Compare Qatar (2003) - Syria (2002)

Compare Qatar (2003) z Syria (2002)

	Qatar (2003)	Syria (2002)

Administrative divisions	10 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Sa'id, Umm Salal	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: 24.7% (male 102,938; female 98,934) 15-64 years: 72.4% (male 415,302; female 176,183) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 17,199; female 6,496) (2003 est.)	0-14 years: 39.3% (male 3,467,267; female 3,264,639) 15-64 years: 57.5% (male 5,052,841; female 4,817,662) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 267,803; female 285,602) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products	fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish	wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Airports	4 (2002)	99 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 over 3,047 m: 2 (2002)	total: 24 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)	total: 68 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 55 (2002)
Area	total: 11,437 sq km land: 11,437 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	slightly smaller than Connecticut	slightly larger than North Dakota
Background	Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. He was overthrown by his son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oil and natural gas revenues enable Qatar to have a per capita income not far below the leading industrial countries of Western Europe.	Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Syria was administered by the French until independence in 1946. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. Since 1976, Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon, ostensibly in a peacekeeping capacity. In recent years, Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan Heights.
Birth rate	15.68 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	30.11 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget	revenues: $5 billion expenditures: $5.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.2 billion (FY 02/03 est.)	revenues: $5 billion expenditures: $7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital	Doha	Damascus
Climate	arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers	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	563 km	193 km
Constitution	provisional constitution enacted 19 April 1972; in July 1999 Amir HAMAD issued a decree forming a committee to draft a permanent constitution; in the 29 April 2003 referendum, 96.6% of Qatari voters approved the new constitution	13 March 1973
Country name	conventional long form: State of Qatar conventional short form: Qatar local long form: Dawlat Qatar local short form: Qatar note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation falls between cutter and gutter, but not like guitar	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	Qatari rial (QAR)	Syrian pound (SYP)
Death rate	4.43 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	5.12 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external	$15.4 billion (2002 est.)	$22 billion (2001 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Maureen E. QUINN embassy: Al-Luqtas District, 22 February Road, Doha mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha telephone: [974] 488 4101 FAX: [974] 488 4298	chief of mission: Ambassador Theodore H. KATTOUF 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 Badr Umar al-DAFA chancery: 4200 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600 FAX: [1] (202) 237-0061 consulate(s) general: Houston	chief of mission: Ambassador Rustum al-ZU'BI 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; dispute with upstream riparian Turkey over Turkish water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; Syrian troops in northern, central, and eastern Lebanon since October 1976; Turkey is quick to rebuff any perceived Syrian claim to Hatay province
Economic aid - recipient	$NA	$199 million (1997 est.)
Economy - overview	Oil and gas account for more than 55% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have given Qatar a per capita GDP comparable to that of the leading West European industrial countries. Proved oil reserves of 14.5 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 23 years. Production and export of natural gas are becoming increasingly important to the economy. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 17.9 trillion cubic meters, more than 5% of the world total and third largest in the world. Long-term goals feature the development of offshore natural gas reserves. Since 2000, Qatar has consistently posted trade surpluses largely because of high oil prices and increased natural gas exports, and Qatar's economy is expected to receive an added boost as it begins to increase liquid natural gas exports.	Syria's predominantly statist economy has been growing slower than its 2.5% annual population growth rate, causing a persistent decline in per capita GDP. President Bashar AL-ASAD has made little progress on the economic front after one year in office, but does appear willing to permit a gradual strengthening of the private sector. His most obvious accomplishment to this end was the recent passage of legislation allowing private banks to operate in Syria, although a private banking sector will take years and further government cooperation to develop. ASAD's recent cabinet reshuffle may improve his chances of implementing further growth-oriented policies, although external factors such as the international war on terrorism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and downturn in oil prices could weaken the foreign investment and government revenues Syria needs to flourish. A long-run economic constraint is the pressure on water supplies caused by rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and increased water pollution.
Electricity - consumption	8.616 billion kWh (2001)	17.671 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	650 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production	9.264 billion kWh (2001)	19.7 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	fossil fuel: 64% hydro: 36% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m	lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
Environment - current issues	limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities	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, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups	Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%	Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Exchange rates	Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.64 (2002), 3.64 (2001), 3.64 (2000), 3.64 (1999), 3.64 (1998)	Syrian pounds per US dollar - 51 (December 2001), 46 (2000), 46 (1998), 41.9 (January 1997)
Executive branch	chief of state: Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani (since 27 June 1995 when, as crown prince, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad Al Thani, in a bloodless coup); Crown Prince JASIM bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, third son of the monarch (selected crown prince by the monarch 22 October 1996); note - Amir HAMAD also holds the positions of minister of defense and commander-in-chief of the armed forces head of government: Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the monarch (since 30 October 1996); Deputy Prime Minister MUHAMMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the monarch (since 20 January 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary note: in April 2003, Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member Central Municipal Council (CMC), which has consultative powers aimed at improving the provision of municipal services; the first election for the CMC was held in March 1999	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 Mustafa MIRU (since 13 March 2000), Deputy Prime Ministers Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since 11 March 1984), Farouk al-SHARA (since 13 December 2001), Dr. Muhammad al-HUSAYN (since 13 December 2001) 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 Hafez al-ASAD, father of Bashar al-ASAD - (next to be held NA 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	NA (2001)	$5 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities	petroleum products, fertilizers, steel	crude oil 68%, textiles 7%, fruits and vegetables 6%, raw cotton 4% (1998 est.)
Exports - partners	Japan 40.1%, South Korea 16.6%, Singapore 8.2%, US 4.1% (2002)	Germany 27%, Italy 12%, France 10%, Turkey 10%, Saudi Arabia 7% (2000 est.)
Fiscal year	1 April - 31 March	calendar year
Flag description	maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side	three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black, with two small green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band, and of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band
GDP	purchasing power parity - $15.91 billion (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $54.2 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 0.4% industry: 67.6% services: 32% (2000 est.)	agriculture: 27% industry: 23% services: 50% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $20,100 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	4.6% (2002 est.)	2% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	25 30 N, 51 15 E	35 00 N, 38 00 E
Geography - note	strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits	there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.)
Heliports	1 (2002)	7 (2002)
Highways	total: 1,230 km paved: 1,107 km unpaved: 123 km (1999 est.)	total: 41,451 km paved: 9,575 km (including 877 km of expressways) unpaved: 31,876 km (1997)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	-	a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and Western markets
Imports	NA (2001)	$4 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities	machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals	machinery and transport equipment 21%, food and livestock 18%, metal and metal products 15%, chemicals and chemical products 10% (2000 est.)
Imports - partners	France 17.8%, Japan 10.1%, US 8.5%, UK 8.3%, Germany 8%, Italy 6.7%, UAE 5.1%, Saudi Arabia 4.1%, South Korea 4% (2002)	Italy 9%, Germany 7%, France 5%, Lebanon 5%, China 4%, South Korea 4%, Turkey 4%, US 4% (2000 est.)
Independence	3 September 1971 (from UK)	17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	NA%
Industries	crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement	petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining
Infant mortality rate	total: 20.03 deaths/1,000 live births male: 23.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)	32.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1.9% (2002)	0.3% (2001 est.)
International organization participation	ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO	AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	1 (2000)	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	130 sq km (1998 est.)	12,130 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Court of Appeal	Supreme Constitutional Court (justices are appointed for four-year terms by the president); High Judicial Council; Court of Cassation; State Security Courts
Labor force	280,122 (1997 est.)	4.7 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture 40%, industry 20%, services 40% (1996 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 60 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 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: 1.27% permanent crops: 0.27% other: 98.46% (1998 est.)	arable land: 25.96% permanent crops: 4.08% other: 69.96% (1998 est.)
Languages	Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language	Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
Legal system	discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters	based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members appointed) note: no legislative elections have been held since 1970 when there were partial elections to the body; Council members have had their terms extended every four years since; the new constitution provides for a 45-member Consultative Council, or Majlis al-Shura; the public would elect two-thirds of the Majlis al-Shura; the amir would appoint the remaining members	unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-shaab (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 30 November-1 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2002) 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: 73.14 years male: 70.65 years female: 75.76 years (2003 est.)	total population: 69.08 years male: 67.9 years female: 70.32 years (2002 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 82.5% male: 81.4% female: 85% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 70.8% male: 85.7% female: 55.8% (1997 est.)
Location	Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia	Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Map references	Middle East	Middle East
Maritime claims	contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line territorial sea: 12 NM	contiguous zone: 41 NM territorial sea: 35 NM
Merchant marine	total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 638,815 GRT/995,096 DWT ships by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 2, combination ore/oil 2, container 7, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Kuwait 1, UAE 3 (2002 est.)	total: 143 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 482,985 GRT/702,590 DWT ships by type: bulk 12, cargo 126, livestock carrier 4, roll on/roll off 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Egypt 1, Greece 2, Italy 1, Lebanon 10 (2002 est.)
Military branches	Army, Navy, Air Force	Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force (includes Air Defense Forces), Police and Security Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$723 million (FY00)	$921 million (FY00 est.); note - based on official budget data that may understate actual spending
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	10% (FY00)	5.9% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 320,835 note: includes non-nationals (2003 est.)	males age 15-49: 4,550,496 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 168,416 (2003 est.)	males age 15-49: 2,539,342 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age	18 years of age (2003 est.)	19 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 7,192 (2003 est.)	males: 200,859 (2002 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 3 September (1971)	Independence Day, 17 April (1946)
Nationality	noun: Qatari(s) adjective: Qatari	noun: Syrian(s) adjective: Syrian
Natural hazards	haze, dust storms, sandstorms common	dust storms, sandstorms
Natural resources	petroleum, natural gas, fish	petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
Net migration rate	17.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines	condensate 90 km; condensate/gas 209 km; gas 902 km; liquid petroleum gas 87 km; oil 722 km; oil/gas/water 41 km (2003)	crude oil 1,304 km; petroleum products 515 km
Political parties and leaders	none	National Progressive Front or NPF (includes the Ba'th Party, ASU, Arab Socialist Party, Socialist Unionist Democratic Party, ASP, SCP) [President Bashar al-ASAD, chairman]; Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party (governing party) [President Bashar al-ASAD, secretary general]; Syrian Arab Socialist Party or ASP [Safwan KOUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party or SCP [Yusuf FAYSAL]; Syrian Social National Party [Jubran URAYJI]
Political pressure groups and leaders	none	conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood (operates in exile in Jordan and Yemen); non-Ba'th parties have little effective political influence
Population	817,052 (July 2003 est.)	17,155,814 (July 2002 est.) note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and about 20,000 Israeli settlers (February 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	15%-25%
Population growth rate	2.87% (2003 est.)	2.5% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	Doha, Halul Island, Umm Sa'id (Musay'id)	Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus
Radio broadcast stations	AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998)	AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios	-	4.15 million (1997)
Railways	0 km	total: 2,750 km standard gauge: 2,423 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 327 km 1.050-m gauge note: rail link between Syria and Iraq replaced in 2000 (2001)
Religions	Muslim 95%	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: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 2.36 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 2.65 male(s)/female total population: 1.9 male(s)/female (2003 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: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: modern system centered in Doha domestic: NA international: tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat	general assessment: fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network international: 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	142,000 (1997)	1.313 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular	43,476 (1997)	NA
Television broadcast stations	1 (plus three repeaters) (2001)	44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain	mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel	primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
Total fertility rate	3.02 children born/woman (2003 est.)	3.84 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate	2.7% (2001)	20% (2000 est.)
Waterways	none	870 km (minimal economic importance)

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