Aleppo, Damascus

CAPITAL CITY OF Syria: Damascus
LANGUAGE OF Syria: Arabic
CURRENCY OF Syria: Syrian pound (SYP)
COMMENTS ABOUT Syria:
Syria is one of the larger states of the Middle East
Cities : Damascus (capital), Aleppo, Deir-az-Zur, Hama, Homs, Latakia, Tartous
Best Places : Crac des Chevaliers, Palmyra, Der Mar Musa
Electricity : 220/50 Hz (European plug)
Calling Code : 963
Time Zone : UTC +2(Winter) / +3(Summer)
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.
CLIMATE OF Syria: 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
RELIGION OF Syria: Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
POPULATION OF Syria: 18,448,752>>>
ECONOMY OVERVIEW OF Syria: Real GDP growth rose to 2.3 percent in 2004, a slight increase from 2003 when the predominantly statist economy suffered from disruptions caused by the war in Iraq and other developments in the region. Annual real GDP growth has averaged 2.3 percent for the last seven years. The Government of Syria has implemented modest economic reforms in the last few years, including cutting interest rates, opening private banks, consolidating some of the multiple exchange rates, and raising prices on some subsidized foodstuffs. Nevertheless, the economy remains highly controlled by the government. Long run economic constraints include declining oil production and exports and pressure on water supplies caused by rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and increased water pollution.