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 Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April 2005.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 2013and the death toll among Syrian government forces Opposition Forces and civilians has topped 60,000

Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N 38 00 E

Area
Rank: 89
Comparative: slightly larger than North Dakota

Coastline: 193 km

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

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

Irrigated land: 13,560 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 46.1 km³ (1997)

Natural hazards: dust storms sandstorms

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.)

Population: 22,530,746 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 52
Growth rate: -0.797% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 226
Below poverty line: 11.9% (2006 est.)

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)

Population growth rate: -0.797% (2012 est.)
Rank: 226

Birth rate: 23.52 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 71

Death rate: 3.67 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 210

Net migration rate: -27.82 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 219

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 114

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 95

Total fertility rate: 2.85 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 71

Physicians density: 1.5 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 1.5 beds/1000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 157
People living with hivaids: fewer than 500 (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 153
Deaths: fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Deaths rank: 114

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 10% (2006)
Rank: 66

Education expenditures: 4.9% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 66

Government type: republic under an authoritarian regime

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

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

National holiday: Independence Day 17 April (1946)

Constitution: 13 March 1973; amended February 2012

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly or Majlis al-Shaab (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

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)

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)

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

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. The government has struggled to address the effects of economic decline including 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: 69

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 153

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

Industrial production growth rate: 6% (2010 est.)
Rank: 53

Labor force: 5.54 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 71

Unemployment rate: 14.9% (2011 est.)
Rank: 155

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

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -9.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 200

Taxes and other revenues: 10.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 208

Public debt: 35.2% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 77

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.8% (2011 est.)
Rank: 222

Central bank discount rate: 5% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 73

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 10.5% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 86

Stock of narrow money: $22.37 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 65

Stock of broad money: $39.36 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 77

Stock of domestic credit: $27.8 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 82

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance: -$7.726 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 167

Exports: $10.29 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 114
Commodities: crude oil minerals petroleum products fruits and vegetables cotton fiber textiles clothing meat and live animals wheat
Partners: Iraq 38.8% Italy 7.9% Germany 7.1% Saudi Arabia 6.5% Kuwait 4.2% (2011)

Imports: $17.6 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 97
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 14.8% China 10.3% UAE 7.3% Turkey 6.8% Iran 5.4% Italy 5.1% Russia 4.6% Iraq 4.4% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $14.83 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 93

Debt external: $8.196 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 99

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 40.86 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 58
Consumption: 28.87 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 63
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 134
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 137
Installed generating capacity: 8.2 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 62
Generation sources fossil fuels: 84.8% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 86
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 181
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 15.2% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 104
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 189

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 333,900 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 33
Crude oil exports: 144,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 34
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 124
Crude oil proven reserves: 2.183 billion bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 35

Refined petroleum
Products production: 255,600 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 49
Products consumption: 258,800 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 50
Products exports: 14,540 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 83
Products imports: 58,160 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 66

Natural gas
Production: 8.94 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 45
Consumption: 9.63 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 48
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 58
Imports: 690 million m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 66
Proven reserves: 240.7 billion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 45

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 63.1 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 54

Telephones
Main lines in use: 4.345 million (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 37
Mobile cellular: 13.117 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 59

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: 188
Users: 4.469 million (2009)
Users rank: 52

Military expenditures: 5.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 10

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory male military service; conscript service obligation - 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) (2010)

Airports: 99 (2012)
Rank: 58

Heliports: 6 (2012)

Pipelines: gas 3,161 km; oil 1997 km (2010)

Railways
Rank: 72

Roadways
Rank: 67

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

Merchant marine
Rank: 95

Ports and terminals: Baniyas Latakia Tartus

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

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