Syria

republic

Syria as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 71 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalDamascus

Area185,180 km2

Populationas each edition published it

12.97 million July 1991 · 12.48m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.76% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 66.12 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.7 children per woman 1991 · 6.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

37 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 38 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $2,300 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 9% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

185,180km2

land area: 184,050 km2 (including 1,295 km2 of Israeli-occupied territory)Comparative area: slightly larger than North Dakota

Land boundaries

2,253km total

Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km

Coastline

193 km Contiguous zone: 6 nm beyond territorial sea limit; Territorial sea: 35 nm

Disputes

separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line;
Golan Heights is Israeli occupied;
Hatay question with Turkey;
periodic disputes with Iraq over Euphrates water rights;
ongoing dispute over water development plans by Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers;
Kurdish question among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR

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

crude oil, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum

Land use

arable land 28%;
permanent crops 3%;
meadows and pastures 46%;
forest and woodland 3%;
other 20%;
includes irrigated 3%

Environment

deforestation;
overgrazing;
soil erosion;
desertification

Note

there are 38 Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights

People

14 fields

Population

12,965,996

(July 1991), growth rate 3.8% (1991); in addition, there are at least 12,000 Druze and 13,000 Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (1990 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

43Death

5Net migration

Literacy

64%

(male 78%, female 51%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Arab 90.3%; Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%

Religion

Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, tiny Jewish communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo

Language

Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian; French widely understood

Labor force

2,400,000;
miscellaneous and government services 36%, agriculture 32%, industry and construction 32%;
majority unskilled;
shortage of skilled labor (1984)

Government

Republic

18 fields

People's Council, 250 seats, elected 22-23 May 1990one dot, one seat

Bath 134ASU 8SCP 8Arab Socialist Unionist Movement 7ASP 5Democratic Socialist Union Party 4independents 84

Percent of vote

Bath 53.6%ASU 3.2%SCP 3.2%Arab Socialist Unionist Movement 2.8%ASP 2%Democratic Socialist Union Party 1.6%independents 33.6%

Type

republic; under leftwing military regime since March 1963

Administrative divisions

14 provinces (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah);
Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah, Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda, Dara, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq, Tartus

Independence

17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration); formerly United Arab Republic

Legal system

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

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)

Supreme Constitutional Court, High Judicial Council, Court of Cassation, State Security Courts Chief of State--President Hafiz al-ASAD (since 22 February 1971); Vice Presidents Abd al-Halim KHADDAM, Rifat al-ASAD, and Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984); Head of Government--Prime Minister Mahmud ZUBI (since 1 November 1987);

Deputy Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since 11 March 1984); Deputy Prime Minister Salim YASIN (since NA December 1981); Deputy Prime Minister Mahmud QADDUR (since NA May 1985)

Political parties and leaders

ruling party is the Arab Socialist Resurrectionist (Bath) Party;
the Progressive National Front is dominated by Bathists but includes independents and members of the Syrian Arab Socialist Party (ASP), Arab Socialist Union (ASU), Syrian Communist Party (SCP), Arab Socialist Unionist Movement, and Democratic Socialist Union Party

Suffrage

universal at age 18 President--last held 10-11 February 1985 (next to be held February 1992);
results--President Hafiz al-ASAD was reelected without opposition;
People's Council--last held 22-23 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994);
results--Bath 53.6%, ASU 3.2%, SCP 3.2%, Arab Socialist Unionist Movement 2.8%, ASP 2%, Democratic Socialist Union Party 1.6%, independents 33.6%;
seats--(250 total) Bath 134, ASU 8, SCP 8, Arab Socialist Unionist Movement 7, ASP 5, Democratic Socialist Union Party 4, independents 84;
the People's Council was expanded to 250 seats total prior to the May 1990 election

Communists

mostly sympathizers, numbering about 5,000

Other political or pressure groups

non-Bath parties have little effective political influence;
Communist party ineffective;
greatest threat to Asad regime lies in factionalism in the military;
conservative religious leaders;
Muslim Brotherhood

Member of

ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Walid MOUALEM;
Chancery at 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 232-6313;
US--Ambassador Edward P. DJEREJIAN;
Embassy at Abu Rumaneh, Al Mansur Street No.2, Damascus (mailing address is P. O. Box 29, Damascus);
telephone [963] (11) 333052 or 332557, 330416, 332814, 332315, 714108, 337178, 333232, 334352

Flag

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

Syria's rigidly structured Bathist economy turned out slightly more goods in 1990 than in 1983, when the population was 20% smaller.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$20.0billion

per capita $1,600; real growth rate 12% (1990 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

50%

(1990 est.)

External debt

$5.2billion in hard currency

(1990 est.)

Exports $2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)commodities, where a share is given

petroleum

40%textiles

30%farm products

13%

also phosphates (1989); partners--USSR and Eastern Europe 42%, EC 31%, Arab countries 17%, US/Canada 2% (1989)

Imports $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)

foodstuffs and beverages

21%metal and metal products

16%machinery

14%

also textiles, petroleum (1989); partners--EC 42%, USSR and Eastern Europe 13%, other Europe 13%, US/Canada 8%, Arab countries 6% (1989)

Budget

Revenues

$4.8 billionExpenditures

$5.5 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $2.1 billion (1990 est.)

Overview

Syria's rigidly structured Bathist economy turned out slightly more goods in 1990 than in 1983, when the population was 20% smaller. Economic difficulties are attributable, in part, to severe drought in several recent years, costly but unsuccessful attempts to match Israel's military strength, a falloff in Arab aid, and insufficient foreign exchange earnings to buy needed inputs for industry and agriculture.

Socialist policy, embodied in a thicket of bureaucratic regulations, in many instances has driven away or pushed underground the mercantile and entrepreneurial spirit for which Syrian businessmen have long been famous. Two bright spots: a sizable number of villagers have benefited from land redistribution, electrification, and other rural development programs;

and a recent find of light crude oil has enabled Syria to cut oil imports. A long-term concern is the additional drain of upstream Euphrates water by Turkey when its vast dam and irrigation projects are completed toward the end of the 1990s. Output in 1990 rebounded from the very bad year of 1989, as agricultural production and oil revenues increased substantially.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Industrial production

growth rate 17% (1990 est.); accounts for 19% of GDP

Electricity

2,867,000 kW capacity; 6,000 million kWh produced, 500 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 27% of GDP and one-third of labor force;
all major crops (wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas) grown mainly on rainfed land causing wide swings in production;
animal products--beef, lamb, eggs, poultry, milk;
not self-sufficient in grain or livestock products

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $538 million;
Western (non-US) ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.2 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $12.3 billion;
Communist countries (1970-89), $3.3 billion

Currency

Syrian pound (plural--pounds); 1 Syrian pound (5S) = 100 piasters

Exchange rates

Syrian pounds (5S) per US$1--11.2250 (fixed rate since 1987), 3.9250 (fixed rate 1976-87)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 22 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 18roll-on/roll-off cargo 2vehicle carrier 1bulk 122 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 61,951 GRT/86,552 DWT

Airports, 99 total, 96 usable

permanent-surface runways

24runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

21runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

27,000Railroads

2,241Inland waterways

672Pipelines

1,304

Highways: ; 21,000 km paved, 3,000 km gravel or crushed stone, 3,000 km improved earth · Railroads: ; 1,930 km standard gauge, 311 km 1.050-meter narrow gauge; note--the Tartus-Latakia line is nearly complete · Inland waterways: ; of little economic importance · Pipelines: ; 515 km refined products

Railroads

2,241 km total;
1,930 km standard gauge, 311 km 1.050-meter narrow gauge;
note--the Tartus-Latakia line is nearly complete

Highways

27,000 km total; 21,000 km paved, 3,000 km gravel or crushed stone, 3,000 km improved earth

Inland waterways

672 km; of little economic importance

Pipelines

1,304 km crude oil; 515 km refined products

Ports

Tartus, Latakia, Baniyas

Civil air

35 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

fair system currently undergoing significant improvement;
512,600 telephones;
stations--9 AM, 1 FM, 40 TV;
satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station, with 1 Intersputnik station under construction;
1 submarine cable;
coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon (inactive)