2019 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 and experienced a series of military coups. 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 the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights region to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held occasional, albeit unsuccessful, peace talks over its return. In November 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a member of the socialist Ba'ath Party and the minority Alawi sect, seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country. Following the death of President Hafiz 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 Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April 2005.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's second term as president was approved by popular referendum. Influenced by major uprisings that began elsewhere in the region, and compounded by additional social and economic factors, antigovernment protests broke out first in the southern province of Dar'a in March 2011 with protesters calling for the repeal of the restrictive Emergency Law allowing arrests without charge, the legalization of political parties, and the removal of corrupt local officials. Demonstrations and violent unrest spread across Syria with the size and intensity of protests fluctuating. The government responded to unrest with a mix of concessions - including the repeal of the Emergency Law, new laws permitting new political parties, and liberalizing local and national elections - and with military force and detentions. The government's efforts to quell unrest and armed opposition activity led to extended clashes and eventually civil war between government forces, their allies, and oppositionists. International pressure on the ASAD regime intensified after late 2011, as the Arab League, the EU, Turkey, and the US expanded economic sanctions against the regime and those entities that support it. In December 2012, the Syrian National Coalition, was recognized by more than 130 countries as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. In September 2015, Russia launched a military intervention on behalf of the ASAD regime, and domestic and foreign government-aligned forces recaptured swaths of territory from opposition forces, and eventually the country’s second largest city, Aleppo, in December 2016, shifting the conflict in the regime’s favor. The regime, with this foreign support, also recaptured opposition strongholds in the Damascus suburbs and the southern province of Dar’a in 2018. The government lacks territorial control over much of the northeastern part of the country, which is dominated by the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF has expanded its territorial hold over much of the northeast since 2014 as it has captured territory from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Since 2016, Turkey has also conducted three large-scale military operations into Syria, capturing territory along Syria's northern border in the provinces of Aleppo, Ar Raqqah, and Al Hasakah. Political negotiations between the government and opposition delegations at UN-sponsored Geneva conferences since 2014 have failed to produce a resolution of the conflict. Since early 2017, Iran, Russia, and Turkey have held separate political negotiations outside of UN auspices to attempt to reduce violence in Syria. According to an April 2016 UN estimate, the death toll among Syrian Government forces, opposition forces, and civilians was over 400,000, though other estimates placed the number well over 500,000. As of December 2019, approximately 6 million Syrians were internally displaced. Approximately 11.1 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance across the country, and an additional 5.7 million Syrians were registered refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and North Africa. The conflict in Syria remains one of the largest humanitarian crises worldwide.

Area

Land

185,887 sq km

Total

187,437 sq km

Water

1,550 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Pennsylvania

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

Highest Point

Mount Hermon (Jabal a-Shayk) 2,814 m

Lowest Point

unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -208 m

Mean Elevation

514 m

Environment Current Issues

deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; depletion of water resources; 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

Geographic Coordinates

35 00 N, 38 00 E

Geography Note

the capital of Damascus - located at an oasis fed by the Barada River - is thought to be one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities; there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights (2017)

Irrigated Land

14,280 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

Border Countries

Iraq 599 km, Israel 79 km, Jordan 362 km, Lebanon 394 km, Turkey 909 km

Total

2,343 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

75.8% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

25.4% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

5.8% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

44.6% (2011 est.)

Forest

2.7% (2011 est.)

Other

21.5% (2011 est.)

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, sandstormsvolcanism: 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

Population Distribution

significant population density along the Mediterranean coast; larger concentrations found in the major cities of Damascus, Aleppo (the country's largest city), and Hims (Homs); more than half of the population lives in the coastal plain, the province of Halab, and the Euphrates River valley

Terrain

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

Age Structure

0 14 Years

31.39% (male 3,132,619 /female 2,974,394)

15 24 Years

19.52% (male 1,933,185 /female 1,863,991)

25 54 Years

39.26% (male 3,807,664 /female 3,829,150)

55 64 Years

5.52% (male 531,455 /female 542,738)

65 Years And Over

4.31% (male 379,360 /female 459,707) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

20.7 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

10.2% (2009)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

53.9% (2009)

Death Rate

4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

7 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

14.3 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

72.8 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

65.8 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

87.2% of population

Improved Total

90.1% of population

Improved Urban

92.3% of population

Unimproved Rural

12.8% of population

Unimproved Total

9.9% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

7.7% of population

Education Expenditures

5.1% of GDP (2009)

Ethnic Groups

Arab ~50%, Alawite ~15%, Kurd ~10%, Levantine ~10%, other ~15% (includes Druze, Ismaili, Imami, Nusairi, Assyrian, Turkoman, Armenian)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

<.1% (2018)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

<100 (2018)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

<1000 (2018)

Hospital Bed Density

1.5 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

12.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

16.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

14.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French, English

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

77.8 years

Male

72.8 years

Total Population

75.2 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

81% (2015)

Male

91.7%

Total Population

86.4%

Major Urban Areas Population

2.354 million DAMASCUS (capital), 1.834 million Aleppo, 1.314 million Hims (Homs), 907,000 Hamah (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

31 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

25 years

Male

24 years

Total

24.5 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Syrian

Noun

Syrian(s)

Net Migration Rate

57 migrant(s)/1,000 population NA (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

27.8% (2016)

Physicians Density

1.22 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

19,454,263 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

7.37% NA (2018 est.)

Religions

Muslim 87% (official; includes Sunni 74% and Alawi, Ismaili, and Shia 13%), Christian 10% (includes Orthodox, Uniate, and Nestorian), Druze 3%, Jewish (few remaining in Damascus and Aleppo)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

95.1% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

95.7% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

96.2% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

4.9% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

4.3% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

3.8% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

9 years (2013)

Male

9 years

Total

9 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.05 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1.04 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

0.99 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.98 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.83 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.06 male(s)/female

Total Population

1.01 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2.44 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

71.1% (2011 est.)

Male

26.6%

Total

35.8%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

1.43% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

54.8% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

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

Capital

Daylight Saving Time

+1hr, begins midnight on the last Friday in March; ends at midnight on the 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)

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth

no

Citizenship By Descent Only

the father must be a citizen of Syria; if the father is unknown or stateless, the mother must be a citizen of Syria

Dual Citizenship Recognized

yes

Residency Requirement For Naturalization

10 years

Constitution

Amendments

proposed by the president of the republic or by one third of the People&rsquo;s Assembly members; following review by a special Assembly committee, passage requires at least three-quarters majority vote by the Assembly and approval by the president (2016)

History

several previous; latest issued 15 February 2012, passed by referendum and effective 27 February 2012

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

Syrian Arab Republic

Conventional Short Form

Syria

Etymology

name ultimately derived from the ancient Assyrians who dominated northern Mesopotamia, but whose reach also extended westward to the Levant; over time, the name came to be associated more with the western area

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); note - on 6 February 2012, the US closed its embassy in Damascus; Czechia serves as protecting power for US interests in Syria

Embassy

Abou Roumaneh, 2 Al Mansour Street, 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 (vacant)

Fax

[1] (202) 234-9548

Telephone

[1] (202) 232-6313

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

Chief Of State

President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice President Najah al-ATTAR (since 23 March 2006)

Election Results

Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD (Ba'th Party) 88.7%, Hassan al-NOURI (independent) 4.3%, Maher HAJJER (independent) 3.2%, other/invalid 3.8%

Elections Appointments

president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 3 June 2014 (next to be held in June 2021); the president appoints the vice presidents, prime minister, and deputy prime ministers

Head Of Government

Prime Minister Imad Muhammad Dib KHAMIS (since 22 June 2016); Deputy Prime Minister Walid al-MUALEM (since 23 June 2012)

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

Government Type

presidential republic; highly authoritarian regime

Independence

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

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International Organization Participation

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

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Court of Cassation (organized into civil, criminal, religious, and military divisions, each with 3 judges); Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of 7 members)

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

Court of Cassation judges appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), a judicial management body headed by the minister of justice with 7 members, including the national president; judge tenure NA; Supreme Constitutional Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the SJC; judges serve 4-year renewable terms

Subordinate Courts

courts of first instance; magistrates' courts; religious and military courts; Economic Security Court; Counterterrorism Court (established June 2012)

Legal System

mixed legal system of civil and Islamic (sharia) law (for family courts)

Legislative Branch

Description

unicameral People's Assembly or Majlis al-Shaab (250 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority preferential vote to serve 4-year terms)

Election Results

percent of vote by party - NPF 80%, other 20%; seats by party - NPF 200, other 50; composition - men 217, women 33, percent of women 13.2%

Elections

last held on 13 April 2016 (next to be held in 2020)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Khalil Mardam BEY/Mohammad Salim FLAYFEL and Ahmad Salim FLAYFEL

Name

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

National Holiday

Independence Day (Evacuation Day), 17 April (1946); note - celebrates the leaving of the last French troops and the proclamation of full independence

National Symbol S

hawk; national colors: red, white, black, green

Political Parties And Leaders

legal parties/alliances: Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party [Bashar al-ASAD, regional secretary] Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party [President Bashar al-ASAD] Arab Socialist Union of Syria or ASU [Safwan al-QUDSI] National Progressive Front or NPF [Bashar al-ASAD, Suleiman QADDAH] (alliance includes Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party, Socialist Unionist Democratic Party) Socialist Unionist Democratic Party [Fadlallah Nasr al-DIN] Syrian Communist Party (two branches) [Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yusuf Rashid FAYSAL] Syrian Social Nationalist Party or SSNP [Ali HAIDAR] Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez ISMAIL] Major Kurdish parties Kurdish Democratic Union Party or PYD [Shahoz HASAN and Aysha HISSO] Kurdish National Council [Sa'ud MALA] other: Syrian Democratic Party [Mustafa QALAAJI]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

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

Budget

Expenditures

3.211 billion (2017 est.)

Revenues

1.162 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-8.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

31 December 2016

5%

31 December 2017

0.75%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

22%

31 December 2017

14%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$2.077 billion

2017

-$2.123 billion

Debt External

31 December 2016

$5.085 billion

31 December 2017

$4.989 billion

Economy Overview

Syria's economy has deeply deteriorated amid the ongoing conflict that began in 2011, declining by more than 70% from 2010 to 2017. The government has struggled to fully address the effects of international sanctions, widespread infrastructure damage, diminished domestic consumption and production, reduced subsidies, and high inflation, which have caused dwindling foreign exchange reserves, rising budget and trade deficits, a decreasing value of the Syrian pound, and falling household purchasing power. In 2017, some economic indicators began to stabilize, including the exchange rate and inflation, but economic activity remains depressed and GDP almost certainly fell.During 2017, the ongoing conflict and continued unrest and economic decline worsened the humanitarian crisis, necessitating high levels of international assistance, as more than 13 million people remain in need inside Syria, and the number of registered Syrian refugees increased from 4.8 million in 2016 to more than 5.4 million.Prior to the turmoil, Damascus had begun liberalizing economic policies, including cutting lending interest rates, opening private banks, consolidating multiple exchange rates, raising prices on some subsidized items, and establishing the Damascus Stock Exchange, but the economy remains highly regulated. Long-run economic constraints include foreign trade barriers, declining oil production, high unemployment, rising budget deficits, increasing pressure on water supplies caused by heavy use in agriculture, industrial contaction, water pollution, and widespread infrastructure damage.

Exchange Rates

2013

153.695

2014

236.41

2015

459.2

2016

459.2

2017

514.6

Currency

Syrian pounds (SYP) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$1.705 billion

2017

$1.85 billion

Exports Commodities

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

Exports Partners

Lebanon 31.5%, Iraq 10.3%, Jordan 8.8%, China 7.8%, Turkey 7.5%, Spain 7.3% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

16.1% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

26% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

73.1% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-46.1% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

18.6% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

12.3% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

20% (2017 est.)

Industry

19.5% (2017 est.)

Services

60.8% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$24.6 billion (2014 est.) (2014 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2013

$2,800

2014

$3,300

2015

$2,900

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2013

$61.9 billion

2014

$55.8 billion

2015

$50.28 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2013

-30.9%

2014

-36.5%

Gross National Saving

2015

16.1% of GDP

2016

15.3% of GDP

2017

17% of GDP

Imports

2016

$5.496 billion

2017

$6.279 billion

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

Russia 32.4%, Turkey 16.7%, China 9.5% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

4.3% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

47.3%

2017

28.1%

Labor Force

3.767 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

17%

Industry

16%

Services

67% (2008 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

NA

Population Below Poverty Line

82.5% (2014 est.)

Public Debt

2016

91.3% of GDP

2017

94.8% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$504.6 million

31 December 2017

$407.3 million

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$4.333 billion

31 December 2017

$7.272 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$5.786 billion

31 December 2017

$9.161 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$4.333 billion

31 December 2017

$7.272 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

4.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

50%

2017

50%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

27.51 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

87,660 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

25,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

2.5 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification Rural Areas

84% (2017)

Electrification Total Population

92% (2017)

Electrification Urban Areas

100% (2017)

Population Without Electricity

1 million (2017)

Electricity Consumption

14.16 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

262 million kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

83% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

17% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

9.058 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

17.07 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

3.738 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

3.738 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

240.7 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

134,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

12,520 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

38,080 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

111,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

6 (2017 est.)

Total

1,154,909

Broadcast Media

state-run TV 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

Internet Country Code

.sy

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

31.9% (July 2016 est.)

Total

5,476,850

Telephone System

Domestic

the number of fixed-line connections increased markedly prior to the civil war in 2011 and now stands at 15 per 100; mobile-cellular service stands at about 87 per 100 persons (2018)

General Assessment

the armed insurgency that began in 2011 has led to major disruptions to the network and has caused telephone and Internet outages throughout the country; 2018 saw some stabilizing; telecoms have become decentralized with expensive satellite communications in the country; fairly high mobile penetration; potential for growth given that subscription numbers are low (2018)

International

country code - 963; landing points for the Aletar, BERYTAR and UGART submarine cable connections 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 (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

15 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

2,726,193

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

87 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

15.65 million

Airports

90 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

2 438 To 3 047 M

16 (2013)

914 To 1 523 M

3 (2013)

Over 3 047 M

5 (2013)

Total

29 (2013)

Under 914 M

5 (2013)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

1 (2013)

914 To 1 523 M

12 (2013)

Total

61 (2013)

Under 914 M

48 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

YK (2016)

Heliports

6 (2013)

Merchant Marine

By Type

bulk carrier 1, general cargo 7, other 13 (2018)

Total

21

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

1,517,388 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

475,932 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

11 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

2 (2015)

Pipelines

3170 km gas, 2029 km oil (2013)

Ports And Terminals

Baniyas, Latakia, Tartus

Railways

Narrow Gauge

251 km 1.050-m gauge (2014)

Standard Gauge

1,801 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)

Total

2,052 km (2014)

Roadways

Paved

63,060 km (2010)

Total

69,873 km (2010)

Unpaved

6,813 km (2010)

Waterways

900 km (navigable but not economically significant) (2011)

Military And Security Forces

Syrian Armed Forces: Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Naval Forces, Syrian Air Forces, Syrian Air Defense Forces, National Defense Forces (pro-government militia and auxiliary forces) (2019)

Military Service Age And Obligation

18-42 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18-21 months; women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve (2019)

Disputes International

Golan Heights is Israeli-controlled with an almost 1,000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force 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 would settle border dispute with 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

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

Idps

6.2 million (ongoing civil war since 2011) (2019)

Refugees Country Of Origin

15,699 (Iraq) (2018); 560,139 (Palestinian Refugees) (2019)

Stateless Persons

160,000 (2018); note - Syria's stateless population consists of Kurds and Palestinians; stateless persons are prevented from voting, owning land, holding certain jobs, receiving food subsidies or public healthcare, enrolling in public schools, or being legally married to Syrian citizens; in 1962, some 120,000 Syrian Kurds were stripped of their Syrian citizenship, rendering them and their descendants stateless; in 2011, the Syrian Government granted citizenship to thousands of Syrian Kurds as a means of appeasement; however, resolving the question of statelessness is not a priority given Syria's ongoing civil war

Trafficking In Persons

Current Situation

as conditions continue to deteriorate due to Syria’s civil war, human trafficking has increased; Syrians remaining in the country and those that are refugees abroad are vulnerable to trafficking; Syria is a source and destination country for men, women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Syrian children continue to be forcibly recruited by government forces, pro-regime militias, armed opposition groups, and terrorist organizations to serve as soldiers, human shields, and executioners; ISIL forces Syrian women and girls and Yazidi women and girls taken from Iraq to marry its fighters, where they experience domestic servitude and sexual violence; Syrian refugee women and girls are forced into exploitive marriages or prostitution in neighboring countries, while displaced children are forced into street begging domestically and abroad

Tier Rating

Tier 3 - the government does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, Syria’s violent conditions enabled human trafficking to flourish; the government made no effort to investigate, prosecute, or convict trafficking offenders or complicit government officials, including those who forcibly recruited child soldiers; authorities did not identify victims and failed to ensure victims, including child soldiers, were protected from arrest, detention, and severe abuse as a result of being trafficked (2015)

Terrorist Groups Foreign Based

Abdallah Azzam Brigades Aab

aim(s): disrupt and attack Shia Muslim and Western interests in Syria area(s) of operation: remains operational; conducts attacks against primarily Shia Muslim organizations and individuals, including Hizballah members, and Westerners and their interests (2018)

Al Qa Ida Aq

aim(s): overthrow President Bashar al-ASAD's regime; establish a regional Islamic caliphate and conduct attacks outside of Syria area(s) of operation: operational primarily in Idlib Governorate and southern Syria, where it has established networks and operates paramilitary training camps (2018)

Ansar Al Islam Aai

aim(s): remove Syrian President Bashar al-ASAD from power and establish a government operating according to sharia area(s) of operation: operationally active in Syria since 2011; launches attacks on Syrian Government security forces and pro-Syrian Government militias; some AAI factions combat ISIS, while others are aligned with ISIS (2018)

Hizballah

aim(s): preserve Syrian President Bashar al-ASAD's regime area(s) of operation: operational activity throughout the country since 2012; centered on providing paramilitary support to President Bashar al-ASAD's regime against armed insurgents (2018)

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force Irgc Qf

aim(s): assist government forces in suppressing opposition forces and Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) forces; train Syrian Government troops; conduct strikes against Israel; funnel arms and money onward to Lebanese Hizballah area(s) of operations: throughout Syria (2019)

Kata Ib Hizballah Kh

aim(s): preserve Syrian President Bashar al-ASAD's regime area(s) of operation: deploys combatants to Syria to fight alongside Syrian Government and Lebanese Hizballah forces (2018)

Kurdistan Workers Party Pkk

aim(s): advance Kurdish autonomy, political, and cultural rights in Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran area(s) of operation: operational in the north and east; majority of members inside Syria are Syrian Kurds, along with Kurds from Iran, Iraq, and Turkey (2018)

Mujahidin Shura Council In The Environs Of Jerusalem Msc

aim(s): destroy the state of Israel; enhance its networks in Syria area(s) of operation: maintains limited networks for operational planning against Israel (2018)

Palestine Liberation Front Plf

aim(s): enhances its networks and, ultimately, destroy the state of Israel and establish a secular, Marxist Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital area(s) of operation: maintains a recruitment and training presence in many refugee camps (2018)

Pflp General Command Pflp Gc

aim(s): preserve Syrian President Bashar al-ASAD's regime area(s) of operation: maintains a political base in Damascus; fights with President al-ASAD's forces and Hizballah in areas where anti-regime paramilitary groups are active (2018)

Popular Front For The Liberation Of Palestine Pflp

aim(s): enhance its recruitment networks in Syria area(s) of operation: maintains a recruitment and limited training presence in several refugee camps (2018)

Terrorist Groups Home Based

Al Nusrah Front

aim(s): overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-ASAD's regime, absorb like-minded Syrian rebel groups, and ultimately, establish a regional Islamic caliphate area(s) of operation: headquartered in the northwestern Idlib Governorate, with a minor presence in Halab Governorate; operational primarily in northern, western, and southern Syria; installs Sharia in areas under its control; targets primarily Syrian regime and pro-regime forces, some minorities, other Syrian insurgent groups, and occasionally Western interests (2018)

Hay at Tahrir Al Sham Hts

aim(s): an alias of the al-Nusrah Front; overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-ASAD's regime, absorb like-minded Syrian rebel groups, and, ultimately, establish a regional Islamic caliphate area(s) of operation: Northwest Syria (2018)

Islamic State Of Iraq And Ash Sham Isis

aim(s): replace the world order with a global Islamic state based in Iraq and Syria; expand its branches and networks in other countries; rule according to ISIS's strict interpretation of Islamic law area(s) of operation: ISIS has lost most of the territory it once controlled and now its overt territorial control is limited to pockets of land along the Syria-Iraq border and in southern Syria (2018)