MILNET: Country Studies

Syria

Country Profile

From information provided by the Federal Research Division, Library of Congress of the United States.
For further information consult the Country Studies at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html

Formal Name: Syrian Arab Republic.
Short Form: Syria.
Term for Citizens: Syrians.
Capital: Damascus.

NOTE: The United States has listed Syria as one of the states which Supports Terrorism worldwide, designating it with the Special Designated Terrorist status, and thus imposes Terrorism Sanction Regulations (TSRs) upon U.S. dealings with Syria. Certain U.N. sanctions also apply

Geography

Size: About 185,180 square kilometers.

Topography: Country consists of coastal zone divided by narrow double mountain range from large eastern region that includes various mountain ranges, large desert regions, and Euphrates River basin.

SOCIETY

Population: Approximately 10.6 million in 1986, including about 250,000 Palestinian refugees. Growth rate estimated at about 3.7 percent per year, one of the world's highest.

Education: Nearly full enrollment in compulsory tuition-free public schools at primary level. School system consists of six years of primary, three years of lower secondary, and three years of upper secondary education. Four major universities and various teacher-training and vocational institutes, all government owned and operated. Adult literacy rate estimated at over 60 percent.

Health: Gastrointestinal ailments, trachoma, and infectious diseases prevalent; considerable progress has been made in control of malaria. Severe shortage of medical and paramedical personnel.

Languages: Official language, Arabic, mother tongue of about 90 percent of population, understood by most others. Kurdish (Kirmanji), Armenian, Turkic, and Syriac spoken by minorities; French and English spoken by educated elites in major urban areas.

Religion: Estimated 85 percent of population adheres to some form of Islam. About 13 to 15 percent of Muslims are Alawis (see Glossary); less than 1 percent, Shias (see Glossary); and remainder, Sunnis (see Glossary). About 10 percent of population observes some form of Christianity, and about 3 percent are Druzes (see Glossary). Small numbers of Jews, Yazidis, and others.

Economy

Gross Domestic Product (GDP): LS75.1 billion (for value of the Syrian pound--see Glossary) in 1984 (LS7,600 per capita). Real growth rate of GDP 6.3 percent a year from 1953 to 1976, but averaged 9.7 percent a year throughout 1970s. Real growth peaked at 10.2 percent in 1981 but declined sharply to 3.2 percent in 1982 and -2.1 percent in 1984 as falling world oil prices, drought, and physical and financial constraints slowed economic growth.

Agriculture: Historically most important source of employment. Agriculture's share of labor force declined from 53 percent in 1965 to 30 percent in 1984 as service and commercial sectors dominated economy. Agriculture's contribution to GDP fell from 30 percent in 1963 to 17.7 percent in 1985. Irrigated area less than 10 percent of that cultivated. Sharp swings in production because of differences in rainfall. Main products: cotton, wheat, and barley. Farming primarily by private sector.

Industry: Growth rate of industrial sector 8.3 percent between 1953 and mid-1970s. Manufacturing (including extractive industries) contributed 22.4 percent of GDP in 1976 but fell to 13.4 in 1984. Crude oil production small by world standards but important to industrial growth and development. Discovery of high-quality oil at Dayr az Zawr in mid-1980s gives hope for economic recovery in 1990s. New emphasis on phosphate production in mid-1980s. Industry based on chemicals, cement, food processing, and textiles. Most large-scale industry owned by state.

Imports: LS16.2 billion in 1984. Public sector accounted for 79 percent of imports in 1984. Major imports: oil, machinery, metal products, materials for processing, and foods.

Exports: LS7.4 billion in 1984. Major exports: crude oil, cotton, and phosphates.

Major Trade Areas: Eastern Europe, Soviet Union, Western Europe, Arab states, and Iran.

Balance of Payments: Heavily dependent on foreign economic credits and grant aid from Arab states and Iran.

Exchange Rates: Official (used generally for government imports) LS3.92 to US$1 in early 1987. Parallel (used for commercial deals, but gradually being replaced by tourist rate) LS5.40 to US$1. Tourist (previously available only to visitors, in 1987 applied to many commercial and diplomatic transactions) LS9.75 to US$1. "Neighboring country" (exchange rate of Syrian pound in Jordanian and Lebanese markets and inside Syria; also applied to private sector imports under barter trade agreements) LS21.50 to US$1 (August 1986).

Transportation and Communications

Railroads: 2,013 kilometers in 1984. Standard gauge (1,686 kilometers) crossed northern part of country from coast to Iraq border in northeast (via Aleppo). Narrow gauge in southwest served Damascus with tracks into Lebanon and Jordan.

Ports: Tartus most important--8.8 million tons of cargo in 1984. Also served as country's crude oil export terminal. Latakia handled 1.7 million tons of cargo in 1984. Baniyas was oil port and site of large refinery.

Pipelines: Two international crude-oil pipelines, one from Iraq and one from Saudi Arabia, both terminating in Lebanon. Domestic crude-oil pipeline from oil fields in northeast to port of Tartus via Homs (refinery). Three lines for petroleum products from Homs refinery to Damascus, Aleppo, and Latakia.

Communications: Good domestic and international telecommunications service.

Government and Politics

Government: Governmental system based on Permanent Constitution of March 13, 1973. Theoretically, power divided into executive, legislative, and judicial spheres, but all institutions overshadowed by preeminence of president (reelected February 10, 1985, in national referendum for seven-year term), who was head of state, chief executive, and secretary of ruling Baath (Arab Socialist Resurrection) Party. People's Council, 195- member parliament, popularly elected in 1986 for term of four years. Judiciary based on amalgam of Ottoman, French, and Islamic laws and practices. Some legal rights abrogated under state of martial law, in effect since 1963.

Politics: Baath Party--popular name for ruling party-- provided ideological rationale for Syrian socialism and panArabism . Directed by twenty-one-member Regional Command (top national decision-making body of party) led by regional secretary. Party allied in coalition with minor parties (including communist) through framework of National Progressive Front. Dominant aspect of political system pivotal role of military as real source and guarantor of power. Disproportionately significant role played by country's largest minority, Alawis, who held many key positions in armed forces, Baath Party, and government.

Administrative Divisions: Divided into thirteen provinces, each consisting of capital, districts, and subdistricts.

Foreign Affairs: Arab-Israeli conflict remained paramount foreign policy concern, Syrian objective being to secure withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied territories, to restore sovereignty over Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, and to ensure full political self-determination for Palestinians. In attempting to resolve Arab-Israeli issue, Syria seeks unilateral strategic and military parity with Israel to negotiate from position of strength. Syria attempts to exert regional dominance over its Arab neighbors, focusing on Lebanon, which it has partially occupied since 1976.

National Security

Combat Units and Major Equipment: In 1985, army consisted of five armored divisions (with one independent armored brigade), three mechanized divisions, one infantry-special forces division, and ten airborne-special forces independent brigades; weapons included over 4,100 Soviet-built tanks and 95 surface-to- air missile (SAM) batteries. Navy weapons included forty-one vessels, including two or three Soviet submarines and twenty-two missile attack craft. Air force weapons included 650 combat aircraft in 9 fighter and 15 interceptor squadrons.

Military Budget: In 1985 equivalent of US$4.2 billion. Approximately 21.1 percent of GNP; 42 percent of government expenditures. In 1986 about US$3.7 billion for national security, including armed forces and internal security agencies.

Police and Internal Security Agencies: Single national police force for routine duties. Numerous internal security forces under umbrella of National Security Directorate. Sizes unknown.

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