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Compare Switzerland (2001) - Syria (2004)

Compare Switzerland (2001) z Syria (2004)

 Switzerland (2001)Syria (2004)
 SwitzerlandSyria
Administrative divisions 26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton in German); Aargau, Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Inner-Rhoden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich 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:
16.97% (male 634,030; female 601,929)

15-64 years:
67.73% (male 2,505,450; female 2,427,408)

65 years and over:
15.3% (male 453,366; female 661,091) (2001 est.)
0-14 years: 38% (male 3,524,406; female 3,319,323)


15-64 years: 58.7% (male 5,421,133; female 5,163,669)


65 years and over: 3.3% (male 281,795; female 306,548) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Airports 67 (2000 est.) 93 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
42

over 3,047 m:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
4

1,524 to 2,437 m:
13

914 to 1,523 m:
7

under 914 m:
15 (2000 est.)
total: 26


over 3,047 m: 5


2,438 to 3,047 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
25

under 914 m:
25 (2000 est.)
total: 66


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 54 (2004 est.)
Area total:
41,290 sq km

land:
39,770 sq km

water:
1,520 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 less than twice the size of New Jersey slightly larger than North Dakota
Background Switzerland's independence and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers and Switzerland was not involved in either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, may be rendering obsolete the country's concern for neutrality. 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. Over the past decade, Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan Heights.
Birth rate 10.12 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 28.93 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues:
$32.66 billion

expenditures:
$34.89 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.3 billion (1998 est.)
revenues: $6.106 billion


expenditures: $7.397 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.6 billion (2003 est.)
Capital Bern Damascus
Climate temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers 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 0 km (landlocked) 193 km
Constitution 29 May 1874 13 March 1973
Country name conventional long form:
Swiss Confederation

conventional short form:
Switzerland

local long form:
Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German), Confederation Suisse (French), Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)

local short form:
Schweiz (German), Suisse (French), Svizzera (Italian)
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 Swiss franc (CHF) Syrian pound (SYP)
Death rate 8.77 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 4.96 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $NA $21.55 billion (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador J. Richard FREDERICKS

embassy:
Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3001 Bern

mailing address:
use embassy street address

telephone:
[41] (31) 357 70 11

FAX:
[41] (31) 357 73 44
chief of mission: Ambassador Margaret SCOBEY


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 Alfred DEFAGO

chancery:
2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 745-7900

FAX:
[1] (202) 387-2564

consulate(s) general:
Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco

consulate(s):
Boston
chief of mission: Ambassador Imad MUSTAFA


chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313


FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548
Disputes - international none Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied; 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; settled border dispute with Jordan in 2004
Economic aid - donor ODA, $1.1 billion (1995) -
Economic aid - recipient - $199 million (1997 est.)
Economy - overview Switzerland, a prosperous and stable modern market economy with a per capita GDP 20% above that of the big western European economies, experienced solid growth of 3% in 2000, but growth is expected to fall back to about 2% in 2001. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness. Although the Swiss are not pursuing full EU membership in the near term, in 1999 Bern and Brussels signed agreements to further liberalize trade ties, and the agreements should come into force in 2001. Switzerland is still considered a safe haven for investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and has kept up the franc's long-term external value. Syria's predominantly statist economy lately has been growing more slowly than its 2.4% annual population growth rate. Recent legislation allows private banks to operate in Syria, although a private banking sector will take years and further government cooperation to develop. Factors, including the war between the US-led coalition and Iraq, probably drove real annual GDP growth levels back below 1% in 2003 following growth of 3.5% in 2001 and 4.5% 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 51.862 billion kWh (1999) 21.63 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 31.955 billion kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 21.723 billion kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 66.768 billion kWh (1999) 23.26 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
3.44%

hydro:
59.16%

nuclear:
35.43%

other:
1.97% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Lake Maggiore 195 m

highest point:
Dufourspitze 4,634 m
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m


highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
Environment - current issues air pollution from vehicle emissions and open-air burning; acid rain; water pollution from increased use of agricultural fertilizers; loss of biodiversity deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water
Environment - international agreements party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6% Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Exchange rates Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.6303 (January 2001), 1.6888 (2000), 1.5022 (1999), 1.4498 (1998), 1.4513 (1997), 1.2360 (1996) Syrian pounds per US dollar - (Official rate): 11.225 (2003), 11.225 (2002), 11.225 (2001), 11.225 (2000), 11.225 (1999), (Free market rate): 49.65 (2001), 49.4 (2000), 51.7 (1999)
Executive branch chief of state:
President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 1 January 2001); Vice President Kaspar VILLIGER (since 1 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:
President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 1 January 2001); Vice President Kaspar VILLIGER (since 1 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet:
Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) elected by the Federal Assembly from among its own members for a four-year term

elections:
president and vice president elected by the Federal Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for one-year terms that run concurrently; election last held 6 December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2001)

election results:
Moritz LEUENBERGER elected president; percent of Federal Assembly vote - 76%; Kaspar VILLIGER elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 72%
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)


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 Hafiz al-ASAD, father of Bashar al-ASAD - (next to be held 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 $91.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products crude oil, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat
Exports - partners EU 65.8% (Germany 22.6%, France 9.2%, Italy 8.0%, UK 5.5%, Austria 3.2%), US 12.4%, Japan 4.0% (1999) Germany 20.9%, Italy 12.6%, UAE 7.6%, Lebanon 6.2%, Turkey 6%, France 5.4%, Croatia 4.8%, US 4.1% (2003)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag 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 - $207 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $58.01 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
2.8%

industry:
31.1%

services:
66.1% (1995)
agriculture: 28.5%


industry: 29.4%


services: 42.1% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $28,600 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $3,300 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3% (2000 est.) 0.9% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 47 00 N, 8 00 E 35 00 N, 38 00 E
Geography - note landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France and northern Italy, contains the highest elevations in Europe there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.)
Heliports - 7 (2003 est.)
Highways total:
71,059 km (including 1,638 km of expressways)

paved:
71,059 km

unpaved:
0 km (1999)
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%:
2.8%

highest 10%:
25.2% (1992)
lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs because of more stringent government regulations, used significantly less as a money-laundering center; transit country for and consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls, bank privatization may leave it vulnerable to money-laundering
Imports $91.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products, textiles machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper
Imports - partners EU 77.7% (Germany 31.0%, France 12.0%, Italy 9.7%, Netherlands 5.1%, UK 5.7%), US 7.1%, Japan 2.9% (1999) Germany 7.2%, Italy 7.1%, China 6.3%, France 5.9%, Turkey 5.4% (2003)
Independence 1 August 1291 (Founding of the Swiss Confederation) 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Industrial production growth rate 8.6% (2000 est.) NA
Industries machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining
Infant mortality rate 4.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 30.6 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 30.82 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 30.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.5% (2000 est.) 1.5% (2003 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, 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, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 44 (Switzerland and Liechtenstein) (2000) -
Irrigated land 250 sq km (1993 est.) 12,130 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Federal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly) Supreme Constitutional Court (justices are appointed for four-year terms by the president); High Judicial Council; Court of Cassation; State Security Courts
Labor force 3.9 million (964,000 foreign workers, mostly Italian) (1998 est.) 4.97 million (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation services 69.1%, industry 26.3%, agriculture 4.6% (1998 est.) agriculture, industry, services NA
Land boundaries total:
1,852 km

border countries:
Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 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:
10%

permanent crops:
2%

permanent pastures:
28%

forests and woodland:
32%

other:
28% (1993 est.)
arable land: 25.22%


permanent crops: 4.43%


other: 70.35% (2001)
Languages German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 19.2%, Italian (official) 7.6%, Romansch 0.6%, other 8.9% Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
Legal system civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German), Assemblee Federale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in Italian) consists of the Council of States or Standerat (in German), Conseil des Etats (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats - members serve four-year terms) and the National Council or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats - members are elected by popular vote on a basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

elections:
Council of States - last held in 1999 (each canton determines when the next election will be held); National Council - last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2003)

election results:
Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 18, CVP 15, SVP 7, SPS 6; National Council - percent of vote by party - SPS 22.5%, SVP 22.6%, FDP 19.9%, CVP 15.8%, other small parties all under 5%; seats by party - SPS 51, SVP 44, FDP 43, CVP 35, Greens 9, other small parties 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 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:
79.73 years

male:
76.85 years

female:
82.76 years (2001 est.)
total population: 69.71 years


male: 68.47 years


female: 71.02 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
99% (1980 est.)

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 76.9%


male: 89.7%


female: 64% (2003 est.)
Location Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Map references Europe Middle East
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 41 nm
Merchant marine total:
24 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 435,966 GRT/780,458 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 12, cargo 6, chemical tanker 5, petroleum tanker 1

note:
includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: UK 1 (2000 est.)
total: 122 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 446,981 GRT/636,620 DWT


by type: bulk 12, cargo 101, container 2, livestock carrier 4, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1


foreign-owned: Egypt 1, Germany 1, Greece 1, Italy 1, Lebanon 10, Romania 1


registered in other countries: 83 (2004 est.)
Military branches Army, Air Force, Frontier Guards, Fortification Guards Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force (including Air Defense Command), Police and Security Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $3.1 billion (FY98) $858 million (FY00 est.); note - based on official budget data that may understate actual spending
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.2% (FY98) 5.9% (FY00)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
1,849,034 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 4,876,040 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
1,570,918 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 2,716,054 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - military age 20 years of age -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
42,597 (2001 est.)
males: 216,077 (2004 est.)
National holiday Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291) Independence Day, 17 April (1946)
Nationality noun:
Swiss (singular and plural)

adjective:
Swiss
noun: Syrian(s)


adjective: Syrian
Natural hazards avalanches, landslides, flash floods dust storms, sandstorms
Natural resources hydropower potential, timber, salt petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
Net migration rate 1.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 314 km; natural gas 1,506 km gas 2,300 km; oil 2,183 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders Christian Democratic People's Party (Christichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP, Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Adalbert DURRER, president]; Green Party (Grune Partei der Schweiz or Grune, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Ruedi BAUMANN, president]; Radical Free Democratic Party (Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or PLR) [Franz STEINEGGER, president]; Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti Socialist Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Christiane BRUNNER, president]; Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Ueli MAURER, president]; and other minor parties 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 Communist Party (two branches) [Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yuusuf Rashid FAYSAL]; Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez ISMAIL]; Arab Socialist Unionist Movement [Ahmed al-AHMED]; Syrian Arab Socialist Party or ASP [Safwan QUDSI]); Syrian Social National Party [Jubran URAYJI]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA conservative religious leaders; Kurdish Democratic Alliance [leader NA]; Kurdish Democratic Front [lader NA]; Muslim Brotherhood (operates in exile in London) [Ali Badr Eddine al-BAYANOUNI]; National Democratic Front [Hassan Abd al-AZIM]
Population 7,283,274 (July 2001 est.) 18,016,874


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 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 20% (2003 est.)
Population growth rate 0.27% (2001 est.) 2.4% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Basel Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus
Radio broadcast stations AM 4, FM 113 (plus many low power stations), shortwave 2 (1998) AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios 7.1 million (1997) -
Railways total:
4,492 km (1,564 km double track)

standard gauge:
3,317 km 1.435-m gauge (3,288 km electrified)

narrow gauge:
1,165 km 1.000-m gauge (1,165 km electrified); 10 km 0.800-m gauge (1998)
total: 2,711 km


standard gauge: 2,460 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2003)
Religions Roman Catholic 46.1%, Protestant 40%, other 5%, none 8.9% (1990) 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:
1.05 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.97 male(s)/female (2001 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: 0.92 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
excellent domestic and international services

domestic:
extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks

international:
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian 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: 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 4.82 million (1998) 2,099,300 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.967 million (1999) 400,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 115 (plus 1,919 repeaters) (1995) 44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
Total fertility rate 1.47 children born/woman (2001 est.) 3.61 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 1.9% (2000 est.) 20% (2002 est.)
Waterways 65 km

note:
The Rhine carries heavy traffic on the Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee stretches; there are also 12 navigable lakes
900 km (not economically significant) (2002)
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