Facts and Figures1

Location:

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between and Turkey

Area:

185,180 sq km (71,498 sq mi)

Note: includes 1,295 sq km (805 sq mi) of Israeli-occupied territory

Border Countries:

Iraq 605 km (376 mi), Israel 76 km (47 mi), Jordan 375 km (233 mi), Lebanon 375 km (233 mi), Turkey 822 km (510 mi)

Coastline:

193 km (120 mi)

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

Highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m

1 All information in this section comes directly from the following source: Central Intelligence Agency, “,” in The World Factbook, 6 April 2011, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/geos/sy.html Land Use:

Arable land: 24.8% Permanent crops: 4.47% Other: 70.73% (2005)

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

Natural Hazards: dust storms; sandstorms

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

Geography Note:

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

Population:

22,517,750 (July 2010 est.) Note: approximately 19,100 Israeli settlers live in the Golan Heights (July 2011 est.)

Age Structure:

0–14 years: 35.2% (male 4,066,109/female 3,865,817)

15–64 years: 61% (male 6,985,067/female 6,753,619)

65 years and over: 3.8% (male 390,802/female 456,336) (2011 est.)

Median Age:

22.1 years (2011 est.)

Population Growth Rate:

.913% (2011 est.) Urbanization: urban population: 56% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 2.5% annual rate of change (2010–15 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth:

74.69 (2011 est.)

Sex Ratio:

At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Total Fertility Rate:

2.94 children born/woman (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS—Adult Prevalence Rate:

Less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

Nationality:

Noun: Syrian(s) Adjective: Syrian

Ethnic Groups:

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

Religions:

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

Languages:

Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, and Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood Literacy:

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

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education):

Total: 11 years Male: 12 years female: 11 years (2007)

Education Expenditures:

4.9% of GDP (2007)

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:

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 a combination of French and Ottoman civil law; Islamic law is used in the family court system; has not accepted compulsory International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) jurisdiction.

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch:

Chief of state: President Bashar al-Assad (since 17 July 2000); 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; note - the Council resigned on 29 March 2011 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-Assad approved as president; percent of vote—Bashar al- Assad 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—National Progressive Front (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-Assad, Dr. Suleiman Qaddah] (includes Arab Socialist Renaissance (Baath) Party [President Bashar al-Assad]; Socialist Unionist Democratic Party [Fadlallah Nasr al-Din]; Syrian Arab Socialist Union or ASU [Safwan Qudsi]; (two branches) [Wissal Farha Bakdash, Yusuf Rashid Faysal]; Syrian Social Nationalist Party [Ali Qansu]; 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 Abdum 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 (considered illegal): 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]

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders:

Arab Human Rights Organization in Syria or AHRO; Group (a broad alliance of secular, religious, and Kurdish opposition groups); National Salvation Front (alliance between former Vice President Abd al-Halim Khaddam and other small opposition groups in exile; formerly included the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood); Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression [Mazin Darwish]; Syrian Human Rights Organization [Muhanad al-Hasani]; Syrian Human Rights Society or HRAS [Fayez Fawas]; Syrian Muslim Brotherhood or SMB [Muhammad Riyad al-Shaqfah] (operates in exile in London) International Organization Participation:

Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA), Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Group of 24 (G- 24), Group of 77 (G-77), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Criminal Court (ICC) (signatory), International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM), International Development Association (IDA), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation of Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), International Labor Organization (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMO), International Maritime Organization (IMO), Interpol, International Olympic Committee (IOC), Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Telecommunications Satellites Organization (ITSO), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), League of Arab States (LAS), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), Nonaligned Movement (NAM), Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), United Nations (UN), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Customs Organization (WCO), World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), World Health Organization (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), World Trade Organization (WTO)

Diplomatic Representation from the US:

Chief of mission: Ambassador (Robert Stephen Ford) Deputy chief of mission: Charles HUNTER Embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansour Street, No. 2, Damascus Mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus Telephone: [963] (11) 3391-4444 FAX: [963] (11) 3391-3999

GDP—Real Growth Rate:

4% (2010 est.)

GDP—Per Capita (PPP):

USD 4,700 (2007 est.) GDP—Composition by Sector:

Agriculture: 17.6% Industry: 26.8% Services: 55.6% (2008 est.)

Labor Force:

5.527 million (2010 est.)

Labor Force—By Occupation:

Agriculture: 17% Industry: 16% Services: 67% (2008 est.)

Unemployment Rate:

8.3% (2010 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line:

11.9% (2006 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices):

5.9% (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

Exports—Commodities: crude oil, minerals, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, textiles, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat

Exports—Partners:

Iraq 30.22%, Lebanon 12.21%, Germany 8.89%, Egypt 6.8%, Saudi Arabia 5.04%, Italy 4.55% (2009) Imports—Commodities:

machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper

Imports—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)

Exchange Rates:

Syrian pounds (SYP) per U.S. dollar—46.456 (2010), 46.708 (2009), 46.5281 (2008), 50.0085 (2007), 51.689 (2006)

Telephones—Main Lines in Use:

3.871 million (2009)

Telephones—Mobile Cellular:

9.697 million (2009)

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 Users:

4.469 million (2009) Airports:

104 (2010)

Airports—With Paved Runways:

Total: 29 Over 3,047 m (1,000 ft): 5 2,438–3,047 m (7,996–1,000 ft): 15 1,524–2,437 m (5,000–7,995 ft): 1 914–1,523 m (2,998–4,996 ft): 3 Under 914 m (2,998 ft): 5 (2010)

Heliports:

7 (2010)

Pipelines:

Gas: 3,101 km (1,926 mi)

Oil: 1,997 km (1,240 mi) (2009)

Railways:

Total: 2,052 km (1,275 mi) Standard gauge: 1,801 km 1.435-m gauge (1,119 mi) Narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (156 mi) (2008)

Roadways:

Total: 97,401 km (60,522 mi) Paved: 19,490 km (12,110 mi) (includes 1,103 km/685 mi of expressways) Unpaved: 77,911 km (48,411 mi) (2006)

Waterways:

900 km (560 mi) (navigable not economically significant) (2010) Military Branches:

Syrian Armed Forces: Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air and Air Defense Forces (includes Air Defense Command) (2008)

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)

Manpower Fit for Military Service:

Males ages 16–49: 5,055,510 Females ages 16–49: 4,884,151 (2010 est.)

Military Expenditures—Percent of GDP:

5.9% (2005 est.)