Syria

§1. Syria 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. In recent years, Syria and Israel have held occasional peace
  talks over the return of the Golan Heights.

§2. Syria 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 kmē
  land: 184,050 kmē
  water: 1,130 kmē
  note: includes 1,295 kmē 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:
  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 hitting 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: 28%
  permanent crops: 4%
  permanent pastures: 43%
  forests and woodland: 3%
  other: 22% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
  9,060 kmē (1993 est.)

Natural hazards:
  dust storms, sandstorms

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

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate 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 1999 est.)

§3. Syria People

Population:
  16,728,808
  note: in addition, there are about 38,200 people living in the
    Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 18,200 Arabs (16,500 Druze and 1,700
    Alawites) and about 20,000 Israeli settlers (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 39.92% (male 3,440,060; female 3,238,576)
  15-64 years: 56.87% (male 4,868,816; female 4,644,870)
  65 years and over: 3.21% (male 261,036; female 275,450) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.54% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:
  30.64 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:
  5.21 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 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: 0.95 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  33.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 68.77 years male: 67.63 years
  female: 69.98 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  3.95 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA

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.)

§4. Syria 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 Mustafa MIRU (since 13 March
    2000), Deputy Prime Ministers Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since 11 March
    1984), Khalid RA'D (since 13 March 2000), Muhammad NAJI 'UTRI (since 13
    March 2000)
  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
  election results: Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote -
    Bashar al-ASAD 97.29%
  note: Hafiz al-ASAD died 10 June 2000; 20 June 2000 the Ba'th Party
    nominated Bashar al-ASAD for president and presented his name to the
    People's Council 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 30 November-1 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NPF 67%, non-NPF 33%; seats by
    party - NPF 167, independents 83; note - the constitution guarantees that
    the Ba'th Party (part of the NPF alliance) receive 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

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]; Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party (governing party)
  [Bashar al-ASAD, secretary general of the party, and chairman of the
  National Progressive Front after the death of Hafiz al-ASAD on 10 June
  2000]; Arab Socialist Unionist Movement or ASU [Sami SOUFAN]; Arab
  Socialist Party [Abd al-Ghani KANNUT]; Socialist Unionist Democratic Party
  [Ahmad al-ASAD]; Syrian Arab Socialist Party or ASP [Safwan KOUDSI]; Syrian
  Communist Party or SCP [Yusuf FAYSAL]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood (operates in exile in
  Jordan and Yemen); non-Ba'th parties have little effective political
  influence

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, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat,
  Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, 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
  telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313
  FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ryan C. CROCKER embassy: Abou Roumaneh,
    Al-Mansur Street, No. 2, Damascus
  mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus
  telephone: [963] (11) 333-2814
  FAX: [963] (11) 224-7938

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

§5. Syria Economy

Economy - overview:
  Syria's predominantly statist economy is on a shaky footing because of
  Damascus's failure to implement extensive economic reform. The dominant
  agricultural sector remains underdeveloped, with roughly 80% of
  agricultural land still dependent on rain-fed sources. Although Syria has
  sufficient water supplies in the aggregate at normal levels of
  precipitation, the great distance between major water supplies and
  population centers poses serious distribution problems. The water problem
  is exacerbated by rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and
  increased water pollution. Private investment is critical to the
  modernization of the agricultural, energy, and export sectors. Oil
  production is leveling off, and the efforts of the nonoil sector to
  penetrate international markets have fallen short. Syria's inadequate
  infrastructure, outmoded technological base, and weak educational system
  make it vulnerable to future shocks and hamper competition with neighbors
  such as Jordan and Israel. The government recognizes the need to open the
  economy to additional domestic and foreign investment.

GDP:
  purchasing power parity - $50.9 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  3.5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
  purchasing power parity - $3,100 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 29% industry: 22%
  services: 49% (1997)

Population below poverty line:
  15%-25%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  1.5% (2000 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: $2.25 billion
  expenditures: $5.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000
    est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  17.94 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 57.64% hydro: 42.36%
  nuclear: 0%
  other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  16.684 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (1999)

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

Exports:
  $4.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  petroleum 65%, textiles 10%, manufactured goods 10%, fruits and vegetables
  7%, raw cotton 5%, live sheep 2%, phosphates 1% (1998 est.)

Exports - partners:
  Germany 21%, Italy 12%, France 10%, Saudi Arabia 9%, Turkey 8% (1999 est.)

Imports:
  $3.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment 23%, foodstuffs/animals 20%, metal and metal
  products 15%, textiles 10%, chemicals 10% (1998 est.)

Imports - partners:
  France 11%, Italy 8%, Germany 7%, Turkey 5%, China 4% (1999 est.)

Debt - external:
  $22 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $199 million (1997 est.)

Currency:
  Syrian pound (SYP)

Currency code:
  SYP

Exchange rates:
  Syrian pounds per US dollar - 46 (2000), 46 (1998), 41.9 (January 1997)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Syria Communications

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:
  20,000 (2000)

§7. Syria Transportation

Railways:
  total: 2,750 km
  standard gauge: 2,423 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 327 km 1.050-m gauge
  note: rail link between Syria and Iraq replaced in 2000 (2000)

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: 133 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 425,392 GRT/612,097 DWT
  ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 117, livestock carrier 4, roll on/roll off 1
    (2000 est.)

Airports:
  100 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 24 over 3,047 m: 5
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 16
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 76 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 63 (2000 est.)

Heliports:
  2 (2000 est.)

§8. Syria Military

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

Military manpower - military age:
  19 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
  males age 15-49: 4,384,528 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
  males age 15-49: 2,448,630 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
  males: 200,859 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $921 million (FY00 est.); note - based on official budget data that may
  understate actual spending

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  5.9% (FY98)

§9. Syria Transnational Issues

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

Illicit drugs:
  a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and Western
  markets
