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Syria
 
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Capital: Damascus
Area size: 183780 sq. km About half the size of Germany
Time zone: GMT +2
Currency: Syrian pound
Area code: (+) 963
Driving: Right
Climate description: To the south there are semi-desert plateaus and to the north low plateaus along the basin of the Euphrates River. Western lowlands receive adequate rainfall for farming. Volcanic plateaus in the south are extremely fertile, as are the oases surrounding the desert, such as that of Damascus.
 

People
Standard of living
Economy & aid
Health
Disasters, conflict & migration
Language
Arabic is the official language. Minority groups speak their own languages.
Source: New Internationalist World Guide

Population
2007 19.7 million U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006)
2006 19.3 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2005 18.9 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2004 18.4 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2003 17.9 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2002 17.4 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2001 16.9 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2000 16.5 million U.N. DESA (2006)

Future population estimates
31.8 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2006)

Ethnic groups
Mostly Arabs, with minorities of Kurds, Turks and Armenians as well as a large Palestinian refugees population.
Source: NI World Guide

Religion
Mainly Sunni Muslim, but also Alamites, Shia and Ismailites. Minority Christian denominations.
Source: NI World Guide

Percentage urban population
2007 51.0 percent U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005
2006 50.8 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2005 50.6 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2004 50.5 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2003 50.3 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2002 50.2 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2001 50.1 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2000 50.1 percent U.N. DESA (2005)

Year women granted right to vote
1949 1953
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.

Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available (2005)

Percentage of population under 15
2005 36.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 37.4 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 38 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 38.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 39.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 40.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002


Average life expectancy
2005 73.6 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 73.6 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 73.3 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 71.7 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 71.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 71.2 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - male
2005 71.8 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 71.8 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 71.6 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 70.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 70.2 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 70.0 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - female
2005 75.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 75.4 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 75.1 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 73.0 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 72.7 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 72.4 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Infant mortality
2006 12 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005 14 per 1,000 live births U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007
2004 15 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003 16 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 23 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 23 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 24 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
2006 14 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005 15 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
2004 16 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003 18 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 28 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2004

Births attended by skilled personnel
1997-2005 No data available percent
1996-2004 No data available percent
1995-2003 76 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1995-2002 No data available percent
1995-2001 No data available percent
1995-2000 No data available percent

Maternal mortality
2005 130 per 100,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2000 160 per 100,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2006

Human development index (HDI rank)
2005 108 UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 107 UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 106 UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 106 UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 110 UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 108 UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
2000-2006 10 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
1996-2005 7 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
1996-2004 7 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
1995-2003 7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1995-2002 7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1995-2000 13 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Percentage of undernourished population
2002-2004 average 4 percent U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2006
2001-2003average 4 percent FAO 2006

Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.
Population with access to improved water
2006 89 percent UNICEF and WHO 2008
2004 93 percent UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006
2002 79 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2000 80 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004

Population with access to improved sanitation
2006 92 percent UNICEF and WHO 2008
2004 90 percent UNICEF and WHO 2006
2002 77 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2000 90 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004

Literacy - average
2004 79.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 82.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 82.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 75.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 74.4 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Literacy - male
2004 86.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 91.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 91.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 88.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 88.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Literacy - female
2004 73.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 74.2 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 74.2 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 61.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 60.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Landlines telephones
2007 173 per 1,000 people International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2008
2006 166 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2005 152 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2004 143 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2003 133 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2002 119 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2001 105 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2000 100 per 1,000 people ITU 2008

Cellular telephone subscribers
2007 336 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2006 240 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2005 155 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2004 126 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2003 65 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2002 23 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2001 12 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2000 2 per 1,000 people ITU 2008

Internet users
2007 174 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2006 79 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2005 57 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2004 43 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2003 34 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2002 21 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2001 4 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2000 2 per 1,000 people ITU 2008

Transparency International corruption ranking (1=least corrupt, 179=most corrupt)
2008 147 (joint) Transparency International 2008
2007 138 (joint) Transparency International 2007
2006 93 (joint) Transparency International
2005 70 (joint) Transparency International
2004 71 (joint) Transparency International
2003 66 (joint) Transparency International
2002 Not ranked
2001 Not ranked
2000 Not ranked

Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
Yes (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Yes (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

International humanitarian aid flows
Access the Financial Tracking Service, a global real-time database which records all reported humanitarian aid - including that for NGOs, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, bilateral aid, in-kind aid and private donations - searchable by country.
Source: Financial Tracking Service, ReliefWeb

Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
No data available percent

GNI per capita, Atlas method
2006 1560 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 1430 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 1330 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 1220 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 1170 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 1100 current US$ WorldBankDataProfileTables2008
2000 960 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country’s exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.
GDP
2006 33.4 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 28.2 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 24.5 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 22.4 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 21.6 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 21.1 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000 19.3 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Annual GDP growth
2006 5.1  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 4.5  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 5.8  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 1.6  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 4.0  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 5.2  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000 2.7  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Annual inflation
2006 9.1  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 12.9  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 8.3  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 2.2  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 0.5  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 4.6  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000 9.7  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available

Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available

Physicians
2000-2004 140 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1990-2004 140 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1990-2003 142 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1990-2002 142 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
No data available percent

Malaria
Limited risk from P.vivax from May through October along the northern border especailly in the rural areas of El Hasaka Governorate.
Source: WHO

TB cases
2006 32 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2005 36 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2004 39 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2003 42 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2002 44 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2001 46 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2000 49 per 100,000 people WHO 2008

Chronology of natural disasters
Access EM-DAT, a database of natural disasters from 1900 to the present - death tolls and numbers of affected people - searchable by country.
Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium

Number of refugees originating here
2007 13668 UNHCR
2006 12337 Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
2005 16281 UNHCR
2004 21436 UNHCR
2003 20276 UNHCR
2002 18913 UNHCR
2001 4869 UNHCR
2000 5871 UNHCR

Number of refugees residing here
2007 1503769 UNHCR
2006 702209 UNHCR
2005 26089 UNHCR
2004 15604 UNHCR
2003 3681 UNHCR
2002 2918 UNHCR
2001 3351 UNHCR
2000 3463 UNHCR

Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
2007 430000 Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) 2008
2005 305000 Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) 2006

Landmine casualties per year
2004 3 Landmine Monitor Report 2005
2003 1 Landmine Monitor Report 2004

Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
No
Source: Landmine Monitor Report

Percentage of GDP spent on military
2005 5.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 6.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 7.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005

Percentage of GDP spent on education
2002-2005 No data available percent
2002-2004 No data available percent
1999-2001 4.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1998-2000 4.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage of GDP spent on health
2004 2.2 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2003-2004 2.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2002 2.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2001 2.4 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2000 1.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003


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