Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
Jah-Jah.pl / Index countries / Burma (2001) - Syria (2005) / Compare countries
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Burma (2001) - Syria (2005)

Compare Burma (2001) z Syria (2005)

 Burma (2001)Syria (2005)
 BurmaSyria
Administrative divisions 7 divisions* (yin-mya, singular - yin) and 7 states (pyine-mya, singular - pyine); Chin State, Ayeyarwady*, Bago*, Kachin State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Magway*, Mandalay*, Mon State, Rakhine State, Sagaing*, Shan State, Tanintharyi*, Yangon* 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
Age structure 0-14 years:
29.14% (male 6,245,798; female 5,992,074)

15-64 years:
66.08% (male 13,779,571; female 13,970,707)

65 years and over:
4.78% (male 895,554; female 1,110,974) (2001 est.)
0-14 years: 37.4% (male 3,556,795/female 3,350,267)


15-64 years: 59.3% (male 5,601,971/female 5,333,799)


65 years and over: 3.3% (male 288,868/female 317,052) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products paddy rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses; hardwood wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Airports 80 (2000 est.) 92 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
9

over 3,047 m:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
4

914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)
total: 26


over 3,047 m: 5


2,438 to 3,047 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
71

over 3,047 m:
2

1,524 to 2,437 m:
15

914 to 1,523 m:
22

under 914 m:
32 (2000 est.)
total: 66


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 54 (2004 est.)
Area total:
678,500 sq km

land:
657,740 sq km

water:
20,760 sq km
total: 185,180 sq km


land: 184,050 sq km


water: 1,130 sq km


note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas slightly larger than North Dakota
Background Despite multiparty elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party winning a decisive victory, the military junta ruling the country refused to hand over power. Key opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG San Suu Kyi, under house arrest from 1989 to 1995, was again placed under house detention in September 2000; her supporters are routinely harassed or jailed. 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. Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April of 2005. Over the past decade, Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan Heights.
Birth rate 20.13 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 28.29 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues:
$7.9 billion

expenditures:
$12.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.7 billion (FY96/97)
revenues: $6.58 billion


expenditures: $9.45 billion, including capital expenditures of $4.67 billion (2004 est.)
Capital Rangoon (regime refers to the capital as Yangon) Damascus
Climate tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April) 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
Coastline 1,930 km 193 km
Constitution 3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988); national convention started on 9 January 1993 to draft a new constitution; progress has since been stalled 13 March 1973
Country name conventional long form:
Union of Burma

conventional short form:
Burma

local long form:
Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar)

local short form:
Myanma Naingngandaw

former:
Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma
conventional long form: Syrian Arab Republic


conventional short form: Syria


local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah


local short form: Suriyah


former: United Arab Republic (with Egypt)
Currency kyat (MMK) -
Death rate 12.3 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 4.88 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $6 billion (FY99/00 est.) $4 billion (excludes military debt and debt to Russia) (2004 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Permanent Charge d'Affaires Priscilla A. CLAPP

embassy:
581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)

mailing address:
Box B, APO AP 96546

telephone:
[95] (1) 282055, 282182

FAX:
[95] (1) 280409
chief of mission: Ambassador Margaret SCOBEY


embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansur Street, No. 2, Damascus


mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus


telephone: [963] (11) 333-1342


FAX: [963] (11) 331-9678
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission:
Ambassador-designate U LINN MYAING

chancery:
2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 332-9044

FAX:
[1] (202) 332-9046

consulate(s) general:
New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Imad MUSTAFA


chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313


FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548
Disputes - international sporadic border hostilities with Thailand over border alignment and ethnic Shan rebels operating in cross-border region Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1,000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) patrolling a buffer zone since 1964; Lebanon claims Shaba'a farms in Golan Heights; international pressure prompts the removal of Syrian troops and intelligence personel stationed in Lebanon since October 1976; Syria protests Turkish hydrological projects regulating upper Euphrates waters; 2004 Agreement and pending demarcation settles border dispute with Jordan
Economic aid - recipient $99 million (FY98/99) $180 million (2002 est.)
Economy - overview Burma has a mixed economy with private activity dominant in agriculture, light industry, and transport, and with substantial state-controlled activity, mainly in energy, heavy industry, and the rice trade. Government policy in the 1990s has aimed at revitalizing the economy after three decades of tight central planning. Private activity markedly increased in the early to mid-1990s, but began to decline in the past several years due to frustrations with the unfriendly business environment and political pressure from western nations. Published estimates of Burma's foreign trade are greatly understated because of the volume of black-market, illicit, and border trade. A major ongoing problem is the failure to achieve monetary and fiscal stability. Burma remains a poor Asian country and living standards for the majority have not improved over the past decade. Short-term growth will continue to be restrained because of poor government planning and minimal foreign investment. Real GDP growth rose to 2.3 percent in 2004, a slight increase from 2003 when the predominantly statist economy suffered from disruptions caused by the war in Iraq and other developments in the region. Annual real GDP growth has averaged 2.3 percent for the last seven years. The Government of Syria has implemented modest economic reforms in the last few years, including cutting interest rates, opening private banks, consolidating some of the multiple exchange rates, and raising prices on some subsidized foodstuffs. Nevertheless, the economy remains highly controlled by the government. Long run economic constraints include declining oil production and exports and pressure on water supplies caused by rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and increased water pollution.
Electricity - consumption 4.476 billion kWh (1999) 24.32 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 4.813 billion kWh (1999) 26.15 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
68.56%

hydro:
31.44%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Andaman Sea 0 m

highest point:
Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m


highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water
Environment - international agreements party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Mon 2%, Indian 2%, other 5% Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Exchange rates kyats per US dollar - official rate - 6.5972 (January 2001), 6.5167 (2000), 6.2858 (1999), 6.3432 (1998), 6.2418 (1997), 5.9176 (1996); kyats per US dollar - black market exchange rate - 435 (yearend 2000) Syrian pounds per US dollar - (official rate): 11.225 (2004), 11.225 (2003), 11.225 (2002), 11.225 (2001), 11.225 (2000), (parallel market rate in Amman and Beirut) NA (2004), 52.8 (2003), 52.4 (2002), 50.4 (2002), 49.4 (2000)
Executive branch chief of state:
Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note - the prime minister is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:
Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note - the prime minister is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet:
State Peace and Development Council (SPDC); military junta, so named 15 November 1997, which initially assumed power 18 September 1988 under the name State Law and Order Restoration Council; the SPDC oversees the cabinet

elections:
none; the prime minister assumed power upon resignation of the former prime minister
chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice Presidents Abd al-Halim ibn Said KHADDAM (since 11 March 1984) and Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984)


head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-UTRI (since 10 September 2003)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; referendum/election last held 10 July 2000 - after the death of President Hafiz al-ASAD, father of Bashar al-ASAD - (next to be held 2007); vice presidents appointed by the president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president


election results: Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.29%


note: Hafiz al-ASAD died on 10 June 2000; on 20 June 2000, the Ba'th Party nominated Bashar al-ASAD for president and presented his name to the People's Council on 25 June 2000
Exports $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 285,000 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities apparel 36%, foodstuffs 22%, wood products 21%, precious stones 5% (1999) crude oil, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat
Exports - partners India 13%, Singapore 11%, China 11%, US 8% (1999 est.)

note:
official trade statistics do not include trade in illicit goods - such as narcotics, teak, and gems - or the largely unrecorded border trade with China and Thailand
Italy 22.7%, France 18%, Turkey 12.9%, Iraq 9%, Saudi Arabia 6.2% (2004)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March calendar year
Flag description red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing, all in white, 14 five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the 14 administrative divisions three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black, colors associated with the Arab Liberation flag; two small green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; former flag of the United Arab Republic where the two stars represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band, Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band, and that of Egypt, which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band; the current design dates to 1980
GDP purchasing power parity - $63.7 billion (2000 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
42%

industry:
17%

services:
41% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 25%


industry: 31%


services: 44% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $3,400 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.9% (2000 est.) 2.3% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 22 00 N, 98 00 E 35 00 N, 38 00 E
Geography - note strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.)
Heliports 1 (2000 est.) 7 (2004 est.)
Highways total:
28,200 km

paved:
3,440 km

unpaved:
24,760 km (1996)
total: 45,697 km


paved: 6,489 km (including 1,001 km of expressways)


unpaved: 39,208 km (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
2.8%

highest 10%:
32.4% (1998)
lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs world's second largest producer of illicit opium, after Afghanistan (potential production in 1999 - 1,090 metric tons, down 38% due to drought; cultivation in 1999 - 89,500 hectares, a 31% decline from 1998); surrender of drug warlord KHUN SA's Mong Tai Army in January 1996 was hailed by Rangoon as a major counternarcotics success, but lack of government will and ability to take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; becoming a major source of methamphetamine for regional consumption a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls, bank privatization may leave it vulnerable to money-laundering
Imports $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999) NA
Imports - commodities machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, food products machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper
Imports - partners Singapore 28%, Thailand 12%, China 10%, Japan 10%, South Korea 9% (1999 est.) Turkey 9.4%, Ukraine 8.7%, China 7.8%, Russia 5.4%, Saudi Arabia 5.2%, US 4.7%, South Korea 4.6%, Italy 4.3% (2004)
Independence 4 January 1948 (from UK) 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 7% (2002 est.)
Industries agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining
Infant mortality rate 73.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 29.53 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 29.76 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 29.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 18% (1999) 2.1% (2004 est.)
International organization participation ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1

note:
as of September 2000, Internet connections were legal only for the government, tourist offices, and a few large businesses (2000)
-
Irrigated land 10,680 sq km (1993 est.) 12,130 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch remnants of the British-era legal system are in place, but there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not independent of the executive Supreme Constitutional Court (justices are appointed for four-year terms by the president); High Judicial Council; Court of Cassation; State Security Courts
Labor force 19.7 million (FY98/99 est.) 5.12 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 65%, industry 10%, services 25% (1999 est.) agriculture 30%, industry 27%, services 43% (2002 est.)
Land boundaries total:
5,876 km

border countries:
Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km
total: 2,253 km


border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km
Land use arable land:
15%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
1%

forests and woodland:
49%

other:
34% (1993 est.)
arable land: 25.22%


permanent crops: 4.43%


other: 70.35% (2001)
Languages Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
Legal system has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never convened

election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NLD 392, SNLD 23, NUP 10, other 60
unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-Shaab (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 2-3 March 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - NPF 67%, independents 33%; seats by party - NPF 167, independents 83; note - the constitution guarantees that the Ba'th Party (part of the NPF alliance) receives one-half of the seats
Life expectancy at birth total population:
55.16 years

male:
53.73 years

female:
56.68 years (2001 est.)
total population: 70.03 years


male: 68.75 years


female: 71.38 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
83.1%

male:
88.7%

female:
77.7% (1995 est.)

note:
these are official statistics; estimates of functional literacy are likely closer to 30% (1999 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 76.9%


male: 89.7%


female: 64% (2003 est.)
Location Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Map references Southeast Asia Middle East
Maritime claims contiguous zone:
24 NM

continental shelf:
200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 41 nm
Merchant marine total:
37 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 411,181 GRT/632,769 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 11, cargo 20, container 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2

note:
includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Japan 2 (2000 est.)
total: 120 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 446,981 GRT/636,620 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 105, container 1, livestock carrier 4, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1


foreign-owned: 12 (Egypt 1, Greece 1, Jordan 2, Lebanon 7, Romania 1)


registered in other countries: 73 (2005)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force (includes Air Defense Command), Police and Security Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $39 million (FY97/98) $858 million (FY00 est.); note - based on official budget data that may understate actual spending
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.1% (FY97/98) 5.9% (FY00)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
12,050,964

females age 15-49:
12,070,017

note:
both sexes liable for military service (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
6,425,514

females age 15-49:
6,419,677 (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
470,667

females:
479,691 (2001 est.)
-
National holiday Independence Day, 4 January (1948) Independence Day, 17 April (1946)
Nationality noun:
Burmese (singular and plural)

adjective:
Burmese
noun: Syrian(s)


adjective: Syrian
Natural hazards destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts dust storms, sandstorms
Natural resources petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
Net migration rate -1.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 1,343 km; natural gas 330 km gas 2,300 km; oil 2,183 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary]; National Unity Party or NUP (proregime) [THA KYAW]; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [U KHUN TUN OO]; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (proregime, a social and political organization) [THAN AUNG, general secretary]; and other smaller parties Arab Socialist Unionist Movement [Ahmed al-AHMED]; National Progressive Front or NPF (includes Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party; the governing party) [President Bashar al-ASAD, secretary general]; Socialist Unionist Democratic Party [Fadlallal Nasr Al-DIN]; Syrian Arab Socialist Party or ASP [Safwan QUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party (two branches) [Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yuusuf Rashid FAYSAL]; Syrian Social National Party [Jubran URAYJI]; Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez ISMAIL]
Political pressure groups and leaders All Burma Student Democratic Front or ABSDF; Kachin Independence Army or KIA; Karen National Union or KNU; National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB [Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals legitimately elected to the People's Assembly but not recognized by the military regime; the group fled to a border area and joined with insurgents in December 1990 to form a parallel government; several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA conservative religious leaders; Kurdish Democratic Alliance [leader NA]; Kurdish Democratic Front [leader NA]; Muslim Brotherhood (operates in exile in London) [Ali Badr Eddine al-BAYANOUNI]; National Democratic Front [Hassan Abd al-AZIM]
Population 41,994,678

note:
estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
18,448,752


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 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line 23% (1997 est.) 20% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate 0.6% (2001 est.) 2.34% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors Bassein, Bhamo, Chauk, Mandalay, Moulmein, Myitkyina, Rangoon, Akyab (Sittwe), Tavoy Baniyas, Latakia
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1998) AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios 4.2 million (1997) -
Railways total:
3,991 km

narrow gauge:
3,991 km 1.000-m gauge
total: 2,711 km


standard gauge: 2,460 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2004)
Religions Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2% Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
Sex ratio at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.81 male(s)/female

total population:
0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
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: 0.91 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government; international service is good

domestic:
NA

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
general assessment: fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology


domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network


international: country code - 963; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 1 submarine cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel
Telephones - main lines in use 250,000 (2000) 2,099,300 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 8,492 (1997) 400,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 2 (1998) 44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
Total fertility rate 2.3 children born/woman (2001 est.) 3.5 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 7.1% (official FY97/98 est.) 20% (2002 est.)
Waterways 12,800 km

note:
3,200 km navigable by large commercial vessels
900 km (not economically significant) (2002)
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.