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.

Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N, 38 00 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 185,180 km²
Land: 184,050 km²
Water: 1,130 km²
Note: includes 1,295 km² of Israeli-occupied territory
Comparative: slightly larger than North Dakota

Land boundaries
Total: 2,253 km
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: 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; cold weather with snow or sleet periodically hitting Damascus

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 28%
Permanent crops: 4%
Permanent pastures: 43%
Forests and woodland: 3%
Other: 22% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 9,060 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms

Geography
Note: there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 1997 est.)

Population: 16,673,282 (July 1998 est.)
Note: in addition, there are 35,150 people living in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights_18,150 Arabs (16,500 Druze and 1,650 Alawites) and 17,000 Israeli settlers (August 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 3.23% (1998 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Syrian(s)
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 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)

Age structure
0-14 years: 46% (male 3,937,575; female 3,748,881)
15-64 years: 51% (male 4,342,022; female 4,157,268)
65 years and over: 3% (male 240,603; female 246,933) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.23% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 37.83 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.55 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 37.6 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.76 years
Male: 66.48 years
Female: 69.11 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.55 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 70.8%
Male: 85.7%
Female: 55.8% (1997 est.)

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 military regime since March 1963

Capital: Damascus

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

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
Chief of state: President Hafiz al-ASAD (since 22 February 1971); 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; Vice Presidents 'Abd al-Halim ibn Said KHADDAM (since 11 March 1984) and Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984): ead of
Government: Prime Minister Mahmud ZUBI (since 1 November 1987), Deputy Prime Ministers Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since 11 March 1984), Dr. Salim YASIN (since NA December 1981), and Rashid AKHTARINI (since 4 July 1992)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 2 December 1991 (next to be held NA December 1998); vice presidents appointed by the president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
Election results: Hafiz al-ASAD reelected president; percent of vote_Hafiz al-ASAD 99.98%

Legislative branch: unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-shaab (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 24-25 August 1994 (next to be held NA 1998)
Election results: percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_National Progressive Front 167, independents 83

Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court, justices are appointed for four-year terms by the president; High Judicial Council; Court of Cassation; State Security Courts

International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Walid MUALEM
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) 234-9,548
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Ryan CROCKER
From the us embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansur Street, No. 2, Damascus
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus
From the us telephone: [963] (11) 333-2,814, 333-0788, 332-0783
From the us fax: [963] (11) 224-7,938

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 predominantly statist economy is on a shaky footing because of Damascus's failure to implement extensive economic reform. The dominant agricultural sector remains underdeveloped, with roughly 80% of agricultural land still dependent on rain-fed sources. Although Syria has sufficient water supplies in the aggregate at normal levels of precipitation, the great distance between major water supplies and population centers poses serious distribution problems. The water problem is exacerbated by rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and increased water pollution. Private investment is critical to the modernization of the agricultural, energy, and export sectors. Oil production is leveling off, and the efforts of the nonoil sector to penetrate international markets have fallen short. Syria's inadequate infrastructure, outmoded technological base, and weak educational system make it vulnerable to future shocks and hamper competition with neighbors such as Jordan and Israel.

Real gdp growth rate: 4.6% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $6,600 (1997 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 28%
Industry: 14%
Services: 58% (1995)

Agriculture products: wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas; beef, lamb, eggs, poultry, milk

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

Industrial production growth rate: 0.2% (1996 est.)

Labor force
Total: 4.7 million (1995 est.)
By occupation services: 40%
By occupation agriculture: 40%
By occupation industry: 20% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 12% (1997 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $3.9 billion
Expenditures: $4.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.9 billion (1996 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: total value:$4.2 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Commodoties: petroleum 70%, textiles 12%, food and live animals 10%, manufactures 5% (1997 est.)
Partners: EU 57% (Germany 17%, Italy 16%, France 11%), Lebanon 14%, Saudi Arabia 7% (1995 est.)

Imports: total value:$5.7 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
Commodoties: machinery and equipment 40%, foodstuffs/animals 15%, metal and metal products 15%, textiles 10%, chemicals 10%, consumer goods 5% (1997 est.)
Partners: EU 33% (Italy 9%, Germany 8%, France 4%), South Korea 5%, US 4%, Japan 4% (1995 est.)

Debt external: $20 billion (1997 est.)

Exchange rates: Syrian pounds (£S) per US$1_41.9 (January 1997; official fixed rate 11.225

Electricity
Capacity: 4.157 million kW (1995)
Production: 14.9 billion kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 970 kWh (1995)

Telephones: 541,465 (1992 est.)

Telephone system: fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology
Domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network
International: satellite earth stations_1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 1 submarine cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $800 million-$1 billion (1997 est.), note_based on official budget data that understate actual spending
Percent of gdp: 8% (1995 est.)

Airports: 104 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 24
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 16
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 80
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 14
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 63 (1997 est.)

Heliports: 2 (1997 est.)

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

Railways
Total: 1,998 km
Broad gauge: 1,766 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 232 km 1.050-m gauge

Waterways: 870 km; minimal economic importance

Merchant marine
Total: 125 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 376,903 GRT/555,679 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 110, livestock carrier 3, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1997 est.)

Disputes international: Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Hatay question with Turkey; dispute with upstream riparian Turkey over Turkish water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; Syrian troops in northern, central, and eastern Lebanon since October 1976

Illicit drugs: a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and Western markets