republic under an authoritarian military-dominated regime
Independence date
25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shia Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.)
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), English widely understood among upper and middle classes
crude oil, minerals, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, textiles, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat
External Debt
$6,065,000,000 $
$8,818,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Jordanian dinars (JOD) per US dollar - 0.709 (2008 est.), 0.709 (2007), 0.709 (2006), 0.709 (2005), 0.709 (2004)
Syrian pounds (SYP) per US dollar - 46.5281 (2008 est.), 50.0085 (2007), 51.689 (2006), 50 (2005), 48.5 (2004) note: data for 2004-06 are the public sector rate; data for 2002-03 are the parallel market rate in 'Amman and Beirut; the official rate for repaying loans was 11.25 Syrian pounds per US dollars during 2004-06,
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
9.500%
3.600%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Area
89,342 km sq
185,180 km sq
Coastline
26 km
193 km
Climate
mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November 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
