Syria

Syria 

 
Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

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

Area

Note: Includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory

Land Boundaries

Total 2,253 km, Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km

Coastline

193 km

Maritime Claims

International Disputes

Separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Hatay question with Turkey; ongoing dispute over water development plans by Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; Syrian troops in northern Lebanon since October 1976

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 hits Damascus

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

Natural Resources

Land Use

Irrigated Land

10,000 sq km (1992)

Environment

Note: There are 42 Jewish settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 1994 est.)

PEOPLE

Population

15,608,648 (July 1996 est.)
15,451,917 (July 1995 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.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

47% (male 3,738,671; female 3,557,474) (July 1996 est.)
48% (male 3,826,154; female 3,639,776) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

50% (male 4,013,355; female 3,843,466) (July 1996 est.)
49% (male 3,854,989; female 3,691,862) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

3% (male 227,249; female 228,433) (July 1996 est.)
3% (male 219,885; female 219,251) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

3.37% (1996 est.)
3.71% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

39.56 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
43.21 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

5.86 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
6.07 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

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.)

Infant Mortality Rate

40 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
41.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Fertility Rate

5.91 children born/woman (1996 est.)
6.55 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic Divisions

Religions

Languages

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

Literacy

Age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

Labor Force

4.7 million (1995 est.)

By occupation:

GOVERNMENT

Names

Digraph

SY

Type

Republic under leftwing 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

National 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

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

People's Council (Majlis Al-Chaab)

Elections last held 24-25 August 1994 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (250 total) National Progressive Front 167, independents 83

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 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

Other Political or Pressure Groups

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

Member of

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

Anthem

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

ECONOMY

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.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $91.2 billion (1995 est.); $74.4 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

4.4% (1995 est.)
4% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$5,900 (1995 est.)
$5,000 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

15.1% (1994 est.)
16.3% (1993 est.)

Unemployment Rate

8% (1994 est.)
7.5% (1993 est.)

Budget

Exports

$3.5 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

Imports

$5.4 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

External Debt

$21.2 billion (1995 est.)
$19.4 billion (1993 est.)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 5% (1994 est.)

Electricity

Industries

Agriculture

Accounts for 30% of GDP and one-third of labor force; all major crops (wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas) grown mainly on rain-watered land causing wide swings in production; animal products - beef, lamb, eggs, poultry, milk; not self-sufficient in grain or livestock products

Illicit Drugs

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

Economic Aid

Currency

1 Syrian pound (£S) = 100 piastres

Exchange Rates

Syrian pounds (£S) 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) (yearend 1993)

Fiscal Year

Calendar year

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Highways

Inland Waterways

870 km; minimal economic importance

Pipelines

Crude oil 1,304 km; petroleum products 515 km

Ports

Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus

Merchant Marine

Airports

Heliports

2 (1995 est.)

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

541,465 telephones (1992 est.); fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber optic technology

Radio

Television

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

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

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.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $875 million, 8% of GDP (1994 est.); $2.2 billion, 6% of GDP (1992); note - based on official budget data that understate actual spending

History
World Atlas