1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast
Coastline
193 km
Comparative area
slightly larger than North Dakota
Contiguous zone
6 nm beyond territorial sea limit
Disputes
separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Hatay question with Turkey; periodic disputes with Iraq over Euphrates water rights; ongoing dispute over water development plans by Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Environment
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Land area
184,050 km2 (including 1,295 km2 of Israeli-occupied territory)
Land boundaries
2,253 km total; 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%; includes irrigated 3%
Natural resources
crude oil, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum
Note
there are 38 Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights
Terrain
primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
Territorial sea
35 nm
Total area
185,180 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
Arab 90.3%; Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Infant mortality rate
45 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
2,400,000; miscellaneous and government services 36%, agriculture 32%, industry and construction 32%; majority unskilled; shortage of skilled labor (1984)
Languages
Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian; French widely understood
Life expectancy at birth
65 years male, 67 years female (1992)
Literacy
64% (male 78%, female 51%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun - Syrian(s); adjective - Syrian
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
5% of labor force
Population
13,730,436 (July 1992), growth rate 3.8% (1992); in addition, there are at least 14,500 Druze and 14,000 Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (1992 est.)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, tiny Jewish communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo
Total fertility rate
6.9 children born/woman (1992)
Government
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
Chief of State
President Hafiz al-ASAD (since 22 February 1971); Vice Presidents `Abd al-Halim KHADDAM, Vice President Rif`at al-ASAD, and Vice President Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984)
Communists
Syrian Communist Party (SCP)
Constitution
13 March 1973
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Walid MOUALEM; Chancery at 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-6313 US: Ambassador Christopher W. S. ROSS; Embassy at Abu Rumaneh, Al Mansur Street No. 2, Damascus (mailing address is P. O. Box 29, Damascus); telephone [963] (11) 333052 or 332557, 330416, 332814, 332315, 714108, 337178, 333232; FAX [963] (11) 718-687
Executive branch
president, three vice presidents, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
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
Head of Government
Prime Minister Mahmud ZU`BI (since 1 November 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since 11 March 1984); Deputy Prime Minister Salim YASIN (since NA December 1981); Deputy Prime Minister Mahmud QADDUR (since NA May 1985)
Independence
17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration); formerly United Arab Republic
Judicial branch
Supreme Constitutional Court, 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)
Long-form name
Syrian Arab Republic
Member of
ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
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
People's Council
last held 22-23 May 1990 (next to be held NA May 1994); results - Ba`th 53.6%, ASU 3.2%, SCP 3.2%, Arab Socialist Unionist Movement 2.8%, ASP 2%, Democratic Socialist Union Party 1.6%, independents 33.6%; seats - (250 total) Ba`th 134, ASU 8, SCP 8, Arab Socialist Unionist Movement 7, ASP 5, Democratic Socialist Union Party 4, independents 84; note - the People's Council was expanded to 250 seats total prior to the May 1990 election
Political parties and leaders
ruling party is the Arab Socialist Resurrectionist (Ba`th) Party; the Progressive National Front is dominated by Ba`thists but includes independents and members of the Syrian Arab Socialist Party (ASP), Arab Socialist Union (ASU), Syrian Communist Party (SCP), Arab Socialist Unionist Movement, and Democratic Socialist Union Party
President
last held 2 December 1991 (next to be held December 1998); results - President Hafiz al-ASAD was reelected for a fourth seven-year term with 99.98% of the vote
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
republic; under leftwing military regime since March 1963
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 27% of GDP and one-third of labor force; all major crops (wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas) grown mainly on rainfed land causing wide swings in production; animal products - beef, lamb, eggs, poultry, milk; not self-sufficient in grain or livestock products
Budget
revenues $5.4 billion; expenditures $7.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.9 billion (1991 est.)
Currency
Syrian pound (plural - pounds); 1 Syrian pound (#S) = 100 piasters
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $538 million; Western (non-US) ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.23 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $12.3 billion; former Communist countries (1970-89), $3.3 billion
Electricity
3,005,000 kW capacity; 8,800 million kWh produced, 680 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
Syrian pounds (#S) per US$1 - 22.0 (promotional rate since 1991), 11.2250 (fixed rate 1987-90), 3.9250 (fixed rate 1976-87)
Exports
$3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: petroleum 40%, farm products 13%, textiles, phosphates (1989) partners: USSR and Eastern Europe 42%, EC 31%, Arab countries 17%, US/Canada 2% (1989)
External debt
$5.2 billion in hard currency (1990 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $30 billion, per capita $2,300; real growth rate 11% (1991 est.)
Imports
$2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: foodstuffs and beverages 21%, metal and metal products 16%, machinery 14%, textiles, petroleum products (1989) partners: EC 42%, USSR and Eastern Europe 13%, other Europe 13%, US/Canada 8%, Arab countries 6% (1989)
Industrial production
growth rate 6% (1991 est.); accounts for 17% of GDP
Industries
textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, petroleum
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
25% (1991 est.)
Overview
Syria's state-dominated Ba`thist economy has benefited from the Gulf war, increased oil production, good weather, and economic deregulation. Economic growth averaged nearly 12% annually in 1990-91, buoyed by increased oil production and improved agricultural performance. The Gulf war of early 1991 provided Syria an aid windfall of several billion dollars from Arab, European, and Japanese donors. These inflows more than offset Damascus's war-related costs and will help Syria cover some of its debt arrears, restore suspended credit lines, and initiate selected military and civilian purchases. For the long run, Syria's economy is still saddled with a large number of poorly performing public sector firms; investment levels remain low; and industrial and agricultural productivity is poor. A major long-term concern is the additional drain of upstream Euphrates water by Turkey when its vast dam and irrigation projects are completed by mid-decade.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
104 total, 100 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 21 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
35 major transport aircraft
Highways
28,000 km total; 22,000 km paved, 3,000 km gravel or crushed stone, 3,000 km improved earth
Inland waterways
672 km; minimal economic importance
Merchant marine
29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 85,417 GRT/138,078 DWT; includes 25 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 2 bulk
Pipelines
crude oil 1,304 km, petroleum products 515 km
Ports
Tartus, Latakia, Baniyas
Railroads
2,350 km total; 2,035 km standard gauge, 315 km 1.050-meter (narrow) gauge
Telecommunications
fair system currently undergoing significant improvement; 512,600 telephones; broadcast stations - 9 AM, 1 FM, 17 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Intersputnik, 1 submarine cable; coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey
Military and Security
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 - $2.5 billion, 8% of GDP (1989)
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 3,012,671; 1,691,660 fit for military service; 145,976 reach military age (19) annually