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Compare Cayman Islands (2005) - Syria (2008)

Compare Cayman Islands (2005) z Syria (2008)

 Cayman Islands (2005)Syria (2008)
 Cayman IslandsSyria
Administrative divisions 8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay, West End, Western 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: 21.1% (male 4,658/female 4,662)


15-64 years: 70.8% (male 15,284/female 16,050)


65 years and over: 8.2% (male 1,699/female 1,917) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 36.5% (male 3,633,562/female 3,423,435)


15-64 years: 60.1% (male 5,952,275/female 5,664,236)


65 years and over: 3.3% (male 303,346/female 337,893) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products vegetables, fruit; livestock, turtle farming wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Airports 3 (2004 est.) 90 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.)
total: 26


over 3,047 m: 6


2,438 to 3,047 m: 15


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total: 64


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 52 (2007)
Area total: 262 sq km


land: 262 sq km


water: 0 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 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC slightly larger than North Dakota
Background The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during the 18th and 19th centuries. Administered by Jamaica since 1863, they remained a British dependency after 1962 when the former became independent. Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, France administered Syria until its independence in 1946. The country lacked political stability, however, and experienced a series of military coups during its first decades. Syria united with Egypt in February 1958 to form the United Arab Republic. In September 1961, the two entities separated, and the Syrian Arab Republic was reestablished. In November 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a member of the Socialist Ba'th Party and the minority Alawite sect, seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held occasional peace talks over its return. Following the death of President al-ASAD, his son, Bashar al-ASAD, was approved as president by popular referendum in July 2000. Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April 2005. During the July-August 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizballah, Syria placed its military forces on alert but did not intervene directly on behalf of its ally Hizballah.
Birth rate 12.92 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 27.19 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $265.2 million


expenditures: $248.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997)
revenues: $8.45 billion


expenditures: $10.38 billion (2007 est.)
Capital George Town name: Damascus


geographic coordinates: 33 30 N, 36 18 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins 1 April; ends 30 September
Climate tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November 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 160 km 193 km
Constitution 1959; revised 1972 and 1992 13 March 1973
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Cayman Islands
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)
Death rate 4.81 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 4.74 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $70 million (1996) $6.61 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Michael CORBIN


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


mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus


telephone: [963] (11) 3391-4444


FAX: [963] (11) 3391-3999
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) 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 none Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1,000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) patrolling a buffer zone since 1964; lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute; since 2000, Lebanon has claimed Shaba'a farms in the Golan Heights; 2004 Agreement and pending demarcation settles border dispute with Jordan; approximately two million Iraqis have fled the conflict in Iraq with the majority taking refuge in Syria and Jordan
Economic aid - recipient NA $77.85 million (2005 est.)
Economy - overview With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center. More than 40,000 companies were registered in the Cayman Islands as of 1998, including almost 600 banks and trust companies; banking assets exceed $500 billion. A stock exchange was opened in 1997. Tourism is also a mainstay, accounting for about 70% of GDP and 75% of foreign currency earnings. The tourist industry is aimed at the luxury market and caters mainly to visitors from North America. Total tourist arrivals exceeded 1.2 million in 1997, with 600,000 from the US. About 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy one of the highest outputs per capita and one of the highest standards of living in the world. The Syrian economy grew by an estimated 3.5% in real terms in 2007 led by the petroleum and agricultural sectors, which together account for about one-half of GDP. Higher crude oil prices countered declining oil production and led to higher budgetary and export receipts. Damascus has implemented modest economic reforms in the past few years, including cutting lending interest rates, opening private banks, consolidating all of the multiple exchange rates, raising prices on some subsidized items, most notably, gasoline and cement, and establishing the Damascus Stock Exchange-which is set to begin operations in 2008. In October 2007, for example, Damascus raised the price of subsidized gasoline by 20%, and may institute a rationing system in 2008. In addition, President ASAD signed legislative decrees to encourage corporate ownership reform, and to allow the Central Bank to issue Treasury bills and bonds for government debt. Nevertheless, the economy remains highly controlled by the government. Long-run economic constraints include declining oil production, high unemployment and inflation, rising budget deficits, and increasing pressure on water supplies caused by heavy use in agriculture, rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and water pollution.
Electricity - consumption 382.1 million kWh (2002) 34 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2007)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production 410.8 million kWh (2002) 34.94 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: The Bluff 43 m
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m


highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
Environment - current issues no natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchments 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20% Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Exchange rates Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.82 (29 October 2001), 0.83 (3 November 1995), 0.85 (22 November 1993) Syrian pounds per US dollar - 50.0085 (2007), 51.689 (2006), 50 (2005), 48.5 (2004), 52.8 (2003)


note: data for 2004-06 are the public sector rate; data for 2002-03 are the parallel market rate in 'Amman and Beirut; the official rate for repaying loans was 11.25 Syrian pounds per US dollars during 2004-06,
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Governor Bruce DINWIDDY (since 29 May 2002)


head of government: Leader of Government Business Kurt TIBBETTS (since 18 May 2005)


cabinet: Executive Council (three members appointed by the governor, four members elected by the Legislative Assembly)


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or coalition is appointed by the governor Leader of Government Business
chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice President Farouk al-SHARA (since 11 February 2006) oversees foreign policy; Vice President Najah al-ATTAR (since 23 March 2006) oversees cultural policy


head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-UTRI (since 10 September 2003); Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdallah al-DARDARI (since 14 June 2005)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president approved by popular referendum for a second seven-year term (no term limits); referendum last held on 27 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2014); the president appoints the vice presidents, prime minister, and deputy prime ministers


election results: Bashar al-ASAD approved as president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.6%
Exports NA 150,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities turtle products, manufactured consumer goods crude oil, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat
Exports - partners mostly US Iraq 27.3%, Germany 12.1%, Lebanon 9.5%, Italy 6.6%, Egypt 5.3%, Saudi Arabia 4.8% (2006)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March calendar year
Flag description blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Caymanian coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms includes a pineapple and turtle above a shield with three stars (representing the three islands) and a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto HE HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE SEAS 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 an Arabic inscription 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 - composition by sector agriculture: 1.4%


industry: 3.2%


services: 95.4% (1994 est.)
agriculture: 24.6%


industry: 24.4%


services: 51% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $32,300 (2004 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 1.7% (2002 est.) 3.5% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 19 30 N, 80 30 W 35 00 N, 38 00 E
Geography - note important location between Cuba and Central America there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 2005 est.)
Heliports - 7 (2007)
Highways total: 785 km


paved: 785 km (2000)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment to the US and Europe a transit point for opiates, hashish, and cocaine bound for regional and Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls and bank privatization may leave it vulnerable to money laundering
Imports NA 160,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, manufactured goods machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper
Imports - partners US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan Saudi Arabia 12.3%, China 7.9%, Egypt 6.2%, UAE 6%, Germany 4.9%, Italy 4.9%, Ukraine 4.8%, Iran 4.5% (2006)
Independence none (overseas territory of the UK) 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Industrial production growth rate NA% -0.4% (2007 est.)
Industries tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing
Infant mortality rate total: 8.19 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 9.39 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 6.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
total: 27.7 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 27.94 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 27.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.8% (2002) 7% (2007 est.)
International organization participation Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU 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, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Irrigated land NA sq km 13,330 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Summary Court; Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court of Appeal Supreme Judicial Council (appoints and dismisses judges; headed by the President); national level - Supreme Constitutional Court (adjudicates electoral disputes and rules on constitutionality of laws and decrees; justices appointed for four-year terms by the President); Court of Cassation; Appeals Courts (Appeals Courts represent an intermediate level between the Court of Cassation and local level courts); local level - Magistrate Courts; Courts of First Instance; Juvenile Courts; Customs Courts; specialized courts - Economic Security Courts (hear cases related to economic crimes); Supreme State Security Court (hear cases related to national security); Personal Status Courts (religious; hear cases related to marriage and divorce)
Labor force 19,820 (1995) 5.457 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 1.4%, industry 12.6%, services 86% (1995) agriculture: 26%


industry: 14%


services: 60% (2003 est.)
Land boundaries 0 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: 3.85%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 96.15% (2001)
arable land: 24.8%


permanent crops: 4.47%


other: 70.73% (2005)
Languages English Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
Legal system British common law and local statutes based on a combination of French and Ottoman civil law; Islamic law is used in the family court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral Legislative Assembly (18 seats, three appointed members from the Executive Council and 15 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 11 May 2005 (next to be held 2009)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - PPM 9, UDP 5, independent 1
unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-Shaab (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held on 22-23 April 2007 (next to be held in 2011)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPF 172, independents 78
Life expectancy at birth total population: 79.95 years


male: 77.33 years


female: 82.6 years (2005 est.)
total population: 70.61 years


male: 69.27 years


female: 72.02 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school


total population: 98%


male: 98%


female: 98% (1970 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 79.6%


male: 86%


female: 73.6% (2004 census)
Location Caribbean, island group in Caribbean Sea, nearly one-half of the way from Cuba to Honduras Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Middle East
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm
Merchant marine total: 129 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,827,837 GRT/4,555,974 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 29, cargo 12, chemical tanker 39, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 28, roll on/roll off 3


foreign-owned: 126 (Denmark 1, Germany 14, Greece 20, Italy 12, Norway 1, Philippines 1, Sweden 13, Switzerland 11, United Kingdom 9, United States 44) (2005)
total: 96 ships (1000 GRT or over) 353,351 GRT/512,597 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 82, container 1, livestock carrier 4, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1


foreign-owned: 10 (Jordan 2, Lebanon 4, Romania 4)


registered in other countries: 164 (Bolivia 1, Cambodia 32, Comoros 8, Cyprus 2, Dominica 2, Georgia 54, Hong Kong 1, North Korea 7, Lebanon 1, Libya 1, Malta 4, Mongolia 1, Panama 24, Sierra Leone 8, Slovakia 2, St Kitts and Nevis 5, St Vincent and The Grenadines 11, unknown 2) (2007)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK -
Military branches no regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Force Syrian Armed Forces: Syrian Arab Army (includes Syrian Arab Navy), Syrian Arab Air and Air Defense Force (includes Air Defense Command) (2005)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 5.9% (2005 est.)
National holiday Constitution Day, first Monday in July Independence Day, 17 April (1946)
Nationality noun: Caymanian(s)


adjective: Caymanian
noun: Syrian(s)


adjective: Syrian
Natural hazards hurricanes (July to November) dust storms, sandstorms
Natural resources fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
Net migration rate 18.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population


note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2005 est.)
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines - gas 2,794 km; oil 2,000 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders no national teams (loose groupings of political organizations) were formed for the 2000 elections; United Democratic Party or UDP [leader McKeeva BUSH]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [leader Kurt TIBBETTS] legal parties: National Progressive Front or NPF [President Bashar al-ASAD, Dr. Suleiman QADDAH] (includes Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party [President Bashar al-ASAD]; Socialist Unionist Democratic Party [Fadlallah Nasr Al-DIN]; Syrian Arab Socialist Union or ASU [Safwan QUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party (two branches) [Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yusuf Rashid FAYSAL]; Syrian Social Nationalist Party [Ali QANSU]; Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez ISMAIL])


opposition parties not legally recognized:: Arab Democratic Socialist Union Party [Hasan Abdul AZIM]; Arab Socialist Movement; Democratic Ba'th Party [Ibrahim MAHKOS]; People's Democratic Party [Riad al TURK]; Revolutionary Workers' Party [Abdul Hafeez al HAFEZ]


Kurdish parties (considered illegal): Kurdish Democratic Front [Abdul Hamid DARWISH] (includes four parties); Kurdish Coordination [Abdul Hakim BASHAR] (includes Azadi Party [Kheirudin MURAD], Future Party [Masha'l TAMMO], Yekity Party [Hasam SALE])


other parties: Nahda Party [Abdul Aziz al MISLET]; Syrian Democratic Party [Mustafa QALAAJI]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA Damascus Declaration National Council [Riyad SEIF, secretary general] (a broad alliance of opposition groups and individuals including: Committee for Revival of Civil Society [Michel KILO, Riyad SEIF]; Communist Action Party [Fateh JAMOUS]; Kurdish Democratic Alliance; Kurdish Democratic Front; Liberal Nationalists' Movement; National Democratic Front; National Democratic Rally; and Syrian Human Rights Society or HRAS [Fawed FAWUZ]); National Salvation Front (alliance between former Vice President Abd al-Halim KHADDAM, the SMB, and other small opposition groups); Syrian Muslim Brotherhood or SMB [Sadr al-Din al-BAYANUNI]; (operates in exile in London; endorsed the Damascus Declaration but is not an official member)
Population 44,270 (July 2005 est.) 19,314,747


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 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA (2002 est.) 11.9% (2006 est.)
Population growth rate 2.64% (2005 est.) 2.244% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Cayman Brac, George Town -
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2004) AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways - total: 2,711 km


standard gauge: 2,460 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2006)
Religions United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Church of God, other Protestant, Roman Catholic Sunni Muslim 74%, other Muslim (includes Alawite, Druze) 16%, Christian (various denominations) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.061 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.051 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.898 male(s)/female


total population: 1.049 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: reasonably good system


domestic: liberalization of telecom market in 2003 reflected in falling prices and improving services


international: country code - 1-345; 2 submarine fiber optic cables (Maya-1, Cayman-Jamaica); satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology


domestic: the number of fixed-line connections has increased markedly since 2000; mobile-cellular service growing rapidly and teledensity has reached 25 wireless telephones per 100 persons; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network


international: country code - 963; submarine cable connection to 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
Telephones - main lines in use 38,000 (2002) 3.243 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 17,000 (2002) 4.675 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 4 with cable system (2004) 44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
Total fertility rate 1.9 children born/woman (2005 est.) 3.31 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 4.1% (1997) 10% (2007 est.)
Waterways - 900 km (not economically significant) (2005)
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