1995 Edition

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 hits 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

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

Irrigated land

10,000 sq km (1992)

Land boundaries

total 2,253 km, 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

Note

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

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 48% (female 3,639,776; male 3,826,154) 15-64 years: 49% (female 3,691,862; male 3,854,989) 65 years and over: 3% (female 219,251; male 219,885) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

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

Labor force

4.3 million (1994 est.) by occupation: miscellaneous and government services 36%, agriculture 32%, industry and construction 32%; note - shortage of skilled labor (1984)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 66.81 years male: 65.67 years female: 68.01 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 64% male: 78% female: 51%

Nationality

noun: Syrian(s) adjective: Syrian

Net migration rate

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

Population

15,451,917 (July 1995 est.) note: in addition, there are 31,000 people living in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 16,500 Arabs (15,000 Druze and 1,500 Alawites) and 14,500 Jewish settlers (August 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

3.71% (1995 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)

Total fertility rate

6.55 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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

Digraph

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); Vice Presidents 'Abd al-Halim ibn Said KHADDAM, Rif'at al-ASAD, and Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984); 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 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 Rashid AKHTARINI (since 4 July 1992) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

FAX

[1] (202) 234-9548

[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)

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

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, WTO

Names

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 holiday

National Day, 17 April (1946)

National Progressive Front includes

the ruling Arab Socialist Resurrectionist (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), Khalid BAKDASH; Arab Socialist Unionist Movement, Sami SOUFAN; and Democratic Socialist Union Party, leader NA

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 (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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

republic under leftwing 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, 714-108, 333-3788

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

Budget

NA

Currency

1 Syrian pound (#S) = 100 piastres

Economic aid

recipient: no US aid; about $4.2 billion in loans and grants from Arab and Western donors 1990-92 as a result of Gulf war stance

Electricity

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

Exchange rates

Syrian pounds (#S) per US$1 - 11.2 (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), 46.0 - 53.0 (offshore rate) (yearend 1993)

Exports

$3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: petroleum 53%, textiles 22%, cotton, fruits and vegetables, wheat, barley, chickens partners: EC 48%, former CEMA countries 24%, Arab countries 18% (1991)

External debt

$19.4 billion (1993 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Illicit drugs

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

Imports

$4 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: foodstuffs 21%, metal products 17%, machinery 15% partners: EC 37%, former CEMA countries 15%, US and Canada 10% (1991)

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

16.3% (1993 est.)

National product

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

National product per capita

$5,000 (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate

4% (1994 est.)

Overview

In 1990-93 Syria's state-dominated Ba'thist economy benefited from the Gulf war, increased oil production, good weather, and economic deregulation. Economic growth averaged roughly 10%. The Gulf war provided Syria an aid windfall of nearly $5 billion dollars from Arab, European, and Japanese donors. However, the benefits of the 1990-93 boom were not evenly distributed and the gap between rich and poor is widening. A nationwide financial scandal and increasing inflation were accompanied by a decline in GDP growth to 4% in 1994. For the long run, Syria's economy is still saddled with a large number of poorly performing public sector firms, and industrial productivity remains to be improved. Oil production is likely to fall off dramatically by the end of the decade. Unemployment will become a problem for the government when the more than 60% of the population under the age of 20 enter the labor force.

Unemployment rate

7.5% (1993 est.)

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 1, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telephone system

512,600 telephones; 37 telephones/1,000 persons; fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber optic technology local: NA intercity: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network international: 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik earth station; 1 submarine cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey

Television

broadcast stations: 17 televisions: NA

Airports

total: 107 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 5 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 16 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 67 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 3 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 15

Highways

total: 31,569 km paved: 24,308 km (including 670 km of expressways) unpaved: 7,261 km

Inland waterways

870 km; minimal economic importance

Merchant marine

total: 80 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 233,701 GRT/364,714 DWT ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 68, vehicle carrier 2

Pipelines

crude oil 1,304 km; petroleum products 515 km

Ports

Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus

Railroads

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

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 - $2.2 billion, 6% of GDP (1992) ________________________________________________________________________ TAIWAN

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 3,440,030; males fit for military service 1,927,930; males reach military age (19) annually 159,942 (1995 est.)