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 Alawite 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 Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April 2005.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 was elected to his second term as president.

Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N 38 00 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 185,180 km²
Rank: 88
Land: 183,630 km²
Water: 1550 km²
Note: includes 1295 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: 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 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: 24.8%
Permanent crops: 4.47%
Other: 70.73% (2005)

Irrigated land: 13,330 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 46.1 km³ (1997)

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

Population: 22,198,110 (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 51
Note: approximately 19,100 Israeli settlers live in the Golan Heights (2008 est.)
Growth rate: 1.954% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 61
Below poverty line: 11.9% (2006 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% other Muslim (includes Alawite Druze) 16% Christian (various denominations) 10% Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus Al Qamishli and Aleppo)

Age structure
0-14 years: 36.4%
15-64 years: 59.9% (male 6,628,644/female 6,406,864)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 372,172/female 427,832) (2010 est.)

Median age
Total: 21.5 years
Male: 21.3 years
Female: 21.7 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.954% (2010 est.)
Rank: 61

Birth rate: 24.44 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 67

Death rate: 3.7 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 211

Net migration rate: -1.2 migrant(s)/1000 population
Rank: 162

Urbanization
Urban population: 54% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 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 Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol 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: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 16.14 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 117
Male: 18.55 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 13.57 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.46 years
Rank: 95
Male: 72.1 years
Female: 76.96 years (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.02 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 65

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 156
People living with hivaids: fewer than 500 (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 149
Deaths: fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Deaths rank: 116

Education expenditures: 4.9% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 77

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 79.6%
Male: 86%
Female: 73.6% (2004 census)

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 an authoritarian regime

Capital
Name: Damascus
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 first Friday in April; ends last Friday in October

Administrative divisions: 14 provinces (muhafazat singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah Al Ladhiqiyah (Latakia) Al Qunaytirah Ar Raqqah As Suwayda' Dar'a Dayr az Zawr Dimashq Halab Hamah Hims Idlib Rif Dimashq (Damascus) 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 a combination of French and Ottoman civil law; Islamic law is used in the family court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD ; Vice President Farouk al-SHARA (since 11 February 2006) oversees foreign policy; Vice President Najah al-ATTAR (since 23 March 2006) oversees cultural policy
Head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-UTRI (since 10 September 2003); Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdallah al-DARDARI (since 14 June 2005)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
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%

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 on 22-23 April 2007 (next to be held in 2011)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPF 172 independents 78

Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Council (appoints and dismisses judges; headed by the president); national level - Supreme Constitutional Court (adjudicates electoral disputes and rules on constitutionality of laws and decrees; justices appointed for four-year terms by the president); Court of Cassation; Appeals Courts (Appeals Courts represent an intermediate level between the Court of Cassation and local level courts); local level - Magistrate Courts; Courts of First Instance; Juvenile Courts; Customs Courts; specialized courts - Economic Security Courts (hear cases related to economic crimes); Supreme State Security Court (hear cases related to national security); Personal Status Courts (religious; hear cases related to marriage and divorce)

Political parties and leaders
Legal parties: National Progressive Front or NPF [President Bashar al-ASAD Dr. Suleiman QADDAH] Party [President Bashar al-ASAD]; Socialist Unionist Democratic Party [Fadlallah Nasr Al-DIN]; Syrian Arab Socialist Union or ASU [Safwan al-QUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party (two branches) [Wissal Farha BAKDASH Yusuf Rashid FAYSAL]; Syrian Social Nationalist Party [As'ad HARDAN]; Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez ISMAIL])
Opposition parties not legally recognized: Communist Action Party [Fateh al-JAMOUS]; National Democratic Rally [Hasan ABDUL-AZIM spokesman] (includes five parties - Arab Democratic Socialist Union Party [Hasan ABDUL-AZIM] Arab Socialist Movement Democratic Ba'th Party [Ibrahim MAKHOS] Democratic People's Party [Riad al TURK] Revolutionary Workers' Party [Abdul Hafez al HAFEZ])
Kurdish parties: Azadi Party [Kheirudin MURAD]; Future Party [Masha'l TAMMO]; Kurdish Democratic Alliance (includes four parties); Kurdish Democratic Front (includes three parties); Yekiti Party [Fu'ad ALEYKO]
Other parties: Syrian Democratic Party [Mustafa QALAAJI]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Imad MOUSTAPHA
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 chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Charles (Chuck) F. HUNTER
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
Note: similar to the flag of Yemen which has a plain white band Iraq which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band and that of Egypt which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band

National anthem
Name: 'Humat ad-Diyar'
Lyricsmusic: Khalil Mardam BEY/Mohammad Salim FLAYFEL and Ahmad Salim FLAYFEL
Note: adopted 1936 restored 1961; between 1958 and 1961 while Syria was a member of the United Arab Republic with Egypt the country had a different anthem

Economy overview: Syrian economic growth slowed to 1.8% in 2009 as the global economic crisis affected oil prices and the economies of Syria's key export partners and sources of investment. Damascus has implemented modest economic reforms in the past few years including cutting lending interest rates opening private banks consolidating all of the multiple exchange rates raising prices on some subsidized items most notably gasoline and cement and establishing the Damascus Stock Exchange - which began operations in 2009. In addition President ASAD signed legislative decrees to encourage corporate ownership reform and to allow the Central Bank to issue Treasury bills and bonds for government debt. Nevertheless the economy remains highly controlled by the government. Long-run economic constraints include 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: 68
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 83

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 151
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 17.6%
Industry: 26.8%
Services: 55.6% (2010 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: 6% (2010 est.)
Rank: 54

Labor force: 5.527 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 69
By occupation agriculture: 17%
By occupation industry: 16%
By occupation services: 67% (2008 est.)

Unemployment rate: 8.5% (2009 est.)
Rank: 95

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

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

Public debt: 28.1% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 88

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.6% (2009 est.)
Rank: 159

Central bank discount rate: 5% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 88

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 10.19% (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 87

Stock of narrow money: $19.53 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Rank: 62

Stock of broad money: $147.5 billion (31 December 2008)
Rank: 43

Stock of domestic credit: $23.58 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 71

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: $394 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 48

Exports: $11.76 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 78
Commodities: crude oil minerals petroleum products fruits and vegetables cotton fiber textiles clothing meat and live animals wheat
Partners: Iraq 30.22% Lebanon 12.21% Germany 8.89% Egypt 6.8% Saudi Arabia 5.04% Italy 4.55% (2009)

Imports: $12.62 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 81
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 10.1% China 9.95% Turkey 6.97% Egypt 6.44% UAE 4.97% Italy 4.93% Russia 4.92% Germany 4.38% Lebanon 4.12% (2009)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $17.44 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 41

Debt external: $7.359 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 93

Exchange rates: Syrian pounds (SYP) per US dollar - 46.456 (2010) 46.7082 (2009) 46.5281 (2008) 50.0085 (2007) 51.689 (2006)

Electricity
Production: 36.5 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 58
Consumption: 27.35 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 63
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 1.4 billion kWh (2007)

Natural gas
Production: 6.04 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 47
Consumption: 6.18 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 56
Exports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Exports rank: 114
Imports: 140 million m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 65
Proven reserves: 240.7 billion m³ (1 January 2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 43

Telephones
Main lines in use: 3.871 million (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 41
Mobile cellular: 9.697 million (2009)
Mobile cellular rank: 66

Telephone system
General assessment: fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades including fiber-optic technology and expansion of the network to rural areas
Domestic: the number of fixed-line connections has increased markedly since 2000; mobile-cellular service growing with telephone subscribership reaching nearly 50 per 100 persons in 2009
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

Broadcast media: state-run television 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: 8,114 (2010)
Hosts rank: 133
Users: 4.469 million (2009)
Users rank: 52

Military expenditures: 5.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 11

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 21 months (18 months in the Syrian Arab Navy); women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve (2010)

Airports: 104 (2010)
Rank: 57
With paved runways total: 29
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 15
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 75
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 15
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 59 (2010)

Heliports: 7 (2010)

Pipelines: gas 3,101 km; oil 1997 km (2009)

Railways
Total: 2,052 km
Rank: 72
Standard gauge: 1801 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Total: 97,401 km
Rank: 45
Paved: 19,490 km (includes 1103 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 77,911 km (2006)

Waterways: 900 km (navigable not economically significant) (2010)
Rank: 69

Merchant marine
Total: 41
Rank: 77
By type: bulk carrier 7 cargo 30 carrier 3 container 1
Foreign owned: 5 (Jordan 2 Lebanon 2 Romania 1)
Registered in other countries: 199 (Barbados 1 Belize 2 Bolivia 4 Cambodia 22 Comoros 6 Cyprus 1 Dominica 2 Georgia 35 Lebanon 3 Liberia 1 Libya 2 Malta 5 Moldova 3 North Korea 6 Panama 42 Saint Kitts and Nevis 5 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13 Sierra Leone 20 Togo 5 unknown 8) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Baniyas Latakia Tartus

Disputes international: Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) 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; approximately two million Iraqis have fled the conflict in Iraq with the majority taking refuge in Syria and Jordan

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 1-1.4 million (Iraq); 522,100 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA))
Idps: 305,000 (most displaced from Golan Heights during 1967 Arab-Israeli War) (2007)

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