Map of Syria | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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 Alawi 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 Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April 2005.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's second term as president was approved by popular referendum. Influenced by major uprisings that began elsewhere in the region antigovernment protests broke out 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. Since then demonstrations and unrest have spread to nearly every city in Syria but the size and intensity of protests have fluctuated over time. The government responded to unrest with a mix of concessions - including the repeal of the Emergency Law and approving new laws permitting new political parties and liberalizing local and national elections - and force. However the government's response has failed to meet opposition demands for ASAD to step down and the government's ongoing security operations to quell unrest and widespread armed opposition activity have led to extended violent clashes between government forces and oppositionists. International pressure on the ASAD regime has intensified since late 2011 as the Arab League EU Turkey and the United States have expanded economic sanctions against the regime. Lakhdar BRAHIMI current Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian crisis in October 2012 began meeting with regional heads of state to assist in brokering a cease-fire. In December 2012 the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces was recognized by more than 130 countries as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Unrest persists in 2013 and the death toll among Syrian Government forces opposition forces and civilians has topped 100,000


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Location: Middle East bordering the Mediterranean Sea between Lebanon and Turkey

Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N 38 00 E

Map reference

Area
Rank: 89
Land: 183,630 km²
Water: 1550 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than North Dakota

Land boundaries
Border countries: (5) Iraq 605 km; Israel 76 km; Jordan 375 km; Lebanon 375 km; Turkey 822 km

Coastline: 193 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm

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

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

Elevation
Extremes highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m

Natural resources: petroleum phosphates chrome and manganese ores asphalt iron ore rock salt marble gypsum hydropower

Land use
Permanent crops: 5.69%
Other: 69.41% (2011)

Irrigated land: 13,410 km² (2010)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 16.8 km³ (2011)

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

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


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Population: 22,457,336 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 54
Growth rate: 0.15% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 181
Below poverty line: 11.9% (2006 est.)

Nationality
Adjective: Syrian

Ethnic groups: Arab 90.3% Kurds Armenians and other 9.7%

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

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
15-24 years: 20.8% (male 2,387,006/female 2,285,496)
25-54 years: 36.9% (male 4,214,621/female 4,075,181)
55-64 years: 4.6% (male 504,422/female 517,413)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 395,806/female 470,201) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 57.7 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.7 %
Potential support ratio: 15 (2013)

Median age
Male: 22.5 years
Female: 22.9 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.15% (2013 est.)
Rank: 181

Birth rate: 23.01 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 73

Death rate: 3.67 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 212

Net migration rate: -17.89 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 219

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 2.36% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: Aleppo 2.985 million; DAMASCUS (capital) 2.527 million; Hims 1.276 million; Hamah 854,000 (2009)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 114
Male: 16.83 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 12.31 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 97
Male: 72.74 years
Female: 77.69 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.77 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 72

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 58.3% (2006)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 1.5 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 1.5 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 134
People living with hivaids: fewer than 500 (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 150
Deaths: fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Deaths rank: 111

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 27.1% (2008)
Rank: 41

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 10.1% (2009)
Rank: 69

Education expenditures: 5.1% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 73

Literacy
Total population: 84.1%
Male: 90.3%
Female: 77.7% (2011 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 12 years
Female: 11 years (2007)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional short form: Syria
Local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah
Local short form: Suriyah
Former: United Arab Republic (with Egypt)

Government type: republic under an authoritarian regime

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 33 30 N 36 18 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins midnight on the last Friday in March; ends at midnight on the first Friday in November

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 Hamah Hims (Homs) Idlib Rif Dimashq (Damascus Countryside) Tartus

Dependent areas

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

National holiday: Independence Day 17 April (1946)

Constitution: several previous; latest issued 15 February 2012 passed by referendum 26 February 2012 (2013)

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

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister Wael al-HALQI (since 9 August 2012); Deputy Prime Ministers Fahd Jasim al-FURAYJ Lt. Gen. Walid al-MUALEM
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - new Council appointed on 14 April 2011
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
Election results: Bashar al-ASAD approved as president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.6% other 2.4%

Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly or Majlis al-Shaab (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held on 7 May 2012 (next to be held in 2016)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation judges appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council or 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 appointed for 4-year renewable terms
Subordinate courts: courts of first instance; magistrates' courts; religious and military courts; Economic Security Court

Political parties and leaders:
Other parties: Syrian Democratic Party [Mustafa QALAAJI]

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 MIGA NAM OAPEC OIC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNRWA UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 2,215 Wyoming Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 232-6,313
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 265-4,585
From the us embassy: Abou Roumaneh Al-Mansour Street No. 2 Damascus
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 29 Damascus
From the us telephone: [963] (11) 3,391-4,444
From the us FAX: [963] (11) 3,391-3,999

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

National symbols: hawk

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Khalil Mardam BEY/Mohammad Salim FLAYFEL and Ahmad Salim FLAYFEL

National heritage


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Economy overview: Despite modest economic growth and reform prior to the outbreak of unrest Syria's economy continues to suffer the effects of the ongoing conflict that began in 2011. The economy further contracted in 2012 because of international sanctions and reduced domestic consumption and production and inflation has risen sharply. The government has struggled to address the effects of economic decline which include dwindling foreign exchange reserves rising budget and trade deficits and the decreasing value of the Syrian pound. Prior to the unrest Damascus began 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. The economy remains highly regulated by the government. Long-run economic constraints include foreign trade barriers 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 70

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 156

Gross national saving:
Rank: 117

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 17.2%
Investment in fixed capital: 20.6%
Investment in inventories: 8.4%
Exports of goods and services: 13.9%
Imports of goods and services: -29.4%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 22.8%
Services: 60.7% (2012 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat barley cotton lentils chickpeas olives sugar beets; beef mutton eggs poultry milk

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

Industrial production growth rate: -32.8% (2012 est.)
Rank: 179

Labor force: 5.327 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 71
By occupation industry: 16%
By occupation services: 67% (2008 est.)

Unemployment rate: 14.9% (2011 est.)
Rank: 156

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 11.9% (2006 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Expenditures: $12.59 billion (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -11.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 205

Taxes and other revenues: 8.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 211

Public debt: 35.4% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 58

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.8% (2011 est.)
Rank: 221

Central bank discount rate: 5% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 69

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 10.5% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 84

Stock of narrow money: $21.88 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 65

Stock of broad money: $39.36 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 76

Stock of domestic credit: $27.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 85

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance: $-7.726 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 169

Exports: $10.29 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 122
Commodities: crude oil minerals petroleum products fruits and vegetables cotton fiber textiles clothing meat and live animals wheat
Partners: Iraq 58.4% Saudi Arabia 9.7% Kuwait 6.4% UAE 5.5% Libya 4.1% (2012)

Imports: $17.6 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 95
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment electric power machinery food and livestock metal and metal products chemicals and chemical products plastics yarn paper
Partners: Saudi Arabia 22.8% UAE 11.2% Iran 8.3% China 7.3% Iraq 6.8% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $14.44 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 94

Debt external: $8.269 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 103

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 43.76 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 55
Consumption: 35.61 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 57
Exports: 1.043 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 55
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 137
Installed generating capacity: 8.323 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 63
Generation sources fossil fuels: 89.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 76
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 181
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 10.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 112
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 125

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 182,500 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 39
Crude oil exports: 152,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 34
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 124
Crude oil proven reserves: 2.5 billion bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 33

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 253,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 50
Products consumption: 258,800 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 49
Products exports: 36,210 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 66
Products imports: 104,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 50

Natural gas
Production: 7.87 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 46
Consumption: 9.63 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 48
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 186
Imports: 250 million m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 68
Proven reserves: 240.7 billion m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 45

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 63.14 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 54

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 4.425 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 36
Mobile cellular: 12.928 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 66

Telephone system
Domestic: the number of fixed-line connections has increased markedly since 2000; mobile-cellular service growing with telephone subscribership nearly 60 per 100 persons in 2011
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 (2011)

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 (2007)

Internet
Country code: .sy
Hosts: 416 (2012)
Hosts rank: 187
Users: 4.469 million (2009)
Users rank: 52

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 3.6% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 31

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months; women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve; re-enlistment obligation 5 years with retirement after 15 years or age 40 (enlisted) or 20 years or age 45 (NCOs) (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 90 (2013)
Rank: 62
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 16
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 12
With unpaved runways: 48 (2013)

Heliports: 6 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 3,170 km; oil 2,029 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 72
Standard gauge: 1801 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 68
Paved: 63,060 km
Unpaved: 6,813 km (2010)

Waterways: 900 km (navigable but not economically significant) (2011)
Rank: 69

Merchant marine
Rank: 95
By type: bulk carrier 4 cargo 14 carrier 1
Registered in other countries: 166 (Barbados 1 Belize 4 Bolivia 4 Cambodia 22 Comoros 5 Dominica 4 Georgia 24 Lebanon 2 Liberia 1 Malta 4 Moldova 5 North Korea 4 Panama 34 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9 Sierra Leone 13 Tanzania 23 Togo 6 unknown 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Baniyas Latakia Tartus


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Disputes international: Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1000-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 settles border dispute with Jordan

Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 6.5 million (ongoing civil war since 2011) (2013)
Stateless persons: 221,000 (2012); note - Syria's stateless population is composed 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

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