2010 Edition

Background

Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French administered the area as Syria until granting it independence in 1946. The new country lacked political stability, however, and experienced a series of military coups during its first decades. Syria united with Egypt in February 1958 to form the United Arab Republic. In September 1961, the two entities separated, and the Syrian Arab Republic was reestablished. In November 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a member of the Socialist Ba'th Party and the minority Alawite sect, seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held occasional peace talks over its return. Following the death of President al-ASAD, his son, Bashar al-ASAD, was approved as president by popular referendum in July 2000. Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April 2005. During the July-August 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizballah, Syria placed its military forces on alert but did not intervene directly on behalf of its ally Hizballah. In May 2007 Bashar al-ASAD was elected to his second term as president.

Area

land

183,630 sq km

total

185,180 sq km

water

1,550 sq km note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory

Area - comparative

slightly larger than North Dakota

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 in Damascus

Coastline

193 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Hermon 2,814 m

lowest point

unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

1,048 cu m/yr (2000)

total

19.95 cu km/yr (3%/2%/95%)

Geographic coordinates

35 00 N, 38 00 E

Geography - note

there are 41 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (2010 est.)

Irrigated land

13,330 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries

Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km

total

2,253 km

Land use

arable land

24.8%

other

70.73% (2005)

permanent crops

4.47%

Location

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

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

dust storms, sandstorms

volcanism

Syria's two historically active volcanoes, Es Safa and an unnamed volcano near the Turkish border have not erupted in centuries

Natural resources

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

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

46.1 cu km (1997)

Age structure

0-14 years: 36.4% (male 4,063,367/female 3,864,099) 15-64 years: 59.9% (male 6,628,644/female 6,406,864) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 372,172/female 427,832) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

24.44 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

3.7 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

4.9% of GDP (2007)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

fewer than 500 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

13.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

18.55 deaths/1,000 live births

total

16.14 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.96 years (2010 est.)

male

72.1 years

total population

74.46 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

73.6% (2004 census)

male

86%

total population

79.6%

Median age

female

21.7 years (2010 est.)

male

21.3 years

total

21.5 years

Nationality

adjective

Syrian

noun

Syrian(s)

Net migration rate

-1.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population

Population

22,198,110 (July 2010 est.) note: approximately 19,100 Israeli settlers live in the Golan Heights (2008 est.)

Population growth rate

1.954% (2010 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 74%, other Muslim (includes Alawite, Druze) 16%, Christian (various denominations) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.02 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

54% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah (Latakia), Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq (Damascus), Tartus

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins first Friday in April; ends last Friday in October

geographic coordinates

33 30 N, 36 18 E

name

Damascus

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

13 March 1973

Country name

conventional long form

Syrian Arab Republic

conventional short form

Syria

former

United Arab Republic (with Egypt)

local long form

Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah

local short form

Suriyah

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Charles (Chuck) F. HUNTER

embassy

Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansour Street, No. 2, Damascus

FAX

[963] (11) 3391-3999

mailing address

P. O. Box 29, Damascus

telephone

[963] (11) 3391-4444

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Imad MOUSTAPHA

FAX

[1] (202) 265-4585

telephone

[1] (202) 232-6313

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice President Farouk al-SHARA (since 11 February 2006) oversees foreign policy; Vice President Najah al-ATTAR (since 23 March 2006) oversees cultural policy

election results

Bashar al-ASAD approved as president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.6%

elections

president approved by popular referendum for a second seven-year term (no term limits); referendum last held on 27 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2014); the president appoints the vice presidents, prime minister, and deputy prime ministers

head of government

Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-UTRI (since 10 September 2003); Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdallah al-DARDARI (since 14 June 2005)

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; two small, green, five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); identical to the former flag of the United Arab Republic (1958-1961) where the two stars represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; the current design dates to 1980 note: similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band, Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band, and that of Egypt, which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band

Government type

republic under an authoritarian regime

Independence

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

International organization participation

ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

Supreme Judicial Council (appoints and dismisses judges; headed by the president); national level - Supreme Constitutional Court (adjudicates electoral disputes and rules on constitutionality of laws and decrees; justices appointed for four-year terms by the president); Court of Cassation; Appeals Courts (Appeals Courts represent an intermediate level between the Court of Cassation and local level courts); local level - Magistrate Courts; Courts of First Instance; Juvenile Courts; Customs Courts; specialized courts - Economic Security Courts (hear cases related to economic crimes); Supreme State Security Court (hear cases related to national security); Personal Status Courts (religious; hear cases related to marriage and divorce)

Legal system

based on a combination of French and Ottoman civil law; Islamic law is used in the family court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

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 - NA; seats by party - NPF 172, independents 78

elections

last held on 22-23 April 2007 (next to be held in 2011)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Khalil Mardam BEY/Mohammad Salim FLAYFEL and Ahmad Salim FLAYFEL note: adopted 1936, restored 1961; between 1958 and 1961, while Syria was a member of the United Arab Republic with Egypt, the country had a different anthem

name

"Humat ad-Diyar" (Guardians of the Homeland)

National holiday

Independence Day, 17 April (1946)

Political parties and leaders

Kurdish parties (considered illegal)

Azadi Party [Kheirudin MURAD]; Future Party [Masha'l TAMMO]; Kurdish Democratic Alliance (includes four parties); Kurdish Democratic Front (includes three parties); Yekiti Party [Fu'ad ALEYKO]

legal parties

National Progressive Front or NPF [President Bashar al-ASAD, Dr. Suleiman QADDAH] (includes Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party [President Bashar al-ASAD]; Socialist Unionist Democratic Party [Fadlallah Nasr Al-DIN]; Syrian Arab Socialist Union or ASU [Safwan al-QUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party (two branches) [Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yusuf Rashid FAYSAL]; Syrian Social Nationalist Party [As'ad HARDAN]; Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez ISMAIL])

opposition parties not legally recognized

Communist Action Party [Fateh al-JAMOUS]; National Democratic Rally [Hasan ABDUL-AZIM, spokesman] (includes five parties - Arab Democratic Socialist Union Party [Hasan ABDUL-AZIM], Arab Socialist Movement, Democratic Ba'th Party [Ibrahim MAKHOS], Democratic People's Party [Riad al TURK], Revolutionary Workers' Party [Abdul Hafez al HAFEZ])

other parties

Syrian Democratic Party [Mustafa QALAAJI]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Arab Human Rights Organization in Syria or AHRO; Damascus Declaration Group (a broad alliance of secular, religious, and Kurdish opposition groups); National Salvation Front (alliance between former Vice President Abd al-Halim KHADDAM and other small opposition groups in exile; formerly included the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood); Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression [Mazin DARWISH]; Syrian Human Rights Organization [Muhanad al-HASANI]; Syrian Human Rights Society or HRAS [Fayez FAWAZ]; Syrian Muslim Brotherhood or SMB [Muhammad Riyad al-SHAQFAH] (operates in exile in London)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Central bank discount rate

5% (31 December 2009) 5% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.04% (31 December 2009 est.) 10.19% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

$649 million (2010 est.) $394 million (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$7.682 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $7.359 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Economy - overview

Syrian economic growth slowed to 1.8% in 2009 as the global economic crisis affected oil prices and the economies of Syria's key export partners and sources of investment. Damascus has implemented modest economic reforms in the past few years, including cutting lending interest rates, opening private banks, consolidating all of the multiple exchange rates, raising prices on some subsidized items, most notably gasoline and cement, and establishing the Damascus Stock Exchange - which began operations in 2009. In addition, President ASAD signed legislative decrees to encourage corporate ownership reform, and to allow the Central Bank to issue Treasury bills and bonds for government debt. Nevertheless, the economy remains highly controlled by the government. Long-run economic constraints include declining oil production, high unemployment, rising budget deficits, and increasing pressure on water supplies caused by heavy use in agriculture, rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and water pollution.

Electricity - consumption

27.35 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

1.4 billion kWh (2007)

Electricity - production

36.5 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

Syrian pounds (SYP) per US dollar - 46.456 (2010), 46.7082 (2009), 46.5281 (2008), 50.0085 (2007), 51.689 (2006)

Exports

$12.84 billion (2010 est.) $11.76 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude oil, minerals, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, textiles, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat

Exports - partners

Iraq 30.22%, Lebanon 12.21%, Germany 8.89%, Egypt 6.8%, Saudi Arabia 5.04%, Italy 4.55% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

17.6%

industry

26.8%

services

55.6% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$4,800 (2010 est.) $4,700 (2009 est.) $4,600 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

4% (2010 est.) 5% (2009 est.) 4.3% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$59.63 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$106.4 billion (2010 est.) $102.4 billion (2009 est.) $97.48 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$13.57 billion (2010 est.) $12.62 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper

Imports - partners

Saudi Arabia 10.1%, China 9.95%, Turkey 6.97%, Egypt 6.44%, UAE 4.97%, Italy 4.93%, Russia 4.92%, Germany 4.38%, Lebanon 4.12% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

6% (2010 est.)

Industries

petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing, car assembly

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.9% (2010 est.) 2.6% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

16.6% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

5.527 million (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

17%

industry

16%

services

67% (2008 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

6.18 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

140 million cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

6.04 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

240.7 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

252,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

155,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)

Oil - imports

58,710 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

400,400 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

2.5 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

11.9% (2006 est.)

Public debt

29.8% of GDP (2010 est.) 28.1% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$17.96 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $17.44 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$161 billion (31 December 2009) $147.5 billion (31 December 2008)

Stock of domestic credit

$27.14 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $23.58 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$21.6 billion (31 December 2010 est) $19.53 billion (31 December 2009 est)

Unemployment rate

8.3% (2010 est.) 8.5% (2009 est.)

Broadcast media

state-run television and radio broadcast networks; state operates 2 TV networks and a satellite channel; roughly two-thirds of Syrian homes have a satellite dish providing access to foreign TV broadcasts; 3 state-run radio channels; first private radio station launched in 2005; private radio broadcasters prohibited from transmitting news or political content (2007)

Internet country code

.sy

Internet hosts

8,114 (2010)

Internet users

4.469 million (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

the number of fixed-line connections has increased markedly since 2000; mobile-cellular service growing with telephone subscribership reaching nearly 50 per 100 persons in 2009

general assessment

fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology and expansion of the network to rural areas

international

country code - 963; submarine cable connection to Egypt, Lebanon, and Cyprus; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel

Telephones - main lines in use

3.871 million (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

9.697 million (2009)

Airports

104 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

29 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 5 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

75 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 59 (2010)

Heliports

7 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 7, cargo 30, carrier 3, container 1

foreign-owned

5 (Jordan 2, Lebanon 2, Romania 1)

registered in other countries

199 (Barbados 1, Belize 2, Bolivia 4, Cambodia 22, Comoros 6, Cyprus 1, Dominica 2, Georgia 35, Lebanon 3, Liberia 1, Libya 2, Malta 5, Moldova 3, North Korea 6, Panama 42, Saint Kitts and Nevis 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13, Sierra Leone 20, Togo 5, unknown 8) (2010)

total

41

Pipelines

gas 3,101 km; oil 1,997 km (2009)

Ports and terminals

Baniyas, Latakia, Tartus

Railways

narrow gauge

251 km 1.050-m gauge (2008)

standard gauge

1,801 km 1.435-m gauge

total

2,052 km

Roadways

paved

19,490 km (includes 1,103 km of expressways)

total

97,401 km

unpaved

77,911 km (2006)

Waterways

900 km (navigable not economically significant) (2010)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 5,766,853 females age 16-49: 5,540,828 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 4,948,802 females age 16-49: 4,786,596 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

241,777 (2010 est.)

male

253,578

Military branches

Syrian Armed Forces

Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air and Air Defense Forces (includes Air Defense Command) (2008)

Military expenditures

5.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 21 months (18 months in the Syrian Arab Navy); women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve (2010)

Disputes - international

Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1,000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) patrolling a buffer zone since 1964; lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute; since 2000, Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms in the Golan Heights; 2004 Agreement and pending demarcation settles border dispute with Jordan; approximately two million Iraqis have fled the conflict in Iraq with the majority taking refuge in Syria and Jordan

Illicit drugs

a transit point for opiates, hashish, and cocaine bound for regional and Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls and bank privatization may leave it vulnerable to money laundering page last updated on January 20, 2011 ======================================================================

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

305,000 (most displaced from Golan Heights during 1967 Arab-Israeli War) (2007)

refugees (country of origin)

1-1.4 million (Iraq); 522,100 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA))

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Syria is a destination and transit country for women and children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; a significant number of women and children in the large and expanding Iraqi refugee community in Syria are reportedly forced into commercial sexual exploitation by Iraqi gangs or, in some cases, their families; women from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone are recruited for work in Syria as domestic servants, but some face conditions of involuntary servitude, including long hours, non-payment of wages, withholding of passports, restrictions on movement, threats, and physical or sexual abuse

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List - Syria again failed to report any law enforcement efforts to punish trafficking offenses in 2007; in addition, the government did not offer protection services to victims of trafficking and may have arrested, prosecuted, or deported some victims for prostitution or immigration violations; Syria has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)