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NAVIGATION
Syrian Arab Republic
Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah
former: United Arab Republic (with Egypt)
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Syria was administered by the French until independence in 1946. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. Since 1976, Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon, ostensibly in a peacekeeping capacity. In recent years, Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan Heights. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey |
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Geographic coordinates:
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35 00 N, 38 00 E |
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Map references:
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Middle East |
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Area:
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total: 185,180 sq km
note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory water: 1,130 sq km land: 184,050 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than North Dakota |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,253 km
border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km |
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Coastline:
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193 km |
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 41 NM
territorial sea: 35 NM |
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Climate:
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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 |
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Terrain:
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primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m
highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 25.96%
permanent crops: 4.08% other: 69.96% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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12,130 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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dust storms, sandstorms |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
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Geography - note:
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there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.) |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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17,585,540 (July 2002 est.)
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 (February 2003 est.) (July 2003 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 38.6% (male 3,494,473; female 3,290,699)
15-64 years: 58.2% (male 5,238,026; female 4,991,588) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 274,744; female 296,010) (2003 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 19.7 years
male: 19.6 years female: 19.9 years (2002) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.45% (2003 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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29.54 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.04 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 31.67 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 31.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 31.89 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 69.39 years
male: 68.18 years female: 70.67 years (2003 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.72 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.01% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Syrian(s)
adjective: Syrian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7% |
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Religions:
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Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo) |
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Languages:
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Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 76.9% male: 89.7% female: 64% (2003 est.) |