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SYRIA
 
Conventional name: Syrian Arab Republic / Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah
Surface area: 185,180 km².
Comparison with a European country : about half of Germany.
Capital: Damascus.
Administrative Divisions: 14 provinces (muhafazah / muhafazat).
Population (2007): 19 043 000
Population density (2005): 102,8 habitants/km²
Growth rate (2000-2005): 2,5 %
Fecundity rate (2000-2005): 3,47
Life expectancy (2000-2005): 73,2
Infant mortality (2000-2005): 18,2 %o
Young people under 15 Years Old (est. 2004) 38%
Urban population (2005): 50,2 %
Iliteracy rate (2005): Males 14 %, females 26,4 %
Ethnic background: Arabs 89% Kurds 8%, others (including Armenians) 3%.
Religions: Sunni Muslims 75% Alawi Muslims 11% - Christians (all rites) 10% Druzes 3%.
Language: Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French and English.
HDI (Human Development Indicator, UNDP 2008): within the 177 countries selected Syria is ranked 108 (rate 0,724 Medium level).
Currency: 1 Syrian pound (SYP) = 100 Piastres. (1Euro = 68,23 SYP - July 2008)
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (2005): 71 736 millions US $
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita (2005): 3847 US $
Annual growth: (1994 - 2004) : 2,0% - (2005) : 3,5%
Unemployment rate (est. 2002): 20%
Labour Force by Economic Sector : Agriculture 28.5%, Industry 29.4% and Services 42.1%.
Industries: petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining
Agricultural products: wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Exports (2005): 14 956 million US
Imports (2005): 42 907 million US $
Total External Debt (2003): 21,550 million US $
Major Trading Partners: Imports: Italy, Germany, France, Lebanon, Chine, South Korea, Turkey, US; Exports: Germany, Italy, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Spain.
Major Export Products : crude oil 68%, textiles 7%, fruits and vegetables 6%, raw cotton 4%
Major Import Products: machinery and transport equipment 21%, food and livestock 18%, metal and metal products 15%, chemicals and chemical products 10%
Oil Export Revenues/Total Export Revenues (est 2000): 65%.
Proven Oil Reserves (est 2002): 2,5 billion barrels
Oil Production (est. 2001): 527,000 barrels per day of which 519,000 bbl/d was crude oil (EU members are the major customers)
Oil Consumption (est. 2001): 260,000 barrels per day
Crude Oil Refining Capacity (est. 2002): 242,140 barrels per day
Natural Gas Reserves (est.2002): 8.5 trillion cubic feet
Year of independence: 1946 (from French Mandate)
Territorial dispute with: Israel and Turkey.
Political system: Republic «Democratic, Popular and Socialist». The legislature is unicameral. The sole chamber, the People's Council (Majlis al-Chaab), has 250 members, directly elected for a four-year term.
Head of State (President): Bashar AL-ASSAD (since 17 July 2000)
First Vice-President : Farouq Charaa (Feb 2002)
Prime Minister: Mohammed Naji al-Otri (Sept 2003)
Minister for Foreign Affairs: M.Wallid El-Mouallem (Feb 2006)
Minister of Interior: Général Bassam Abdelmajid (Feb 2006)
Minister of Information: M. Mohsen Bilal (Feb 2006)
Minister of Finance: Mohamad Al Hussein (September 2003, he was Vice-President for Economic affairs in the previous cabinet)
Minister of Justice: M. Mohamed Al-Ghafari (Oct 2004)
Minister of Trade: M.Amer Hosni Lotfi (Oct 2004)
Some features:
Syria's oil production is currently estimated at 527,000 barrels/day. With proven oil reserves expected to last only about 10 more years and a population growing at 2'6% per year, Syria may become a net importer of oil within the next decade.
Syria maintains claims on the Sandjak of Alexandretta (now the Hatay province of Turkey) which the French handed to Turkey in 1939 as a gift to guarantee Turkisch neutrality in a possible war with Germany.
From February 1958 until September 1961, Syria and Egypt were unified in the United Arab Republic (U.A.R), with Gamal Abd El Nasser as President.
Bashar AL-ASSAD replaced his father Hafez AL ASSAD soon after his death on 10th June 2000.
Syria has a mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia, Libya and Egypt.
Higher oil prices and a better off agricultural sector are the key factors in the current signs of economic recovery.
EU-Syria relations :
The EU is the main trading partner of Syria. The EU receives 34% of Syrian exports and 50% of Syrian imports come from the EU (1998).
The trade deficit in 1998 was US $ 29,900,000 in favour of Syria. The rising oil prices will certainly increase this trade gap.
A Cooperation Agreement with the EU has been signed in 1977.
In the context of the Barcelona process, Syria signed the MEDA framework convention in August 1998.
Negotiations for a Partnership Agreement with the EU started in 1997 but have not reached conclusion.
Sources (figures) : L'Etat du Monde 2003 (La Découverte), CIA World Factbook 2002, Human Development Report 2001, Energy Information Administration, L'Etat du Monde 2007
Pictures:
(1) The Ommeyad Mosque in Damascus.
(2) Damascus souk main gate.
(3) Remains of the Jupiter Temple in old Damascus.
(4) Bosrah theater.
(Jauly 2008) |
