrian(s) adjective: Syrian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

15,608,648 (July 1996 est.) note: in addition, there are 31,300 people living in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 16,500 Arabs (15,000 Druze and 1,500 Alawites) and 14,800 Israeli settlers (August 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

3.37% (1996 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female all ages: 1.05 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.91 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 99 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 5 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 15 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 62 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 13 (1995 est.)

Heliports

2 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 31,569 km paved: 24,308 km (including 712 km of expressways) unpaved: 7,261 km (1991 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 99 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 294,355 GRT/454,990 DWT ships by type: bulk 12, cargo 85, livestock carrier 1, vehicle carrier 1 (1995 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 1,304 km; petroleum products 515 km

Ports

Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus

Railways

total: 1,998 km broad gauge: 1,766 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 232 km 1.050-m gauge

Waterways

870 km; minimal economic importance