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. Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April of 2005. Over the past decade Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan Heights.

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
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 41 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 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 hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 25.22%
Permanent crops: 4.43%
Other: 70.35% (2001)

Irrigated land: 12,130 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: dust storms sandstorms

Geography
Note: there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.)

Population
Note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and about 20,000 Israeli settlers (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: 2.34% (2005 est.)
Below poverty line: 20% (2004 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Syrian
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: 37.4% (male 3,556,795/female 3,350,267)
15-64 years: 59.3% (male 5,601,971/female 5,333,799)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 288,868/female 317,052) (2005 est.)

Median age
Total: 20.37 years
Male: 20.24 years
Female: 20.51 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.34% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 28.29 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 4.88 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male/female
Total population: 1.05 male/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 29.53 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 29.76 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 29.28 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.03 years
Male: 68.75 years
Female: 71.38 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: less than 500 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 76.9%
Male: 89.7%
Female: 64% (2003 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: Independence 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 Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice Presidents Abd al-Halim ibn Said KHADDAM (since 11 March 1984) and Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984)
Head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-UTRI (since 10 September 2003)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; referendum/election last held 10 July 2000 - after the death of President Hafiz al-ASAD, father of Bashar al-ASAD - (next to be held 2007); vice presidents appointed by the president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
Election results: Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.29%
Note: Hafiz al-ASAD died on 10 June 2000; on 20 June 2000, the Ba'th Party nominated Bashar al-ASAD for president and presented his name to the People's Council on 25 June 2000

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 2-3 March 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NPF 67%, independents 33%; seats by party - NPF 167, independents 83; note - the constitution guarantees that the Ba'th Party (part of the NPF alliance) receives one-half of the seats

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

Political parties and leaders: Arab Socialist Unionist Movement [Ahmed al-AHMED]; National Progressive Front or NPF (includes Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party; the governing party) [President Bashar al-ASAD secretary general]; Socialist Unionist Democratic Party [Fadlallal Nasr Al-DIN]; Syrian Arab Socialist Party or ASP [Safwan QUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party (two branches) [Wissal Farha BAKDASH Yuusuf Rashid FAYSAL]; Syrian Social National Party [Jubran URAYJI]; Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez ISMAIL]

International organization participation: ABEDA AFESD AMF CAEU FAO G-24 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt (signatory) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC ISO ITU LAS MIGA NAM OAPEC OIC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNRWA UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Imad MUSTAFA
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 Margaret SCOBEY
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) 333-1342
From the us fax: [963] (11) 331-9,678

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top) white and black colors associated with the Arab Liberation flag; two small green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; former flag of the United Arab Republic where the two stars represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; similar to the flag of Yemen which has a plain white band Iraq which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band and that of Egypt which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band; the current design dates to 1980

Economy overview: Real GDP growth rose to 2.3 percent in 2004 a slight increase from 2003 when the predominantly statist economy suffered from disruptions caused by the war in Iraq and other developments in the region. Annual real GDP growth has averaged 2.3 percent for the last seven years. The Government of Syria has implemented modest economic reforms in the last few years including cutting interest rates opening private banks consolidating some of the multiple exchange rates and raising prices on some subsidized foodstuffs. Nevertheless the economy remains highly controlled by the government. Long run economic constraints include declining oil production and exports and pressure on water supplies caused by rapid population growth industrial expansion and increased water pollution.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $60.44 billion (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 2.3% (2004 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,400 (2004 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 25%
Industry: 31%
Services: 44% (2003 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

Industrial production growth rate: 7% (2002 est.)

Labor force: 5.12 million (2004 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 30%
By occupation industry: 27%
By occupation services: 43% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line: 20% (2004 est.)

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

Budget
Revenues: $6.58 billion
Expenditures: $9.45 billion, including capital expenditures of $4.67 billion (2004 est.)

Public debt: 32% of GDP (2004 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.1% (2004 est.)

Current account balance: $1.1 billion (2003)

Exports: $6.086 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: crude oil petroleum products fruits and vegetables cotton fiber clothing meat and live animals wheat
Partners: Italy 22.7% France 18% Turkey 12.9% Iraq 9% Saudi Arabia 6.2% (2004)

Imports: $5.042 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment electric power machinery food and livestock metal and metal products chemicals and chemical products plastics yarn paper
Partners: Turkey 9.4% Ukraine 8.7% China 7.8% Russia 5.4% Saudi Arabia 5.2% US 4.7% South Korea 4.6% Italy 4.3% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $5 billion (2004 est.)

Debt external: $4 billion (excludes military debt and debt to Russia) (2004 est.)

Exchange rates: Syrian pounds per US dollar - (official rate): 11.225 (2004) 11.225 (2003) 11.225 (2002) 11.225 (2001) 11.225 (2000) (parallel market rate in Amman and Beirut) NA (2004) 52.8 (2003) 52.4 (2002) 50.4 (2002) 49.4 (2000)

Electricity
Production: 26.15 billion kWh (2002)
Consumption: 24.32 billion kWh (2002)
Exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Imports: 0 kWh (2002)

Natural gas
Production: 5.84 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 5.84 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 240.7 billion m³ (2004)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 2,099,300 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 400,000 (2002)

Telephone system
General assessment: fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology
Domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network
International: country code - 963; 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

Internet
Country code: .sy
Hosts: 11 (2004)
Users: 220,000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $858 million (FY00 est.); note - based on official budget data that may understate actual spending
Percent of gdp: 5.9% (FY00)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (2004)

Airports: 92 (2004 est.)
With paved runways total: 26
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: 2 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 66
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 10
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 54 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 7 (2004 est.)

Pipelines: gas 2,300 km; oil 2,183 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 2,711 km
Standard gauge: 2,460 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2004)

Waterways: 900 km (not economically significant) (2002)

Merchant marine
Total: 120 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 446,981 GRT/636,620 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 105, container 1, livestock carrier 4, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 12 (Egypt 1, Greece 1, Jordan 2, Lebanon 7, Romania 1)
Registered in other countries: 73 (2005)

Disputes international: Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) patrolling a buffer zone since 1964; Lebanon claims Shaba'a farms in Golan Heights; international pressure prompts the removal of Syrian troops and intelligence personel stationed in Lebanon since October 1976; Syria protests Turkish hydrological projects regulating upper Euphrates waters; 2004 Agreement and pending demarcation settles border dispute with Jordan

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 413,827 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA))
Idps: 170,000 (most displaced from Golan Heights during 1967 Arab-Israeli War) (2004)

Illicit drugs: a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls bank privatization may leave it vulnerable to money-laundering