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Compare Romania (2002) - Syria (2006)

Compare Romania (2002) z Syria (2006)

 Romania (2002)Syria (2006)
 RomaniaSyria
Administrative divisions 41 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Ilfov, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea 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: 17.4% (male 1,992,505; female 1,898,122)


15-64 years: 68.8% (male 7,618,801; female 7,726,300)


65 years and over: 13.8% (male 1,274,881; female 1,807,121) (2002 est.)
0-14 years: 37% (male 3,592,915/female 3,384,722)


15-64 years: 59.7% (male 5,779,257/female 5,500,887)


65 years and over: 3.3% (male 296,070/female 327,510) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs, sheep wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Airports 61 (2001) 92 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 25


over 3,047 m: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 9


1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 (2002)
total: 26


over 3,047 m: 6


2,438 to 3,047 m: 15


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 37


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 12


under 914 m: 23 (2002)
total: 66


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 54 (2006)
Area total: 237,500 sq km


land: 230,340 sq km


water: 7,160 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 Oregon slightly larger than North Dakota
Background Soviet occupation following World War II led to the formation of a Communist "peoples republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power by a fractious coalition of center-right parties. Currently, the Social Democratic Party forms a nominally minority government, which governs with the support of the opposition Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania. Much economic restructuring remains to be carried out before Romania can achieve its hope of joining the European Union. 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, but 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, and over the past decade Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over its return. Following the death of President al-ASAD in July 2000, his son, Bashar al-ASAD, was approved as president by popular referendum. Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April of 2005.
Birth rate 10.81 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 27.76 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $11.7 billion


expenditures: $12.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
revenues: $6.392 billion


expenditures: $7.613 billion; including capital expenditures of $3.23 billion (2005 est.)
Capital Bucharest 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 temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms 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 225 km 193 km
Constitution 8 December 1991 13 March 1973
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Romania


local long form: none


local short form: Romania
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 leu (ROL) -
Death rate 12.27 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 4.81 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $11.6 billion (2001 est.) $8.566 billion; note - excludes military debt and debt to Russia (2005 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Michael GUEST


embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest


mailing address: American Embassy Bucharest, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5260 (pouch)


telephone: [40] (21) 210-4042


FAX: [40] (21) 210-0395


branch office(s): Cluj-Napoca
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) 333-1342


FAX: [963] (11) 224-7938
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Sorin Dumitru DUCARU


chancery: 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 332-4846, 4848, 4851


FAX: [1] (202) 232-4748


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and 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 Romania and Ukraine have yet to resolve claims over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy (Snake) Island and delimitation of Black Sea maritime boundary, despite 1997 bilateral treaty to find a solution in two years and numerous talks; because of a shift in the Danube course since the last correction of the boundary in 1920, a joint Bulgarian-Romanian team will recommend sovereignty changes to several islands and redefine the boundary 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 personnel stationed in Lebanon since October 1976; 2004 Agreement and pending demarcation settles border dispute with Jordan
Economic aid - recipient - $180 million (2002 est.)
Economy - overview Romania, one of the poorest countries of Central and Eastern Europe, began the transition from Communism in 1989 with a largely obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the country's needs. Over the past decade economic restructuring has lagged behind most other countries in the region. Consequently, living standards have continued to fall - real wages are down perhaps 40%. The country emerged in 2000 from a punishing three-year recession thanks to strong demand in EU export markets, and despite the global slowdown in 2001, strong domestic activity in construction, agriculture, and consumption led to 4.8% growth. A standby agreement with the IMF - covering the period October 2001 to March 2003 - provides a key opportunity for vigorous privatization, regulatory reform, deficit reduction, and the curbing of inflation. The government in the past has not been able to fully implement IMF agreements; its degree of success in this case will affect prospects for joining the EU. The Syrian Government estimates the economy grew by 4.5 percent in real terms in 2005, led by the petroleum and agricultural sectors, which together account for about half of GDP. Economic performance and the exchange rate on the informal market were hit by international political developments following the assassination in February of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-HARIRI and the specter of international sanctions. Higher crude oil prices countered declining oil production and exports and helped to narrow the budget deficit and widen the current account surplus. 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, increasing pressure on water supplies caused by rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and water pollution.
Electricity - consumption 45.677 billion kWh (2000) 28.26 billion kWh (2003 est.)
Electricity - exports 1.4 billion kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 775 million kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 49.787 billion kWh (2000) 29.53 billion kWh (2003 est.)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 53%


hydro: 37%


nuclear: 10%


other: 0% (2000)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Black Sea 0 m


highest point: Moldoveanu 2,544 m
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m


highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
Environment - current issues soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water
Environment - international agreements party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 6.6%, Roma 2.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, Turkish 0.2%, other 0.4% (2002) Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Exchange rates lei per US dollar - 35,052.0 (January 2002), 29,060.8 (2001), 21,708.7 (2000), 15,332.8 (1999), 8,875.6 (1998), 7,167.9 (1997); note - lei is the plural form of leu Syrian pounds per US dollar - (public sector rate): 11.225 (2005), 11.225 (2004), 11.225 (2003), 11.225 (2002), 11.225 (2001), (parallel market rate in 'Amman and Beirut): NA (2005), NA (2004), 52.8 (2003), 52.4 (2002), 50.4 (2001), (official rate for repaying loans): 11.25 (2004)
Executive branch chief of state: President Ion ILIESCU (since 20 December 2000)


head of government: Prime Minister Adrian NASTASE (since 29 December 2000)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister


elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 November 2000, with runoff between the top two candidates held 10 December 2000 (next to be held NA November/December 2004); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: percent of vote - Ion ILIESCU 66.84%, Corneliu Vadim TUDOR 33.16%
chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice President Farouk al-SHARA (since 11 February 2006)


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


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president approved by popular referendum for a seven-year term (no term limits); referendum last held 10 July 2000 - after the death of President Hafiz al-ASAD, father of Bashar al-ASAD - (next to be held 2007); vice president appointed by the president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president


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


note: Hafiz al-ASAD died on 10 June 2000; on 20 June, the Ba'th Party nominated Bashar al-ASAD for president and presented his name to the People's Council on 25 June; he was approved by a popular referendum on 10 July
Exports $11.5 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) 285,000 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities textiles and footwear 26%, metals and metal products 15%, machinery and equipment 11%, minerals and fuels 6% (1999) crude oil, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat
Exports - partners Italy 22%, Germany 16%, France 7%, Turkey 6%, US (2000) Iraq 22.3%, Saudi Arabia 15.3%, Italy 8.4%, Germany 8.3%, Lebanon 7.7%, Egypt 4.3%, France 4.2% (2005)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band has been removed; now similar to the flag of Chad, also resembles the flags of Andorra and Moldova 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 - $152.7 billion (2001 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 15%


industry: 30%


services: 55% (2000)
agriculture: 24.9%


industry: 23%


services: 51.9% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $6,800 (2001 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 4.8% (2001 est.) 2.8% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 46 00 N, 25 00 E 35 00 N, 38 00 E
Geography - note controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 2005 est.)
Heliports 1 (2002) 7 (2006)
Highways total: 153,359 km


paved: 103,671 km (including 133 km of expressways)


unpaved: 49,688 km (1998 est.)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 4%


highest 10%: 23% (1994)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls and bank privatization may leave it vulnerable to money-laundering
Imports $14.4 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment 23%, fuels and minerals 12%, chemicals 9%, textile and products 19% (1999) machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper
Imports - partners Italy 19%, Germany 15%, Russia 9%, France 6% (2000) Saudi Arabia 10.6%, China 5.6%, Egypt 5.4%, Italy 5.3%, UAE 5.2%, Ukraine 4.2%, Germany 4.1% (2005)
Independence 9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from Turkey; independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin; kingdom proclaimed 26 March 1881; republic proclaimed 30 December 1947) 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Industrial production growth rate 6.5% (2001) 7% (2002 est.)
Industries textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining
Infant mortality rate 18.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) total: 28.61 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 28.85 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 28.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 34.5% (2001 est.) 5% (2005 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC 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, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 38 (2000) -
Irrigated land 28,800 sq km (1998 est.) 13,330 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistrates) Supreme Constitutional Court (adjudicates electoral disputes and rules on constitutionality of laws and decrees; justices appointed for four-year terms by the President); High Judicial Council (appoints and dismisses judges; headed by the President); Court of Cassation (national level); State Security Courts (hear cases related to national security); Personal Status Courts (religious; hear cases related to marriage and divorce); Courts of First Instance (local level; include magistrate, summary, and peace courts)
Labor force 9.9 million (1999 est.) 5.12 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 40%, industry 25%, services 35% (1998) agriculture: 30%


industry: 27%


services: 43% (2002 est.)
Land boundaries total: 2,508 km


border countries: Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia and Montenegro 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 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: 40.57%


permanent crops: 2.4%


other: 57.03% (1998 est.)
arable land: 24.8%


permanent crops: 4.47%


other: 70.73% (2005)
Languages Romanian, Hungarian, German Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
Legal system former mixture of civil law system and communist legal theory; is now based on the constitution of France's Fifth Republic based on a combination of French and Ottoman civil law; religious law is used in the family court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (140 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Adunarea Deputatilor (345 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held in the fall of 2004); Chamber of Deputies - last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held in the fall of 2004)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDSR 37.1%, PRM 21.0%, PD 7.6%, PNL 7.5%, UDMR 6.9%; seats by party - PDSR 65, PRM 37, PD 13, PNL 13, UDMR 12; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PDSR 36.6%, PRM 19.5%, PD 7.0%, PNL, 6.9%, UDMR 6.8%; seats by party - PDSR 155, PRM 84, PD 31, PNL 30, UDMR 27, ethnic minorities 18
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 in 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: 70.39 years


male: 66.62 years


female: 74.39 years (2002 est.)
total population: 70.32 years


male: 69.01 years


female: 71.7 years (2006 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97%


male: 98%


female: 95% (1992 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 76.9%


male: 89.7%


female: 64% (2003 est.)
Location Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Map references Europe Middle East
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 41 nm
Merchant marine total: 70 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 561,470 GRT/754,836 DWT


ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 47, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier 2, roll on/roll off 4


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Greece 1, Italy 5 (2002 est.)
total: 108 ships (1000 GRT or over) 386,603 GRT/563,506 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 93, container 1, livestock carrier 4, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1


foreign-owned: 11 (Lebanon 7, Romania 3, UAE 1)


registered in other countries: 130 (Cambodia 20, Comoros 4, Cyprus 3, Dominica 1, Georgia 43, Hong Kong 1, North Korea 14, Lebanon 1, Malta 7, Mongolia 1, Panama 18, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Sierra Leone 1, Slovakia 2, unknown 5) (2006)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (AMR), Paramilitary Forces, Civil Defense, Border Guards Syrian Armed Forces: Syrian Arab Army (includes Syrian Arab Navy), Syrian Arab Air and Air Defense Force (includes Air Defense Command) (2005)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $985 million (2002) $858 million (FY00 est.); note - based on official budget data that may understate actual spending
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.47% (2002) 5.9% (FY00)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 5,906,601 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 4,970,496 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - military age 20 years of age (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 179,951 (2002 est.) -
National holiday Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918) Independence Day, 17 April (1946)
Nationality noun: Romanian(s)


adjective: Romanian
noun: Syrian(s)


adjective: Syrian
Natural hazards earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides dust storms, sandstorms
Natural resources petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
Net migration rate -0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 2,800 km; petroleum products 1,429 km; natural gas 6,400 km (1992) gas 2,764 km; oil 2,000 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders Democratic Party or PD [Traian BASESCU]; Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Valeriu STOICA]; Romania Mare Party (Greater Romanian Party) or PRM [Corneliu Vadim TUDOR]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Adrian NASTASE], formerly known as the Party of Social Democracy in Romania or PDSR 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 various human rights and professional associations Kurdish Democratic Alliance (includes several groups but has no designated leader); Kurdish Democratic Front (includes several groups but has no designated leader); Muslim Brotherhood (operates in exile in London) [Sadr al-Din al-BAYANUNI]; National Democratic Front [Hassan Abd al-AZIM]
Population 22,317,730 (July 2002 est.) 18,881,361


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 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line 45% (2000) 20% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate -0.21% (2002 est.) 2.3% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors Braila, Constanta, Galati, Mangalia, Sulina, Tulcea -
Radio broadcast stations AM 40, FM 202, shortwave 3 (1998) AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios 7.2 million (1997) -
Railways total: 11,385 km (3,888 km electrified)


standard gauge: 10,898 km 1.435-m gauge


broad gage: 60 km 1.524-m gauge


narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2001)
total: 2,711 km


standard gauge: 2,460 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2005)
Religions Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 87%, Protestant 6.8%, Catholic 5.6%, other (mostly Muslim) 0.4%, unaffiliated 0.2% (2002) 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: 1.05 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female


total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 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: 0.9 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: poor domestic service, but improving


domestic: 90% of telephone network is automatic; trunk network is mostly microwave radio relay, with some fiber-optic cable; about one-third of exchange capacity is digital; roughly 3,300 villages have no service


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; new digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest; note - Romania is an active participant in several international telecommunication network projects (1999)
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 3.777 million (1997) 2.903 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 645,500 (1999) 2.95 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations 48 (plus 392 repeaters) (1995) 44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
Total fertility rate 1.35 children born/woman (2002 est.) 3.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 9.1% (2001) 12.3% (2004 est.)
Waterways 1,724 km (1984) 900 km (not economically significant) (2005)
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