Syria

republic

Syria as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 75 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

13.73 million July 1992 · 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

6.9 children per woman 1992 · 6.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

45 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 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

13 fields

Total area

185,180km2

Comparative area: slightly larger than North Dakota

Coastline

193km

Contiguous zone: 6 nm beyond territorial sea limitTerritorial sea: 35 nm

Land boundaries

2,253km total

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

Land area

184,050 km2 (including 1,295 km2 of Israeli-occupied territory)

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

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

13,730,436

(July 1992), growth rate 3.8% (1992); in addition, there are at least 14,500 Druze and 14,000 Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (1992 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

44Death

7Net 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%

Religions

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

Languages

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

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

53.6%

Ba`th 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', 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); 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)

Judicial branch

Supreme Constitutional Court, High Judicial Council, Court of Cassation, State Security Courts

Leaders

Chief of State:: President Hafiz al-ASAD (since 22 February 1971);
Vice Presidents `Abd al-Halim KHADDAM, Vice President Rif`at al-ASAD, and Vice President Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister Mahmud ZU`BI (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 (Ba`th) Party;
the Progressive National Front is dominated by Ba`thists 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

Elections

President:: last held 2 December 1991 (next to be held December 1998); results - President Hafiz al-ASAD was reelected for a fourth seven-year term with 99.98% of the vote
People's Council:: last held 22-23 May 1990 (next to be held NA May 1994);
results - Ba`th 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) Ba`th 134, ASU 8, SCP 8, Arab Socialist Unionist Movement 7, ASP 5, Democratic Socialist Union Party 4, independents 84;
note - the People's Council was expanded to 250 seats total prior to the May 1990 election

Other political or pressure groups

non-Ba`th parties have little effective political influence;
Communist party ineffective;
conservative religious leaders;
Muslim Brotherhood

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 Christopher W. S. ROSS;
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;
FAX [963] (11) 718-687

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 state-dominated Ba`thist economy has benefited from the Gulf war, | increased oil production, good weather, and economic deregulation.

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

25%

(1991 est.)

External debt

$5.2billion in hard currency

(1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$5.4 billionExpenditures

$7.5 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $2.9 billion (1991 est.)

Overview

Syria's state-dominated Ba`thist economy has benefited from the Gulf war, increased oil production, good weather, and economic deregulation. Economic growth averaged nearly 12% annually in 1990-91, buoyed by increased oil production and improved agricultural performance. The Gulf war of early 1991 provided Syria an aid windfall of several billion dollars from Arab, European, and Japanese donors.

These inflows more than offset Damascus's war-related costs and will help Syria cover some of its debt arrears, restore suspended credit lines, and initiate selected military and civilian purchases. For the long run, Syria's economy is still saddled with a large number of poorly performing public sector firms;

investment levels remain low; and industrial and agricultural productivity is poor. A major long-term concern is the additional drain of upstream Euphrates water by Turkey when its vast dam and irrigation projects are completed by mid-decade.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $30 billion, per capita $2,300; real growth rate 11% (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

commodities:: petroleum 40%, farm products 13%, textiles, phosphates (1989)
partners:: USSR and Eastern Europe 42%, EC 31%, Arab countries 17%, US/Canada 2% (1989)

Imports

$2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

commodities:: foodstuffs and beverages 21%, metal and metal products 16%, machinery 14%, textiles, petroleum products (1989)
partners:: EC 42%, USSR and Eastern Europe 13%, other Europe 13%, US/Canada 8%, Arab countries 6% (1989)

Industrial production

growth rate 6% (1991 est.); accounts for 17% of GDP

Electricity

3,005,000 kW capacity; 8,800 million kWh produced, 680 kWh per capita (1991)

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 (1970-89), $1.23 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $12.3 billion;
former Communist countries (1970-89), $3.3 billion

Currency

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

Exchange rates

Syrian pounds (#S) per US$1 - 22.0 (promotional rate since 1991), 11.2250 (fixed rate 1987-90), 3.9250 (fixed rate 1976-87)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 29 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 25roll-on/roll-off cargo 1vehicle carrier 1bulk 229 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 85,417 GRT/138,078 DWT

Airports, 104 total, 100 usable

permanent-surface runways

24runways | over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

21runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

28,000Railroads

2,350Inland waterways

672

Highways: ; 22,000 km paved, 3,000 km gravel or crushed stone, 3,000 km improved earth · Railroads: ; 2,035 km standard gauge, 315 km 1.050-meter (narrow) gauge · Inland waterways: ; minimal economic importance

Railroads

2,350 km total; 2,035 km standard gauge, 315 km 1.050-meter (narrow) gauge

Highways

28,000 km total; 22,000 km paved, 3,000 km gravel or crushed stone, 3,000 km improved earth

Inland waterways

672 km; minimal economic importance

Pipelines

crude oil 1,304 km, petroleum products 515 km

Ports

Tartus, Latakia, Baniyas

Civil air

35 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

fair system currently undergoing significant improvement;
512,600 telephones;
broadcast stations - 9 AM, 1 FM, 17 TV;
satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Intersputnik, 1 submarine cable;
coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey