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Compare Svalbard (2003) - Syria (2003)

Compare Svalbard (2003) z Syria (2003)

 Svalbard (2003)Syria (2003)
 SvalbardSyria
Administrative divisions - 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: NA%


15-64 years: NA%


65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 38.6% (male 3,494,473; female 3,290,699)


15-64 years: 58.2% (male 5,238,026; female 4,991,588)


65 years and over: 3.2% (male 274,744; female 296,010) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products - wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Airports 4 (2002) 92 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1523 m: 1 (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


under 914 m: 2 (2002)
total: 68


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 55 (2002)
Area total: 62,049 sq km


land: 62,049 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
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 West Virginia slightly larger than North Dakota
Background First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory. 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 NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 29.54 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $11.5 million


expenditures: $11.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
revenues: $6 billion


expenditures: $7 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.6 billion (2002 est.)
Capital Longyearbyen Damascus
Climate arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year 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 3,587 km 193 km
Constitution - 13 March 1973
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen)
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 Norwegian krone (NOK) Syrian pound (SYP)
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 5.04 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external - $22 billion (2002 est.)
Dependency status territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was awarded to Norway -
Diplomatic representation from the US - 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 (acting) Imad MUSTAFA


chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313


FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548
Disputes - international despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied; Lebanon claims Shaba'a farms in Golan Heights; Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon since October 1976; Syria protests Turkish hydrological projects regulating upper Euphrates waters; Turkey is quick to rebuff any perceived Syrian claim to Hatay province
Economic aid - recipient $8.2 million from Norway (1998) $199 million (1997 est.)
Economy - overview Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9 February 1920 gives the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some trapping of seal, polar bear, fox, and walrus. Syria's predominantly statist economy has been growing, on average, more slowly than its 2.4% annual population growth rate, causing a persistent decline in per capita GDP. Recent legislation allows private banks to operate in Syria, although a private banking sector will take years and further government cooperation to develop. External factors such as the international war on terrorism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the war between the US-led coalition and Iraq probably will drive real annual GDP growth levels back below their 3.5% spike in 2002. A long-run economic constraint is the pressure on water supplies caused by rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and increased water pollution.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 21.63 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production NA kWh 23.26 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 58%


hydro: 42%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0%
fossil fuel: 57.6%


hydro: 42.4%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m


highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
Environment - current issues NA 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, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Exchange rates Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001), 8.8018 (2000), 7.7992 (1999), 7.5451 (1998) Syrian pounds per US dollar - (Official rate): 11.23 (2002), 11.23 (2001), 11.23 (2000), 11.23 (1999), 11.23 (1998), (Free market rate): 49.65 (2001), 49.4 (2000), 51.7 (1999), 52 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)


head of government: Governor Morten RUUD (since NA November 1998) and Assistant Governor Odd Redar HUMLEGAARD (since NA)


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice
chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice Presidents Abd al-Halim ibn Said KHADDAM (since 11 March 1984) and Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984)


head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-UTRI (since 10 September 2003), 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 NA (2001)
Exports - commodities - crude oil 70%, petroleum products 7%, fruits and vegetables 5%, cotton fiber 4%, clothing 3%, meat and live animals 2% (2000 est.)
Exports - partners - Germany 19.1%, Italy 17.5%, Turkey 7.8%, France 7.5%, Lebanon 5.2% (2002)
Fiscal year - calendar year
Flag description the flag of Norway is used 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 - $NA purchasing power parity - $63.48 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 27%


industry: 23%


services: 50% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $NA purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA% 3.6% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 78 00 N, 20 00 E 35 00 N, 38 00 E
Geography - note northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.)
Heliports - 7 (2002)
Highways total: NA km


paved: NA km


unpaved: NA km
total: 43,381 km


paved: 10,021 km (including 877 km of expressways)


unpaved: 33,360 km (1999)
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 NA (2001)
Imports - commodities - machinery and transport equipment 21%, food and livestock 18%, metal and metal products 15%, chemicals and chemical products 10% (2000 est.)
Imports - partners - Italy 8.3%, Germany 7.4%, China 5.7%, South Korea 4.8%, France 4.6%, US 4.4%, Turkey 4.1% (2002)
Independence none (territory of Norway) 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA%
Industries - petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining
Infant mortality rate total: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
total: 31.67 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 31.89 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 31.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% 0.9% (2002 est.)
International organization participation none AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 13 (Svalbard and Jan Mayen) (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km 12,130 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Constitutional Court (justices are appointed for four-year terms by the president); High Judicial Council; Court of Cassation; State Security Courts
Labor force NA 5.2 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture, industry, services NA (2002)
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: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (1998 est.)
arable land: 25.96%


permanent crops: 4.08%


other: 69.96% (1998 est.)
Languages Russian, Norwegian Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
Legal system NA based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch - unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-shaab (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


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


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


male: NA years


female: NA years (2003 est.)
total population: 69.39 years


male: 68.18 years


female: 70.67 years (2003 est.)
Literacy NA definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 76.9%


male: 89.7%


female: 64% (2003 est.)
Location Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Map references Arctic Region Middle East
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia


territorial sea: 4 NM
contiguous zone: 41 NM


territorial sea: 35 NM
Merchant marine none (2002 est.) total: 129 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 450,135 GRT/645,296 DWT


ships by type: bulk 13, cargo 109, container 2, livestock carrier 3, refrigerated cargo 1, 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 - note demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920) -
Military branches - Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force (includes Air Defense Forces), Police and Security Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $858 million (FY00 est.); note - based on official budget data that may understate actual spending
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 5.9% (FY00)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 4,715,386 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 2,629,148 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 19 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 210,941 (2003 est.)
National holiday NA Independence Day, 17 April (1946)
Nationality - noun: Syrian(s)


adjective: Syrian
Natural hazards ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic dust storms, sandstorms
Natural resources coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
Net migration rate NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines - gas 2,300 km; oil 2,183 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders - National Progressive Front or NPF (includes Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party (governing party) [President Bashar al-ASAD, secretary general], Socialist Unionist Democratic Party [Ahmad al ASAD], Syrian Communist Party [leader NA], Unionist Socialist Party [leader NA], Arab Socialist Party [Abd al-Ghani QANNUT], and Arab Socialist Unionist Movement [Sami SUFAN]) [President Bashar al-ASAD, chairman]; Syrian Arab Socialist Party or ASP [Safwan QUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party or SCP [Yusuf FAYSAL]; Syrian Social National Party [Jubran URAYJI]
Political pressure groups and leaders - conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood (operates in exile in Jordan and Yemen); non-Ba'th parties have little effective political influence
Population 2,811 (July 2003 est.) 17,585,540 (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.) (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 15%-25%
Population growth rate -0.02% (2003 est.) 2.45% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways 0 km total: 2,743 km


standard gauge: 2,425 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 318 km 1.050-m gauge (2002)
Religions - 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 NA (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: 0.93 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: probably adequate


domestic: local telephone service


international: satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)
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 NA 1.313 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA NA
Television broadcast stations NA 44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
Total fertility rate NA children born/woman (2003 est.) 3.72 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate - 20% (2002 est.)
Waterways none 870 km (minimal economic importance)
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