Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
Jah-Jah.pl / Index countries / Sierra Leone (2004) - Syria (2002) / Compare countries
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Sierra Leone (2004) - Syria (2002)

Compare Sierra Leone (2004) z Syria (2002)

 Sierra Leone (2004)Syria (2002)
 Sierra LeoneSyria
Administrative divisions 3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, 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: 44.8% (male 1,291,621; female 1,343,827)


15-64 years: 52% (male 1,458,610; female 1,599,109)


65 years and over: 3.2% (male 91,232; female 99,490) (2004 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 rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Airports 10 (2003 est.) 99 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
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: 9


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
total: 68


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 55 (2002)
Area total: 71,740 sq km


land: 71,620 sq km


water: 120 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 South Carolina slightly larger than North Dakota
Background The 1991 to 2002 civil war between the government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (well over one-third of the population), many of whom are now refugees in neighboring countries. With the support of the UN peacekeeping force and contributions from the World Bank and international community, demobilization and disarmament of the RUF and Civil Defense Forces (CDF) combatants has been completed. National elections were held in May 2002 and the government continues to slowly reestablish its authority. However, the gradual withdrawal of most UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) peacekeepers in 2004 and early 2005, deteriorating political and economic conditions in Guinea, and the tenuous security situation in neighboring Liberia may present challenges to the continuation of Sierra Leone's stability. 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 43.34 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 30.11 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $96 million


expenditures: $351 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.)
revenues: $5 billion


expenditures: $7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital Freetown Damascus
Climate tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (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 402 km 193 km
Constitution 1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times 13 March 1973
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone


conventional short form: Sierra Leone
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 leone (SLL) Syrian pound (SYP)
Death rate 20.62 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 5.12 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $1.5 billion (2002 est.) $22 billion (2001 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Peter Russell CHAVEAS


embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [232] (22) 226481 through 226485


FAX: [232] (22) 225471
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 Ibrahim M. KAMARA


chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263


FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793
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 domestic fighting among disparate rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have created insurgencies, street violence, looting, arms trafficking, ethnic conflicts, and refugees in border areas; in 2003, Guinea and Sierra Leone established a boundary commission to resolve a dispute over the town of Yenga 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 $103 million (2001 est.) $199 million (1997 est.)
Economy - overview Sierra Leone is an extremely poor African nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. It does have substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources. However, the economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development, following a 11-year civil war. About two-thirds of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Plans continue to reopen bauxite and rutile mines shut down during the conflict. The major source of hard currency consists of the mining of diamonds. The fate of the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad, which is essential to offset the severe trade imbalance and to supplement government revenues. 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 232.6 million 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 250.1 million kWh (2001) 19.7 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 64%


hydro: 36%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m


highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
Environment - current issues rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil exhaustion; civil war depleting natural resources; overfishing 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, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
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 20 native African tribes 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century), refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Exchange rates leones per US dollar - 2,347.94 (2003), 2,099.03 (2002), 1,986.15 (2001), 2,092.12 (2000), 1,804.19 (1999) Syrian pounds per US dollar - 51 (December 2001), 46 (2000), 46 (1998), 41.9 (January 1997)
Executive branch chief of state: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007); note - president's tenure of office is limited to two five-year terms


election results: Ahmad Tejan KABBAH reelected president; percent of vote - Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (SLPP) 70.6%, Ernest KOROMA (APC) 22.4%
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 diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish (1999) crude oil 68%, textiles 7%, fruits and vegetables 6%, raw cotton 4% (1998 est.)
Exports - partners Belgium 61.2%, Germany 14.2%, UK 4.5%, US 4.5% (2003) Germany 27%, Italy 12%, France 10%, Turkey 10%, Saudi Arabia 7% (2000 est.)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue 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 - $3.057 billion (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $54.2 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 49%


industry: 31%


services: 21% (2001 est.)
agriculture: 27%


industry: 23%


services: 50% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $500 (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6.5% (2003 est.) 2% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 8 30 N, 11 30 W 35 00 N, 38 00 E
Geography - note rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.)
Heliports 2 (2003 est.) 7 (2002)
Highways total: 11,330 km


paved: 895 km


unpaved: 10,435 km (1999)
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%: 0.5%


highest 10%: 43.6% (1989)
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 foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals (1995) machinery and transport equipment 21%, food and livestock 18%, metal and metal products 15%, chemicals and chemical products 10% (2000 est.)
Imports - partners Germany 23.7%, UK 9.9%, Cote d'Ivoire 7.4%, France 7.4%, US 5.3%, Netherlands 5.1%, Ukraine 4.6% (2003) Italy 9%, Germany 7%, France 5%, Lebanon 5%, China 4%, South Korea 4%, Turkey 4%, US 4% (2000 est.)
Independence 27 April 1961 (from UK) 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Industrial production growth rate NA NA%
Industries mining (diamonds); small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining
Infant mortality rate total: 145.24 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 162.64 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 127.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
32.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1% (2002 est.) 0.3% (2001 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO 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)
Irrigated land 290 sq km (1998 est.) 12,130 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court Supreme Constitutional Court (justices are appointed for four-year terms by the president); High Judicial Council; Court of Cassation; State Security Courts
Labor force 1.369 million (1981 est.) 4.7 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA agriculture 40%, industry 20%, services 40% (1996 est.)
Land boundaries total: 958 km


border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 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: 6.98%


permanent crops: 0.89%


other: 92.13% (2001)
arable land: 25.96%


permanent crops: 4.08%


other: 69.96% (1998 est.)
Languages English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%) Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
Legal system based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; 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 Parliament (124 seats - 112 elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - SLPP 70.06%, APC 22.35%, PLP 3%, others 4.59%; seats by party - SLPP 83, APC 27, PLP 2
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: 42.69 years


male: 40.23 years


female: 45.21 years (2004 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 English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic


total population: 31.4%


male: 45.4%


female: 18.2% (1995 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 70.8%


male: 85.7%


female: 55.8% (1997 est.)
Location Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Map references Africa Middle East
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm
contiguous zone: 41 NM


territorial sea: 35 NM
Merchant marine total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,435 GRT/8,750 DWT


by type: cargo 2 (2004 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 (RSLAF) Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force (includes Air Defense Forces), Police and Security Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $11.7 million (2003) $921 million (FY00 est.); note - based on official budget data that may understate actual spending
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.5% (2003) 5.9% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 1,265,140 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 4,550,496 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 614,338 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 2,539,342 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 19 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 200,859 (2002 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 27 April (1961) Independence Day, 17 April (1946)
Nationality noun: Sierra Leonean(s)


adjective: Sierra Leonean
noun: Syrian(s)


adjective: Syrian
Natural hazards dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms dust storms, sandstorms
Natural resources diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population


note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2004 est.)
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil 1,304 km; petroleum products 515 km
Political parties and leaders All People's Congress or APC [Ben KANU]; Peace and Liberation Party or PLP [Darlington MORRISON, interim chairman]; Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Sama BANYA]; numerous others 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 Trade Unions and Student Unions conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood (operates in exile in Jordan and Yemen); non-Ba'th parties have little effective political influence
Population 5,883,889 (July 2004 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 68% (1989 est.) 15%-25%
Population growth rate 2.27% (2004 est.) 2.5% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Bonthe, Freetown, Pepel Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 9, shortwave 1 (1999) AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios - 4.15 million (1997)
Railways - 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 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10% 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: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female


total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2004 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: marginal telephone and telegraph service


domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects Freetown to Bo and Kenema


international: country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic 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: 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 24,000 (2002) 1.313 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 67,000 (2002) NA
Television broadcast stations 2 (1999) 44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
Total fertility rate 5.79 children born/woman (2004 est.) 3.84 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate NA 20% (2000 est.)
Waterways 800 km (2003) 870 km (minimal economic importance)
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.