Background: Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I Syria was administered by the French until independence in 1946. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. Since 1976 Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon ostensibly in a peacekeeping capacity. Talks with Israel over the return of the Golan Heights have recently been revived.

Map reference: Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 185,180 km²
Land: 184,050 km²

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 193 km
Contiguous zone: 41 nm
Territorial sea: 35 nm

Climate: mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast

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

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

Land use
Arable land: 28%
Permanent crops: 3%
Forest and woodland: 3%
Other: 20%

Irrigated land: 6,700 km² (1989)

Population: 14,338,527 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 3.76% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Syrian(s)
Adjective: Syrian

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

Languages:

Religions:

Population growth rate: 3.76% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 44.08 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 6.44 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Current issues note: there are 38 Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights

Infant mortality rate: 43.9 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 66.12 years
Male: 65.07 years
Female: 67.22 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.75 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 64%
Male: 78%
Female: 51%
By occupation: miscellaneous and government services 36%, agriculture 32%, industry and construction 32%; note - shortage of skilled labor (1984)

Country name
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)

Government type: republic under leftwing military regime since March 1963

Capital: Damascus

Administrative divisions:

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

National holiday: National Day, 17 April (1946)

Constitution: 13 March 1973

Legal system: based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: president, three vice presidents, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral People's Council (Majlis al-Chaab)

Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court, High Judicial Council, Court of Cassation, State Security Courts

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Walid MOUALEM
In the us chancery: 2,215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 232-6,313
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher W. S. ROSS
From the us embassy: Abu Rumaneh, Al Mansur Street No. 2, Damascus
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus
From the us telephone: 963 (11) 333,052 or 332,557, 330,416, 332,814, 332,315, 714,108, 337,178, 333,232
From the us fax: 963 (11) 718,687

Flag description: 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

Economy overview: Syria's state-dominated Ba'thist economy has benefited from the oil production and improved agricultural performance. The Gulf war of early 1991 provided Syria an aid windfall of nearly $5 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. In 1992 the government spurred economic development by loosening controls on domestic and foreign investment while maintaining strict political controls. For the long run, Syria's economy is still saddled with a large number of poorly performing public sector firms 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.

Real gdp growth rate: 9% (1991 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $2,300 (1991 est.)

Agriculture products: accounts for 27% 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

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

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 6% (1991 est.), accounts for 18% of GDP

Unemployment rate: 5.7% (1989)

Budget: revenues $5.4 billion; expenditures $7.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.9 billion (1991 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $3.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodoties: petroleum 45%, farm products 11%, textiles, phosphates 5% (1990)
Partners:

Imports: $2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodoties: foodstuffs and beverages 21%, machinery 15%, metal and metal products 15%, textiles 7%, petroleum products (1990)
Partners: EC 42%, USSR and Eastern Europe 13%, other Europe 13%, US/Canada 11%, Arab countries 6% (1990)

Exchange rates: Syrian pounds (#S) per US$1 - 22.0 (promotional rate since 1991), 22.0 (official rate since 1991), 42.0 (official parallel rate since 1991), 11.2250 (fixed rate 1987-90)

Electricity
Production: 3,205,000 kW capacity; 11,900 million kWh produced, 830 kWh per capita (1992)

Airports: 104
Usable: 100
With permanentsurface runways: 24
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 21
With runways 1220-2439 m: 3

Pipelines: crude oil 1,304 km, petroleum products 515 km

Waterways: 870 km; minimal economic importance

Merchant marine:

Disputes international:

Illicit drugs: a transit country for Lebanese and Turkish refined cocaine