Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

1 (2000)

Internet country code [time series]

.sy

Internet users [time series]

60,000 (2002)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios [time series]

4.15 million (1997)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

1.313 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

NA

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions [time series]

1.05 million (1997)

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk

Budget [time series]

revenues: $5 billion expenditures: $7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Syrian pound (SYP)

Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]

SYP

Debt - external [time series]

$22 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$199 million (1997 est.)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

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.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

17.671 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports [time series]

650 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - production [time series]

19.7 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 64% hydro: 36% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates [time series]

Syrian pounds per US dollar - 51 (December 2001), 46 (2000), 46 (1998), 41.9 (January 1997)

Exports [time series]

$5 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

crude oil 68%, textiles 7%, fruits and vegetables 6%, raw cotton 4% (1998 est.)

Exports - partners [time series]

Germany 27%, Italy 12%, France 10%, Turkey 10%, Saudi Arabia 7% (2000 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $54.2 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 27% industry: 23% services: 50% (2000 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2001 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

2% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$4 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

machinery and transport equipment 21%, food and livestock 18%, metal and metal products 15%, chemicals and chemical products 10% (2000 est.)

Imports - partners [time series]

Italy 9%, Germany 7%, France 5%, Lebanon 5%, China 4%, South Korea 4%, Turkey 4%, US 4% (2000 est.)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

0.3% (2001 est.)

Labor force [time series]

4.7 million (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture 40%, industry 20%, services 40% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

15%-25%

Unemployment rate [time series]

20% (2000 est.)

Area [time series]

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

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly larger than North Dakota

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

193 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geographic coordinates [time series]

35 00 N, 38 00 E

Geography - note [time series]

there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.)

Irrigated land [time series]

12,130 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

arable land: 25.96% permanent crops: 4.08% other: 69.96% (1998 est.)

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Middle East

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 41 NM territorial sea: 35 NM

Natural hazards [time series]

dust storms, sandstorms

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 [time series]

Damascus

Constitution [time series]

13 March 1973

Country name [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

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%

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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

Government type [time series]

republic under military regime since March 1963

Independence [time series]

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

International organization participation [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

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

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

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)

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 17 April (1946)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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]

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

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

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Background [time series]

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.

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

5.9% (FY98)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 4,550,496 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 2,539,342 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - military age [time series]

19 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 200,859 (2002 est.)

Age structure [time series]

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.)

Birth rate [time series]

30.11 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.12 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

NA

Infant mortality rate [time series]

32.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 69.08 years female: 70.32 years (2002 est.) male: 67.9 years

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 70.8% male: 85.7% female: 55.8% (1997 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Syrian(s) adjective: Syrian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Population [time series]

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 (February 2003 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.5% (2002 est.)

Religions [time series]

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 [time series]

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.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.84 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

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; Turkey is quick to rebuff any perceived Syrian claim to Hatay province

Illicit drugs [time series]

a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and Western markets

Airports [time series]

99 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 24 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 16 under 914 m: 1 (2002) 914 to 1,523 m: 2

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 68 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 55 (2002)

Heliports [time series]

7 (2002)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 41,451 km paved: 9,575 km (including 877 km of expressways) unpaved: 31,876 km (1997)

Merchant marine [time series]

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

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 1,304 km; petroleum products 515 km

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus

Railways [time series]

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

Waterways [time series]

870 km (minimal economic importance)