republic under an authoritarian military-dominated regime
republic
Independence date
17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
12 December 1963 (from UK)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 74%, other Muslim (includes Alawite, Druze) 16%, Christian (various denominations) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, Muslim 10%, indigenous beliefs 10%, other 2% note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous beliefs vary widely
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,
Kenyan shillings (KES) per US dollar - 68.358 (2008 est.), 68.309 (2007), 72.101 (2006), 75.554 (2005), 79.174 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
5.900%
2.800%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
14
Location
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania
Area
185,180 km sq
580,367 km sq
Coastline
193 km
536 km
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
varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior
