factbook.json/middle-east/sy.json

{
  "Introduction": {
    "Background": {
      "text": "<p>After World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French administered the area until granting it independence in 1946. The new country lacked political stability and experienced a series of military coups. Syria united with Egypt in 1958 to form the United Arab Republic. In 1961, the two entities separated, and the Syrian Arab Republic was reestablished. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost control of the Golan Heights region to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held occasional, albeit unsuccessful, peace talks over its return. In 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a member of the socialist Ba'ath Party and the minority Alawi sect, seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country. Following the death of al-ASAD, his son, Bashar al-ASAD, was approved as president by popular referendum in 2000. Syrian troops that were stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role were withdrawn in 2005. During the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizballah, Syria placed its military forces on alert but did not intervene directly on behalf of its ally Hizballah. In 2007, Bashar al-ASAD's second term as president was again approved in a referendum.</p> <p>In the wake of major uprisings elsewhere in the region, antigovernment protests broke out in the southern province of Dar'a in 2011. Protesters called for the legalization of political parties, the removal of corrupt local officials, and the repeal of the restrictive Emergency Law allowing arrests without charge. Demonstrations and violent unrest spread across Syria, and the government responded with concessions, but also with military force and detentions that led to extended clashes and eventually civil war. International pressure on the Syrian Government intensified after 2011, as the Arab League, the EU, Turkey, and the US expanded economic sanctions against the ASAD regime and those entities that supported it. In 2012, more than 130 countries recognized the Syrian National Coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. In 2015, Russia launched a military intervention on behalf of the ASAD regime, and domestic and foreign-government-aligned forces recaptured swaths of territory from opposition forces. With foreign support, the regime continued to periodically regain opposition-held territory until 2020, when Turkish firepower halted a regime advance and forced a stalemate between regime and opposition forces. The government lacks territorial control over much of the northeastern part of the country, which the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) hold, and a smaller area dominated by Turkey. <br><br>Since 2016, Turkey has conducted three large-scale military operations to capture territory along Syria's northern border. Some opposition forces organized under the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army and Turkish forces have maintained control of northwestern Syria along the Turkish border with the Afrin area of Aleppo Province since 2018. The violent extremist organization Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly the Nusrah Front) emerged in 2017 as the predominant opposition force in Idlib Province, and still dominates an area also hosting Turkish forces. Negotiations have failed to produce a resolution to the conflict, and the UN estimated in 2022 that at least 306,000 people have died during the civil war. Approximately 6.7 million Syrians were internally displaced as of 2022, and 14.6 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance across the country. An additional 5.6 million Syrians were registered refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and North Africa. The conflict in Syria remains one of the two largest displacement crises worldwide (the other is the full-scale invasion of Ukraine).<br><br>On 8 December 2024, Syrian Islamist rebels captured the capital city of Damascus and overthrew President Bashar al-ASAD. The former president and his family fled to Moscow, where they were granted political asylum. 
    }
  },
  "Geography": {
    "Location": {
      "text": "Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey"
    },
    "Geographic coordinates": {
      "text": "35 00 N, 38 00 E"
    },
    "Map references": {
      "text": "Middle East"
    },
    "Area": {
      "total ": {
        "text": "187,437 sq km"
      },
      "land": {
        "text": "185,887 sq km"
      },
      "water": {
        "text": "1,550 sq km"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory"
    },
    "Area - comparative": {
      "text": "slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Pennsylvania"
    },
    "Land boundaries": {
      "total": {
        "text": "2,363 km"
      },
      "border countries": {
        "text": "Iraq 599 km; Israel 83 km; Jordan 379 km; Lebanon 403 km; Turkey 899 km"
      }
    },
    "Coastline": {
      "text": "193 km"
    },
    "Maritime claims": {
      "territorial sea": {
        "text": "12 nm"
      },
      "contiguous zone": {
        "text": "24 nm"
      }
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "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"
    },
    "Terrain": {
      "text": "primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west"
    },
    "Elevation": {
      "highest point": {
        "text": "Mount Hermon (Jabal a-Shayk) 2,814 m"
      },
      "lowest point": {
        "text": "Yarmuk River -66 m"
      },
      "mean elevation": {
        "text": "514 m"
      }
    },
    "Natural resources": {
      "text": "petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower"
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "75.8% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: arable land": {
        "text": "arable land: 25.4% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent crops": {
        "text": "permanent crops: 5.8% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
        "text": "permanent pasture: 44.6% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "2.7% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "21.5% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Irrigated land": {
      "text": "13,100 sq km (2013)"
    },
    "Major rivers (by length in km)": {
      "text": "Euphrates (shared with Turkey [s], Iran, and Iraq [m]) - 3,596 km; Tigris (shared with Turkey, Iran, and Iraq [m]) - 1,950 km<br><strong>note</strong> – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth"
    },
    "Major watersheds (area sq km)": {
      "text": "Indian Ocean drainage: <em>(Persian Gulf)</em> Tigris and Euphrates (918,044 sq km)"
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "significant population density along the Mediterranean coast; larger concentrations found in the major cities of Damascus, Aleppo (the country's largest city), and Hims (Homs); more than half of the population lives in the coastal plain, the province of Halab, and the Euphrates River valley",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> the ongoing civil war has altered the population distribution"
    },
    "Natural hazards": {
      "text": "<p>dust storms, sandstorms</p><p><strong>volcanism:</strong> Syria's two historically active volcanoes, Es Safa and an unnamed volcano near the Turkish border have not erupted in centuries</p>"
    },
    "Geography - note": {
      "text": "the capital of Damascus -- located at an oasis fed by the Barada River -- is thought to be one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities; there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights (2017)"
    }
  },
  "People and Society": {
    "Population": {
      "total": {
        "text": "23,865,423"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "11,981,578"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "11,883,845 (2024 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Nationality": {
      "noun": {
        "text": "Syrian(s)"
      },
      "adjective": {
        "text": "Syrian"
      }
    },
    "Ethnic groups": {
      "text": "Arab ~50%, Alawite ~15%, Kurd ~10%, Levantine ~10%, other ~15% (includes Druze, Ismaili, Imami, Nusairi, Assyrian, Turkoman, Armenian)"
    },
    "Languages": {
      "Languages": {
        "text": "Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French, English"
      },
      "major-language sample(s)": {
        "text": "<br>كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)<br><br>ڕاستییەکانی جیهان، باشترین سەرچاوەیە بۆ زانیارییە بنەڕەتییەکان (Kurdish)<br><br>The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information."
      }
    },
    "Religions": {
      "text": "Muslim 87% (official; includes Sunni 74% and Alawi, Ismaili, and Shia 13%), Christian 10% (includes Orthodox, Uniate, and Nestorian), Druze 3%",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong>  the Christian population may be considerably smaller as a result of Christians fleeing the country during the ongoing civil war"
    },
    "Age structure": {
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "33% (male 4,037,493/female 3,828,777)"
      },
      "15-64 years": {
        "text": "62.8% (male 7,475,355/female 7,522,797)"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "4.2% (2024 est.) (male 468,730/female 532,271)"
      }
    },
    "Dependency ratios": {
      "total dependency ratio": {
        "text": "55.4"
      },
      "youth dependency ratio": {
        "text": "53"
      },
      "elderly dependency ratio": {
        "text": "7.4"
      },
      "potential support ratio": {
        "text": "13.5 (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Median age": {
      "total": {
        "text": "24.1 years (2024 est.)"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "23.6 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "24.7 years"
      }
    },
    "Population growth rate": {
      "text": "1.67% (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Birth rate": {
      "text": "21.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Death rate": {
      "text": "4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Net migration rate": {
      "text": "-1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "significant population density along the Mediterranean coast; larger concentrations found in the major cities of Damascus, Aleppo (the country's largest city), and Hims (Homs); more than half of the population lives in the coastal plain, the province of Halab, and the Euphrates River valley",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> the ongoing civil war has altered the population distribution"
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "57.4% of total population (2023)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "5.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major urban areas - population": {
      "text": "2.585 million DAMASCUS (capital), 2.203 million Aleppo, 1.443 million Hims (Homs), 996,000 Hamah (2023)"
    },
    "Sex ratio": {
      "at birth": {
        "text": "1.06 male(s)/female"
      },
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "1.05 male(s)/female"
      },
      "15-64 years": {
        "text": "0.99 male(s)/female"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "0.88 male(s)/female"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Maternal mortality ratio": {
      "text": "30 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)"
    },
    "Infant mortality rate": {
      "total": {
        "text": "15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "16.6 deaths/1,000 live births"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "13.5 deaths/1,000 live births"
      }
    },
    "Life expectancy at birth": {
      "total population": {
        "text": "74.8 years (2024 est.)"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "73.4 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "76.4 years"
      }
    },
    "Total fertility rate": {
      "text": "2.69 children born/woman (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Gross reproduction rate": {
      "text": "1.31 (2024 est.)"
    },
    "Contraceptive prevalence rate": {
      "text": "NA"
    },
    "Drinking water source": {
      "improved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 99.6% of population"
      },
      "improved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 100% of population"
      },
      "improved: total": {
        "text": "total: 99.8% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 0.4% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 0.7% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: total": {
        "text": "total: 0.2% of population (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Current health expenditure": {
      "text": "NA"
    },
    "Physician density": {
      "text": "1.29 physicians/1,000 population (2016)"
    },
    "Hospital bed density": {
      "text": "1.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)"
    },
    "Sanitation facility access": {
      "improved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 99.5% of population"
      },
      "improved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 99.5% of population"
      },
      "improved: total": {
        "text": "total: 99.5% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 0.5% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 0.5% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: total": {
        "text": "total: 0.5% of population (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": {
      "text": "27.8% (2016)"
    },
    "Alcohol consumption per capita": {
      "total": {
        "text": "0.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "beer": {
        "text": "0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "wine": {
        "text": "0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "spirits": {
        "text": "0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "other alcohols": {
        "text": "0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": {
      "text": "NA"
    },
    "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": {
      "text": "52.6% (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Education expenditures": {
      "text": "NA"
    },
    "Literacy": {
      "definition": {
        "text": "age 15 and over can read and write"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "86.4%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "91.7%"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "81% (2015)"
      }
    },
    "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": {
      "total": {
        "text": "9 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "9 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "9 years (2013)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Environment": {
    "Environment - current issues": {
      "text": "deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; depletion of water resources; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water"
    },
    "Environment - international agreements": {
      "party to": {
        "text": "Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands"
      },
      "signed, but not ratified": {
        "text": "Environmental Modification"
      }
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "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"
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "75.8% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: arable land": {
        "text": "arable land: 25.4% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent crops": {
        "text": "permanent crops: 5.8% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
        "text": "permanent pasture: 44.6% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "2.7% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "21.5% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "57.4% of total population (2023)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "5.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Food insecurity": {
      "exceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies": {
        "text": "<em>due to civil conflict and economic crisis - </em>based on the World Food Program’s (WFP’s) food security and agriculture sector estimated that about 15 million people are in need of some form of food and agriculture assistance (representing 68 percent of the total population), of whom about 12.1 million are food insecure and about 2.9 million people are estimated to be at risk of food insecurity; fuel scarcity and increases in fuel prices led to a rise in transportation and freight charges for goods, both imported and domestically produced, including agricultural and food products; additional price increases at retail level further constrained the already weakened purchasing power of the majority of the population threatening their food security (2023)"
      }
    },
    "Air pollutants": {
      "particulate matter emissions": {
        "text": "25.14 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)"
      },
      "carbon dioxide emissions": {
        "text": "28.83 megatons (2016 est.)"
      },
      "methane emissions": {
        "text": "12.93 megatons (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Waste and recycling": {
      "municipal solid waste generated annually": {
        "text": "4.5 million tons (2009 est.)"
      },
      "municipal solid waste recycled annually": {
        "text": "112,500 tons (2010 est.)"
      },
      "percent of municipal solid waste recycled": {
        "text": "2.5% (2010 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major rivers (by length in km)": {
      "text": "Euphrates (shared with Turkey [s], Iran, and Iraq [m]) - 3,596 km; Tigris (shared with Turkey, Iran, and Iraq [m]) - 1,950 km<br><strong>note</strong> – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth"
    },
    "Major watersheds (area sq km)": {
      "text": "Indian Ocean drainage: <em>(Persian Gulf)</em> Tigris and Euphrates (918,044 sq km)"
    },
    "Total water withdrawal": {
      "municipal": {
        "text": "1.48 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)"
      },
      "industrial": {
        "text": "620 million cubic meters (2020 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural": {
        "text": "14.67 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Total renewable water resources": {
      "text": "16.8 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)"
    }
  },
  "Government": {
    "Country name": {
      "conventional long form": {
        "text": "Syrian Arab Republic"
      },
      "conventional short form": {
        "text": "Syria"
      },
      "local long form": {
        "text": "Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah"
      },
      "local short form": {
        "text": "Suriyah"
      },
      "former": {
        "text": "United Arab Republic (with Egypt)"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "name ultimately derived from the ancient Assyrians who dominated northern Mesopotamia, but whose reach also extended westward to the Levant; over time, the name came to be associated more with the western area"
      }
    },
    "Government type": {
      "text": "presidential republic; highly authoritarian regime"
    },
    "Capital": {
      "name": {
        "text": "Damascus"
      },
      "geographic coordinates": {
        "text": "33 30 N, 36 18 E"
      },
      "time difference": {
        "text": "UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "Damascus is a very old city; its earliest name, Temeseq, first appears in an Egyptian geographical list of the 15th century B.C., but the meaning is uncertain"
      }
    },
    "Administrative divisions": {
      "text": "14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah (Latakia), Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq (Damascus), Halab (Aleppo), Hamah, Hims (Homs), Idlib, Rif Dimashq (Damascus Countryside), Tartus"
    },
    "Independence": {
      "text": "17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)"
    },
    "National holiday": {
      "text": "Independence Day (Evacuation Day), 17 April (1946); note - celebrates the leaving of the last French troops and the proclamation of full independence"
    },
    "Legal system": {
      "text": "mixed legal system of civil and Islamic (sharia) law (for family courts)"
    },
    "Constitution": {
      "history": {
        "text": "<p>several previous; latest issued 15 February 2012, passed by referendum and effective 27 February 2012; note – UN-sponsored talks, which began in late 2019 between delegates from government and opposition forces to draft a new constitution; in June 2022, the 8th round of the Syrian Constitutional Committee ended in Geneva with no results, and the 9th round, scheduled for July 2022, was cancelled due to lack of Russian and regime participation</p>"
      },
      "amendments": {
        "text": "proposed by the president of the republic or by one third of the People&rsquo;s Assembly members; following review by a special Assembly committee, passage requires at least three-quarters majority vote by the Assembly and approval by the president"
      }
    },
    "International law organization participation": {
      "text": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICC"
    },
    "Citizenship": {
      "citizenship by birth": {
        "text": "no"
      },
      "citizenship by descent only": {
        "text": "the father must be a citizen of Syria; if the father is unknown or stateless, the mother must be a citizen of Syria"
      },
      "dual citizenship recognized": {
        "text": "yes"
      },
      "residency requirement for naturalization": {
        "text": "10 years"
      }
    },
    "Suffrage": {
      "text": "18 years of age; universal"
    },
    "Executive branch": {
      "chief of state": {
        "text": "vacant; former President Bashar al-ASAD was overthrown by Islamist rebels on 8 December 2024; ASAD and his family flew to Moscow where they were granted political asylum"
      },
      "head of government": {
        "text": "Prime Minister Muhammad al-BASHIR (since 8 December 2024)"
      },
      "cabinet": {
        "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president"
      },
      "elections/appointments": {
        "text": "president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 May 2021 (next to be held in 2028); the president appoints the vice president and prime minister"
      },
      "election results": {
        "text": "<em><br>2021: </em>Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD (Ba'th Party) 95.2%, Mahmoud Ahmad MAREI (Democratic Arab Socialist Union) 3.3%, other 1.5%<br><br><em>2014: </em>Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD (Ba'th Party) 88.7%, Hassan al-NOURI (independent) 4.3%, Maher HAJJER (independent) 3.2%, other/invalid 3.8%"
      }
    },
    "Legislative branch": {
      "legislature name": {
        "text": "People's Assembly (Majlis Al-Chaab)"
      },
      "legislative structure": {
        "text": "unicameral"
      },
      "number of seats": {
        "text": "250 (all directly elected)"
      },
      "electoral system": {
        "text": "plurality/majority"
      },
      "scope of elections": {
        "text": "full renewal"
      },
      "term in office": {
        "text": "4 years"
      },
      "most recent election date": {
        "text": "7/15/2024"
      },
      "percentage of women in chamber": {
        "text": "9.6%"
      },
      "expected date of next election": {
        "text": "July 2028"
      }
    },
    "Judicial branch": {
      "highest court(s)": {
        "text": "Court of Cassation (organized into civil, criminal, religious, and military divisions, each with 3 judges); Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of 7 members)"
      },
      "judge selection and term of office": {
        "text": "Court of Cassation judges appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), a judicial management body headed by the minister of justice with 7 members, including the national president; judge tenure NA; Supreme Constitutional Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the SJC; judges serve 4-year renewable terms"
      },
      "subordinate courts": {
        "text": "courts of first instance; magistrates' courts; religious and military courts; Economic Security Court; Counterterrorism Court (established June 2012)"
      }
    },
    "Political parties": {
      "text": "<strong>legal parties/alliances:<br></strong> Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party<br>Arab Socialist (Ba'ath) Party – Syrian Regional<br>Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syrian Regional Branch, Socialist Unionist Democratic Party<br>Arab Socialist Union of Syria or ASU<br>Democratic Arab Socialist Union<br>National Progressive Front or NPF<br>Socialist Unionist Democratic Party<br>Socialist Unionist Party<br>Syrian Communist Party (two branches)<br>Syrian Social Nationalist Party or SSNP<br>Unionist Socialist Party<br><strong><br>major political organizations:<br></strong>Kurdish Democratic Union Party or PYD<br>Kurdish National Council or KNC<br>Syriac Union Party<br>Syrian Democratic Council or SDC<br>Syrian Democratic Party<br>Syrian Opposition Coalition<br> <p><strong>de facto governance entities:<br></strong>Democratic Autonomous Administration of Northeast Syria or DAANES <br>Syrian Interim Government or SIG<br>Syrian Salvation Government or SSG</p>"
    },
    "International organization participation": {
      "text": "ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, ICSID, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WBG, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)"
    },
    "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
      "text": "none<strong><br><br>Note</strong>:  operations at the embassy were suspended on 18 March 2014"
    },
    "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
      "chief of mission": {
        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); note - on 6 February 2012, the US suspended operations at its embassy in Damascus; Czechia serves as a protecting power for US interests in Syria"
      },
      "mailing address": {
        "text": "6110 Damascus Place, Washington DC&nbsp; 20521-6110"
      },
      "email address and website": {
        "text": "<br>USIS_damascus@embassy.mzv.cz<br><br>https://sy.usembassy.gov/"
      }
    },
    "Flag description": {
      "text": "three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; two small, green, five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); identical to the former flag of the United Arab Republic (1958-1961) where the two stars represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; the current design dates to 1980",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> 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"
    },
    "National symbol(s)": {
      "text": "hawk; national colors: red, white, black, green"
    },
    "National anthem": {
      "name": {
        "text": "\"Humat ad-Diyar\" (Guardians of the Homeland)"
      },
      "lyrics/music": {
        "text": "Khalil Mardam BEY/Mohammad Salim FLAYFEL and Ahmad Salim FLAYFEL"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> adopted 1936, restored 1961; between 1958 and 1961, while Syria was a member of the United Arab Republic with Egypt, the country had a different anthem"
    },
    "National heritage": {
      "total World Heritage Sites": {
        "text": "6 (all cultural)"
      },
      "selected World Heritage Site locales": {
        "text": "Ancient City of Damascus; Ancient City of Bosra; Site of Palmyra; Ancient City of Aleppo; Crac des Chevaliers and Qal&rsquo;at Salah El-Din; Ancient Villages of Northern Syria"
      }
    }
  },
  "Economy": {
    "Economic overview": {
      "text": "low-income Middle Eastern economy; prior infrastructure and economy devastated by 11-year civil war; ongoing US sanctions; sporadic trans-migration during conflict; currently being supported by World Bank trust fund; ongoing hyperinflation"
    },
    "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": {
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": {
        "text": "$100.066 billion (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": {
        "text": "$99.338 billion (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020": {
        "text": "$97.529 billion (2020 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars"
    },
    "Real GDP growth rate": {
      "Real GDP growth rate 2022": {
        "text": "0.73% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP growth rate 2021": {
        "text": "1.85% (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP growth rate 2020": {
        "text": "-0.18% (2020 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency"
    },
    "Real GDP per capita": {
      "Real GDP per capita 2022": {
        "text": "$4,500 (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP per capita 2021": {
        "text": "$4,600 (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP per capita 2020": {
        "text": "$4,600 (2020 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars"
    },
    "GDP (official exchange rate)": {
      "text": "$23.623 billion (2022 est.)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate"
    },
    "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": {
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": {
        "text": "13.42% (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018": {
        "text": "0.94% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": {
        "text": "18.08% (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": {
      "agriculture": {
        "text": "43.1% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "industry": {
        "text": "12% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "services": {
        "text": "44.9% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data"
    },
    "GDP - composition, by end use": {
      "household consumption": {
        "text": "114.8% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "government consumption": {
        "text": "2.7% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "investment in fixed capital": {
        "text": "4.5% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "exports of goods and services": {
        "text": "6.8% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "imports of goods and services": {
        "text": "-28.8% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection"
    },
    "Agricultural products": {
      "text": "wheat, milk, olives, sheep milk, tomatoes, potatoes, maize, watermelons, apples, oranges (2022)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage"
    },
    "Industries": {
      "text": "petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing, automobile assembly"
    },
    "Industrial production growth rate": {
      "text": "-13.39% (2022 est.)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency"
    },
    "Labor force": {
      "text": "6.354 million (2023 est.)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work"
    },
    "Unemployment rate": {
      "Unemployment rate 2023": {
        "text": "13.54% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "Unemployment rate 2022": {
        "text": "13.81% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Unemployment rate 2021": {
        "text": "14.8% (2021 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment"
    },
    "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": {
      "total": {
        "text": "33.5% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "29.8% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "52.6% (2023 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment"
    },
    "Population below poverty line": {
      "text": "82.5% (2014 est.)"
    },
    "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": {
      "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022": {
        "text": "26.6 (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Household income or consumption by percentage share": {
      "lowest 10%": {
        "text": "3.8% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "highest 10%": {
        "text": "21.1% (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Remittances": {
      "Remittances 2022": {
        "text": "0% of GDP (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Remittances 2021": {
        "text": "0% of GDP (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Remittances 2020": {
        "text": "0% of GDP (2020 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities"
    },
    "Budget": {
      "revenues": {
        "text": "$1.162 billion (2017 est.)"
      },
      "expenditures": {
        "text": "$3.211 billion (2017 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> government projections for FY2016"
    },
    "Public debt": {
      "Public debt 2017": {
        "text": "94.8% of GDP (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Taxes and other revenues": {
      "text": "4.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Current account balance": {
      "Current account balance 2017": {
        "text": "-$2.123 billion (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Current account balance 2016": {
        "text": "-$2.077 billion (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Exports": {
      "Exports 2021": {
        "text": "$2.224 billion (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Exports 2020": {
        "text": "$1.649 billion (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Exports 2019": {
        "text": "$2.94 billion (2019 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note: </strong>GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars"
    },
    "Exports - partners": {
      "text": "Turkey 29%, Kuwait 15%, Lebanon 14%, Jordan 8%, Egypt 7% (2022)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports"
    },
    "Exports - commodities": {
      "text": "pure olive oil, nuts, phosphates, cotton, garments (2022)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars"
    },
    "Imports": {
      "Imports 2021": {
        "text": "$6.553 billion (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Imports 2020": {
        "text": "$3.751 billion (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Imports 2019": {
        "text": "$6.552 billion (2019 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note: </strong>GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars"
    },
    "Imports - partners": {
      "text": "Turkey 45%, UAE 10%, China 9%, Lebanon 8%, Egypt 7% (2022)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports"
    },
    "Imports - commodities": {
      "text": "tobacco, plastics, wheat, seed oils, plastic products (2022)",
      "note": "<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars"
    },
    "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": {
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": {
        "text": "$407.3 million (31 December 2017 est.)"
      },
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016": {
        "text": "$504.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Debt - external": {
      "Debt - external 2023": {
        "text": "$4.578 billion (2023 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars"
    },
    "Exchange rates": {
      "Currency": {
        "text": "Syrian pounds (SYP) per US dollar -"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2022": {
        "text": "2,505.747 (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2021": {
        "text": "1,256 (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2020": {
        "text": "877.945 (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2019": {
        "text": "436.5 (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2018": {
        "text": "436.5 (2018 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Energy": {
    "Electricity access": {
      "electrification - total population": {
        "text": "89% (2022 est.)"
      },
      "electrification - urban areas": {
        "text": "100%"
      },
      "electrification - rural areas": {
        "text": "75%"
      }
    },
    "Electricity": {
      "installed generating capacity": {
        "text": "10.124 million kW (2022 est.)"
      },
      "consumption": {
        "text": "12.909 billion kWh (2022 est.)"
      },
      "exports": {
        "text": "346 million kWh (2022 est.)"
      },
      "transmission/distribution losses": {
        "text": "3.618 billion kWh (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Electricity generation sources": {
      "fossil fuels": {
        "text": "95.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)"
      },
      "hydroelectricity": {
        "text": "4.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)"
      },
      "biomass and waste": {
        "text": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Coal": {
      "consumption": {
        "text": "47,000 metric tons (2022 est.)"
      },
      "exports": {
        "text": "(2022 est.) less than 1 metric ton"
      },
      "imports": {
        "text": "30,000 metric tons (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Petroleum": {
      "total petroleum production": {
        "text": "100,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)"
      },
      "refined petroleum consumption": {
        "text": "138,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)"
      },
      "crude oil estimated reserves": {
        "text": "2.5 billion barrels (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Natural gas": {
      "production": {
        "text": "3.085 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)"
      },
      "consumption": {
        "text": "3.084 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)"
      },
      "proven reserves": {
        "text": "240.693 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Carbon dioxide emissions": {
      "total emissions": {
        "text": "25.628 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)"
      },
      "from coal and metallurgical coke": {
        "text": "100,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)"
      },
      "from petroleum and other liquids": {
        "text": "19.478 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)"
      },
      "from consumed natural gas": {
        "text": "6.05 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Energy consumption per capita": {
      "Total energy consumption per capita 2022": {
        "text": "18.111 million Btu/person (2022 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Communications": {
    "Telephones - fixed lines": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "2.816 million (2023 est.)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "12 (2023 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telephones - mobile cellular": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "15.1 million (2023 est.)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "80 (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telecommunication systems": {
      "general assessment": {
        "text": "the years of civil war and destruction to infrastructure continue to have a toll on the telecoms sector in Syria; although over the years the major mobile service providers have endeavored to restore and rebuild damaged networks, the operating environment has been difficult; following disputed demands for back taxes, MTN Group in August 2021 exited the country, after its majority stake had been transferred to judicial guardianship; this effectively meant that the mobile market became a monopoly; in February 2022 the regulator awarded a third mobile license following a process which had been ongoing for many years; telecommunication services in Syria are highly regulated; although urban areas can make use of the network built and maintained by the government-owned incumbent, many under served remote areas in the countryside are obliged to rely on satellite communications; the domestic and international fixed-line markets in Syria remain the monopoly of the STE, despite several initiatives over the years aimed at liberalizing the market; mobile broadband penetration in Syria is still quite low, despite quite a high population coverage of 3G networks and some deployment of LTE infrastructure; this may provide potential opportunities for growth once infrastructure and economic reconstruction efforts make headway, and civil issues subside (2022)"
      },
      "domestic": {
        "text": "the number of fixed-line connections is 13 per 100; mobile-cellular service is 80 per 100 persons (2021)"
      },
      "international": {
        "text": "country code - 963; landing points for the Aletar, BERYTAR and UGART submarine cable connections to Egypt, Lebanon, and Cyprus; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel (2019)"
      }
    },
    "Broadcast media": {
      "text": "state-run TV and radio broadcast networks;&nbsp;state operates 2 TV networks and&nbsp;5 satellite channels; roughly two-thirds of Syrian homes have a satellite dish providing access to foreign TV broadcasts; 3 state-run radio channels; first private radio station launched in 2005; private radio broadcasters prohibited from transmitting news or political content (2018)"
    },
    "Internet country code": {
      "text": ".sy"
    },
    "Internet users": {
      "percent of population": {
        "text": "36% (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": {
      "total": {
        "text": "1.62 million (2023 est.)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "7 (2023 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Transportation": {
    "National air transport system": {
      "number of registered air carriers": {
        "text": "3 (2020)"
      },
      "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": {
        "text": "11"
      },
      "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": {
        "text": "17,896 (2018)"
      },
      "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": {
        "text": "30,000 (2018) mt-km"
      }
    },
    "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": {
      "text": "YK"
    },
    "Airports": {
      "text": "39 (2024)"
    },
    "Heliports": {
      "text": "12 (2024)"
    },
    "Pipelines": {
      "text": "3,170 km gas, 2029 km oil (2013)"
    },
    "Railways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "2,052 km (2014)"
      },
      "standard gauge": {
        "text": "1,801 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge"
      },
      "narrow gauge": {
        "text": "251 km (2014) 1.050-m gauge"
      }
    },
    "Roadways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "69,873 km"
      },
      "paved": {
        "text": "63,060 km"
      },
      "unpaved": {
        "text": "6,813 km (2010)"
      }
    },
    "Waterways": {
      "text": "900 km (2011) (navigable but not economically significant)"
    },
    "Merchant marine": {
      "total": {
        "text": "24 (2023)"
      },
      "by type": {
        "text": "bulk carrier 1, container ship 1, general cargo 8, oil tanker 1, other 13"
      }
    },
    "Ports": {
      "total ports": {
        "text": "3 (2024)"
      },
      "large": {
        "text": "1"
      },
      "medium": {
        "text": "1"
      },
      "small": {
        "text": "1"
      },
      "very small": {
        "text": "0"
      },
      "ports with oil terminals": {
        "text": "3"
      },
      "key ports": {
        "text": "Al Ladhiqiyah, Baniyas, Tartus"
      }
    }
  },
  "Military and Security": {
    "Military and security forces": {
      "text": "prior to the fall of the Syrian ASAD regime in December 2024, the Syrian Armed Forces (SAF) consisted of the Syrian Arab Army (included the Republican Guard), Syrian Naval Forces, Syrian Air Forces, Syrian Air Defense Forces, National Defense Forces (NDF), and Local Defense Forces (LDF); the NDF and LDF were pro-government militia and auxiliary forces, some of which were backed by Iran (2024)"
    },
    "Military expenditures": {
      "Military Expenditures 2019": {
        "text": "6.5% of GDP (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2018": {
        "text": "6.7% of GDP (2018 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2017": {
        "text": "6.8% of GDP (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2016": {
        "text": "6.9% of GDP (2016 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2015": {
        "text": "7.2% of GDP (2015 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Military and security service personnel strengths": {
      "text": "not available; prior to the start of the civil war in 2011, the SAF had approximately 300,000 total troops (2024)"
    },
    "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
      "text": "prior to the fall of the ASAD regime in December 2024, the SAF was inventory was comprised mostly of Russian and Soviet-era weapons and equipment (2024)"
    },
    "Military service age and obligation": {
      "text": "prior to the fall of the ASAD regime in December 2024, men 18-42 were obligated to perform military service; compulsory service obligation was up to 30 months; women were not conscripted but could volunteer to serve, including in combat arms (2024)",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> the military was comprised largely of conscripts; men in their late 40s and 50s reportedly had been drafted into military service during the civil war"
    },
    "Military - note": {
      "text": "the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) has operated in the Golan between Israel and Syria since 1974 to monitor the ceasefire following the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and supervise the areas of separation between the two countries; UNDOF has about 1,000 personnel (2024)"
    }
  },
  "Space": {
    "Space agency/agencies": {
      "text": "Syrian Space Agency (created in 2014); General Organization of Remote Sensing (GORS; established 1986 to replace the National Remote Sensing Center, established 1981) (2024)"
    },
    "Space program overview": {
      "text": "status unclear; has been handicapped by the impact of the civil war, including the loss of students and scientists who fled the country; had previously focused on satellite development and related space technologies, as well as scientific research; has relations with the space agency and space industries of Russia (2024)",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide"
    }
  },
  "Terrorism": {
    "Terrorist group(s)": {
      "text": "Abdallah Azzam Brigades; Ansar al-Islam; Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq; Hizballah; Hurras al-Din; Islamic Jihad Union; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Kata'ib Hizballah; Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK); Mujahidin Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem; al-Nusrah Front (Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham); al-Qa'ida; Palestine Liberation Front; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); PFLP-General Command",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide"
    }
  },
  "Transnational Issues": {
    "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
      "refugees (country of origin)": {
        "text": "580,000 (Palestinian Refugees) (2022); 11,121 (Iraq) (2023)"
      },
      "IDPs": {
        "text": "6.865 million (ongoing civil war since 2011) (2022)"
      },
      "stateless persons": {
        "text": "160,000 (2022); note - Syria's stateless population consists of Kurds and Palestinians; stateless persons are prevented from voting, owning land, holding certain jobs, receiving food subsidies or public healthcare, enrolling in public schools, or being legally married to Syrian citizens; in 1962, some 120,000 Syrian Kurds were stripped of their Syrian citizenship, rendering them and their descendants stateless; in 2011, the Syrian Government granted citizenship to thousands of Syrian Kurds as a means of appeasement; however, resolving the question of statelessness is not a priority given Syria's ongoing civil war"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> the ongoing civil war has resulted in more than 5 million registered Syrian refugees - dispersed mainly in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey - as of March 2024"
    },
    "Trafficking in persons": {
      "tier rating": {
        "text": "Tier 3 — Syria does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore, Syria remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to:  https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/syria/"
      }
    },
    "Illicit drugs": {
      "text": "<p>increasing drug trafficking particularly the synthetic stimulant captagon, a mixture of various amphetamines, methamphetamine, and/or other stimulants;  drug smuggling of captagon and other stimulants linked to the Syrian government and Hizballah</p>"
    }
  }
}