Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida
Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Ruth GENNER]; Christian Democratic
People's Party (Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or
CVP, Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito
Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida
Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Christophe DARBELLAY];
Radical Free Democratic Party (Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der
Schweiz or FDP, Parti Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio
Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or PLR) [Fulvio PELLI]; 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) [Hans-Juerg FEHR]; 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]; and other minor
parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Australia
Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA
(observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Urs ZISWILER
chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 745-7900
FAX: [1] (202) 387-2564
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San
Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Peter R. CONEWAY
embassy: Sulgeneckstrasse 19, CH-3007 Bern
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [41] (031) 357 70 11
FAX: [41] (031) 357 73 44
Flag description:
red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that
does not extend to the edges of the flag
Economy
Switzerland
Economy - overview:
Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and stable modern market
economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a
per capita GDP larger than that of the big Western European
economies. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic
practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their
international competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safehaven for
investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and
has kept up the franc's long-term external value. Reflecting the
anemic economic conditions of Europe, GDP growth stagnated during
the 2001-03 period, improved during 2004-05, and jumped to 2.9% in
2006, and 2.6% in 2007. Unemployment has remained at less than half
the EU average.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$303.2 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$423.9 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.1% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$40,100 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.5%
industry: 34%
services: 64.5% (2003 est.)
Labor force:
3.954 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 4.6%
industry: 26.3%
services: 69.1% (1998)
Unemployment rate:
2.8% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 25.9% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
33.7 (2000)
Investment (gross fixed):
21.5% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $150.6 billion
expenditures: $141.5 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
44.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.7% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
2.05% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
3.15% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$213.9 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$450.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$855.4 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs
Industries:
machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments,
tourism, banking, and insurance
Industrial production growth rate:
6.5% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production:
64.56 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
58.77 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
36.88 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
34.82 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 1.3%
hydro: 59.5%
nuclear: 37.1%
other: 2% (2001)
Oil - production:
3,202 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
244,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - exports:
9,370 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
274,900 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
NA
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
3.232 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
3.232 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
$72.35 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$200.1 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products
Exports - partners:
Germany 20.3%, US 9.7%, Italy 8.7%, France 8.4%, UK 5.1% (2007)
Imports:
$187.1 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products,
textiles
Imports - partners:
Germany 32.6%, Italy 10.8%, France 9.5%, US 5.8%, Netherlands 4.6%,
Austria 4.2%, UK 4.2% (2007)
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $1.646 billion (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$75.37 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.34 trillion (30 June 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$306.4 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$605.6 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$938.6 billion (2005)
Currency (code):
Swiss franc (CHF)
Currency code:
CHF
Exchange rates:
Swiss francs (CHF) per US dollar - 1.1973 (2007), 1.2539 (2006),
1.2452 (2005), 1.2435 (2004), 1.3467 (2003)
Communications
Switzerland
Telephones - main lines in use:
5 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
8.096 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: highly developed telecommunications
infrastructure with excellent domestic and international services
domestic: ranked among leading countries for fixed-line teledensity
and infrastructure; mobile-cellular subscribership roughly 100 per
100 persons; extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks
international: country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 113 (plus many low-power stations), shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios:
7.1 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
115 (plus 1,919 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions:
3.31 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.ch
Internet hosts:
3.437 million (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
44 (Switzerland and Liechtenstein) (2000)
Internet users:
4.61 million (2007)
Transportation
Switzerland
Airports:
65 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 42
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 16 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 23
under 914 m: 23 (2007)
Heliports:
2 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 1,781 km; oil 94 km; refined products 7 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 4,839 km
standard gauge: 3,561 km 1.435-m gauge (3,195 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,268 km 1.000-m gauge (1,274 km electrified); 10 km
0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2006)
Roadways:
total: 71,298 km
paved: 71,298 km (includes 1,758 of expressways) (2006)
Waterways:
65 km (Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and
Schaffhausen-Bodensee) (2003)
Merchant marine:
total: 35
by type: bulk carrier 13, cargo 9, chemical tanker 6, container 6,
specialized tanker 1
registered in other countries: 106 (Antigua and Barbuda 8, Bahamas
1, France 3, Italy 8, Liberia 13, Malta 20, Marshall Islands 12,
Panama 25, Portugal 2, Russia 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6,
Singapore 2, Tonga 1, UK 1, Vanuatu 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Basel
Military
Switzerland
Military branches:
Swiss Armed Forces: Land Forces, Swiss Air Force (Schweizer
Luftwaffe) (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
19 years of age for male compulsory military service; 18 years of
age for voluntary male and female military service; the Swiss
Constitution states that "every Swiss male is obliged to do military
service"; every Swiss male has to serve at least 260 days in the
armed forces; conscripts receive 18 weeks of mandatory training,
followed by seven 3-week intermittent recalls for training during
the next 10 years (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,852,580
females age 16-49: 1,807,667 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,513,984
females age 16-49: 1,478,761 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 49,205
female: 45,220 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Switzerland
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
a major international financial center vulnerable to the layering
and integration stages of money laundering; despite significant
legislation and reporting requirements, secrecy rules persist and
nonresidents are permitted to conduct business through offshore
entities and various intermediaries; transit country for and
consumer of South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and
Western European synthetics; domestic cannabis cultivation and
limited ecstasy production
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Syria
Introduction
Syria
Background:
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. 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. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held
occasional peace talks over its return. Following the death of
President al-ASAD, his son, Bashar al-ASAD, was approved as
president by popular referendum in July 2000. Syrian troops -
stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role -
were withdrawn in April 2005. During the July-August 2006 conflict
between Israel and Hizballah, Syria placed its military forces on
alert but did not intervene directly on behalf of its ally Hizballah.
Geography
Syria
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and
Turkey
Geographic coordinates:
35 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
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 larger than North Dakota
Land boundaries:
total: 2,253 km
border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon
375 km, Turkey 822 km
Coastline:
193 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
Climate:
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
Terrain:
primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain;
mountains in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m
highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore,
rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 24.8%
permanent crops: 4.47%
other: 70.73% (2005)
Irrigated land:
13,330 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
46.1 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 19.95 cu km/yr (3%/2%/95%)
per capita: 1,048 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
dust storms, sandstorms
Environment - current issues:
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, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note:
there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 2005 est.)
People
Syria
Population:
19,747,586
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 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36.2% (male 3,679,473/female 3,467,096)
15-64 years: 60.5% (male 6,119,459/female 5,822,376)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 310,838/female 348,344) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.4 years
male: 21.3 years
female: 21.5 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.189% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
26.57 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
4.68 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
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: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 26.78 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 27.04 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 26.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.9 years
male: 69.53 years
female: 72.35 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.21 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 500 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Syrian(s)
adjective: Syrian
Ethnic groups:
Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 74%, other Muslim (includes Alawite, Druze) 16%,
Christian (various denominations) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in
Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
Languages:
Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely
understood; French, English somewhat understood
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.6%
male: 86%
female: 73.6% (2004 census)
Education expenditures:
3.9% of GDP (1999)
Government
Syria
Country name:
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)
Government type:
republic under an authoritarian military-dominated regime
Capital:
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
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
Independence:
17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French
administration)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 17 April (1946)
Constitution:
13 March 1973
Legal system:
based on a combination of French and Ottoman civil law; Islamic law
is used in the family court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice
President Farouk al-SHARA (since 11 February 2006) oversees foreign
policy; Vice President Najah al-ATTAR (since 23 March 2006) oversees
cultural policy
head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-UTRI (since 10
September 2003); Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdallah
al-DARDARI (since 14 June 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president approved by popular referendum for a second
seven-year term (no term limits); referendum last held on 27 May
2007 (next to be held in May 2014); the president appoints the vice
presidents, prime minister, and deputy prime ministers
election results: Bashar al-ASAD approved as president; percent of
vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.6%
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 on 22-23 April 2007 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
NPF 172, independents 78
Judicial branch:
Supreme Judicial Council (appoints and dismisses judges; headed by
the president); national level - Supreme Constitutional Court
(adjudicates electoral disputes and rules on constitutionality of
laws and decrees; justices appointed for four-year terms by the
President); Court of Cassation; Appeals Courts (Appeals Courts
represent an intermediate level between the Court of Cassation and
local level courts); local level - Magistrate Courts; Courts of
First Instance; Juvenile Courts; Customs Courts; specialized courts
- Economic Security Courts (hear cases related to economic crimes);
Supreme State Security Court (hear cases related to national
security); Personal Status Courts (religious; hear cases related to
marriage and divorce)
Political parties and leaders:
legal parties: National Progressive Front or NPF [President Bashar
al-ASAD, Dr. Suleiman QADDAH] (includes Arab Socialist Renaissance
(Ba'th) Party [President Bashar al-ASAD]; Socialist Unionist
Democratic Party [Fadlallah Nasr Al-DIN]; Syrian Arab Socialist
Union or ASU [Safwan QUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party (two branches)
[Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yusuf Rashid FAYSAL]; Syrian Social
Nationalist Party [Ali QANSU]; Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez
ISMAIL])
opposition parties not legally recognized:: Arab Democratic
Socialist Union Party [Hasan Abdul AZIM]; Arab Socialist Movement;
Democratic Ba'th Party [Ibrahim MAHKOS]; People's Democratic Party
[Riad al TURK]; Revolutionary Workers' Party [Abdul Hafeez al HAFEZ]
Kurdish parties (considered illegal): Kurdish Democratic Front
[Abdul Hamid DARWISH] (includes four parties); Kurdish Coordination
[Abdul Hakim BASHAR] (includes Azadi Party [Kheirudin MURAD], Future
Party [Masha'l TAMMO], Yekity Party [Hasam SALE])
other parties: Nahda Party [Abdul Aziz al MISLET]; Syrian Democratic
Party [Mustafa QALAAJI]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Damascus Declaration National Council [Riyad SEIF, secretary
general] (a broad alliance of opposition groups and individuals
including: Committee for Revival of Civil Society [Michel KILO,
Riyad SEIF], Communist Action Party [Fateh JAMOUS], Kurdish
Democratic Alliance, Kurdish Democratic Front, Liberal Nationalists'
Movement, National Democratic Front, National Democratic Rally, and
Syrian Human Rights Society or HRAS [Fawed FAWUZ]); National
Salvation Front (alliance between former Vice President Abd al-Halim
KHADDAM, the SMB, and other small opposition groups); Syrian Muslim
Brotherhood or SMB [Sadr al-Din al-BAYANUNI] (operates in exile in
London; endorsed the Damascus Declaration, but is not an official
member)
International organization participation:
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, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Imad MUSTAFA
chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313
FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Maura
CONNELLY
embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansour Street, No. 2, Damascus
mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus
telephone: [963] (11) 3391-4444
FAX: [963] (11) 3391-3999
Flag description:
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 an
Arabic inscription 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
Economy
Syria
Economy - overview:
The Syrian economy grew by an estimated 3.3% in real terms in 2007
led by the petroleum and agricultural sectors, which together
account for about one-half of GDP. Higher crude oil prices countered
declining oil production and led to higher budgetary and export
receipts. Damascus has implemented modest economic reforms in the
past few years, including cutting lending interest rates, opening
private banks, consolidating all of the multiple exchange rates,
raising prices on some subsidized items, most notably gasoline and
cement, and establishing the Damascus Stock Exchange - which is set
to begin operations in 2009. In October 2007, for example, Damascus
raised the price of subsidized gasoline by 20%, and may institute a
rationing system in 2008. In addition, President ASAD signed
legislative decrees to encourage corporate ownership reform, and to
allow the Central Bank to issue Treasury bills and bonds for
government debt. Nevertheless, the economy remains highly controlled
by the government. Long-run economic constraints include declining
oil production, high unemployment and inflation, rising budget
deficits, and increasing pressure on water supplies caused by heavy
use in agriculture, rapid population growth, industrial expansion,
and water pollution.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$90.37 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$37.76 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,700 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 24%
industry: 27.9%
services: 48.2% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
5.462 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 19.2%
industry: 14.5%
services: 66.3% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
9% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
11.9% (2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
21.5% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $8.393 billion
expenditures: $11.21 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
37.7% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.2% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8% (31 December 2005)
Stock of money:
$58.84 billion
note: This number reflects the greatly overvalued official exchange
rate of 11.23 Syrian pounds per dollar. At the unofficial rate of 50
Syrian pounds per dollar, the stock of Syrian pounds would equal
US$13.22 billion and Syria's velocity of money (the number of times
money turns over in the course of a year) would be three, in line
with the velocity of money for other countries in the region. (31
December 2006)
Stock of quasi money:
$45.93 billion (31 December 2006)
Stock of domestic credit:
$50.92 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets;
beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Industries:
petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate
rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing, car assembly
Industrial production growth rate:
2.5% (2007 est.)