The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency (ebook reader 8 inch .txt) 📕

id="id59467" >People
Syria

Population:

19,747,586 note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and about 20,000 Israeli settlers (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 36.2% (male 3,679,473/female 3,467,096) 15-64 years: 60.5% (male 6,119,459/female 5,822,376) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 310,838/female 348,344) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 21.4 years male: 21.3 years female: 21.5 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.189% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

26.57 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

4.68 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 26.78 deaths/1,000 live births male: 27.04 deaths/1,000 live births female: 26.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 70.9 years male: 69.53 years female: 72.35 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.21 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

fewer than 500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 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, 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)

Education expenditures:

3.9% of GDP (1999)

Government
Syria

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 military-dominated 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 1 April; ends 30 September

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 ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (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 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] (includes Arab Socialist Renaissance
(Ba'th) Party [President Bashar al-ASAD]; Socialist Unionist
Democratic Party [Fadlallah Nasr Al-DIN]; Syrian Arab Socialist
Union or ASU [Safwan QUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party (two branches)
[Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yusuf Rashid FAYSAL]; Syrian Social
Nationalist Party [Ali QANSU]; Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez
ISMAIL])
opposition parties not legally recognized:: Arab Democratic
Socialist Union Party [Hasan Abdul AZIM]; Arab Socialist Movement;
Democratic Ba'th Party [Ibrahim MAHKOS]; People's Democratic Party
[Riad al TURK]; Revolutionary Workers' Party [Abdul Hafeez al HAFEZ]
Kurdish parties (considered illegal): Kurdish Democratic Front
[Abdul Hamid DARWISH] (includes four parties); Kurdish Coordination
[Abdul Hakim BASHAR] (includes Azadi Party [Kheirudin MURAD], Future
Party [Masha'l TAMMO], Yekity Party [Hasam SALE])
other parties: Nahda Party [Abdul Aziz al MISLET]; Syrian Democratic
Party [Mustafa QALAAJI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Damascus Declaration National Council [Riyad SEIF, secretary
general] (a broad alliance of opposition groups and individuals
including: Committee for Revival of Civil Society [Michel KILO,
Riyad SEIF], Communist Action Party [Fateh JAMOUS], Kurdish
Democratic Alliance, Kurdish Democratic Front, Liberal Nationalists'
Movement, National Democratic Front, National Democratic Rally, and
Syrian Human Rights Society or HRAS [Fawed FAWUZ]); National
Salvation Front (alliance between former Vice President Abd al-Halim
KHADDAM, the SMB, and other small opposition groups); Syrian Muslim
Brotherhood or SMB [Sadr al-Din al-BAYANUNI] (operates in exile in
London; endorsed the Damascus Declaration, but is not an official
member)

International organization participation:

ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt (signatory), 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

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Imad MUSTAFA chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313 FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Maura CONNELLY 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

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black, colors associated with the Arab Liberation flag; two small, green, five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; former flag of the United Arab Republic where the two stars represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; 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; the current design dates to 1980

Economy
Syria

Economy - overview:

The Syrian economy grew by an estimated 3.3% in real terms in 2007 led by the petroleum and agricultural sectors, which together account for about one-half of GDP. Higher crude oil prices countered declining oil production and led to higher budgetary and export receipts. 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 is set to begin operations in 2009. In October 2007, for example, Damascus raised the price of subsidized gasoline by 20%, and may institute a rationing system in 2008. 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 and inflation, rising budget deficits, and increasing pressure on water supplies caused by heavy use in agriculture, rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and water pollution.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$90.37 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$37.76 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

4.3% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$4,700 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 24% industry: 27.9% services: 48.2% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

5.462 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 19.2% industry: 14.5% services: 66.3% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate:

9% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

11.9% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Investment (gross fixed):

21.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $8.393 billion expenditures: $11.21 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

37.7% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

12.2% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

8% (31 December 2005)

Stock of money:

$58.84 billion note: This number reflects the greatly overvalued official exchange rate of 11.23 Syrian pounds per dollar. At the unofficial rate of 50 Syrian pounds per dollar, the stock of Syrian pounds would equal US$13.22 billion and Syria's velocity of money (the number of times money turns over in the course of a year) would be three, in line with the velocity of money for other countries in the region. (31 December 2006)

Stock of quasi money:

$45.93 billion (31 December 2006)

Stock of domestic credit:

$50.92 billion (31 December 2006)

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:

2.5% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

34.94 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

34 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports:

986 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 57.6% hydro: 42.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

433,200 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

261,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

254,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - imports:

160,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:

2.5 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

7.8 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

4.4 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

NA cu m

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

240.7 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

$908 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$11.14 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

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

Exports - partners:

Iraq 30%, Lebanon 10%, Germany 9.7%, Italy 8%, Egypt 5.5%, Saudi
Arabia 5.2%, France 4.9% (2007)

Imports:

$10.5 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

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 12%, China 8.7%, Egypt 6.2%, Italy 6%, UAE 5.9%,
Ukraine 4.8%, Russia 4.8%, Germany 4.7%, Iran 4.3% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$213 million (2008 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$6.046 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$6.633 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

Syrian pound (SYP)

Currency code:

SYP

Exchange rates:

Syrian pounds (SYP) per US dollar - 50.0085 (2007), 51.689 (2006), 50 (2005), 48.5 (2004), 52.8 (2003) note: data for 2004-06 are the public sector rate; data for 2002-03 are the parallel market rate in 'Amman and Beirut; the official rate for repaying loans was 11.25 Syrian pounds per US dollars during 2004-06,

Communications
Syria

Telephones - main lines in use:

3.452 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

6.7