:Syria People
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.)
Birth rate:
44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
45 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
65 years male, 67 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
6.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Syrian(s); adjective - Syrian
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
Literacy:
64% (male 78%, female 51%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
2,400,000; miscellaneous and government services 36%, agriculture 32%,
industry and construction 32%; majority unskilled; shortage of skilled labor
(1984)
Organized labor:
5% of labor force
:Syria Government
Long-form name:
Syrian Arab Republic
Type:
republic; under leftwing military regime since March 1963
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);
formerly United Arab Republic
Constitution:
13 March 1973
Legal system:
based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
National Day, 17 April (1946)
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
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
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
:Syria Government
Communists:
Syrian Communist Party (SCP)
Other political or pressure groups:
non-Ba`th parties have little effective political influence; Communist party
ineffective; 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 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
:Syria Economy
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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
25% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $5.4 billion; expenditures $7.5 billion, including capital
expenditures of $2.9 billion (1991 est.)
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)
External debt:
$5.2 billion in hard currency (1990 est.)
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
:Syria Economy
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