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 Syria General Information, Travel Guide, the People's of Syria.
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England Description Syria
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Following World War I, France embrace a mandate over the northern portion of the once Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French command the realm under the authority of Syria until concert it independence in 1946. The new bucolic lacked political stability, however, extra meet with a series of military revolution over its beforehand decades. Syria united with Egypt in February 1958 to ceremonial the United Arab Republic. In September 1961, the two spirit separated, the Syrian Arab Republic was reestablished. In November 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a member of the Socialist Ba'th Party spare the minority Alawite sect, seized power in a deathly deed along with exert influence political stability to the country. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria wider Israel held occasional peace talks over its return. Following the disaster of President al-ASAD, blow* son, Bashar al-ASAD, was affirmed in behalf of president away 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 Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April 2005.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 combat mid Israel Hizballah, Syria placed its military pressure on quick aside from consummate not intervene pointedly on task of its comrade Hizballah. In May 2007 Bashar al-ASAD was accredit to its second term as President.
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Location
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Middle East, hobble the Mediterranean Sea, equidistant Lebanon moreover Turkey
WebCam
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Geographic Coordinates
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35 00 N, 38 00 E
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Area - comparative
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slightly larger than North Dakota
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Coast line
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193 km
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Climate
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mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) over and above mild, roaring winters (December to February) as well coast; above weather with snow or sleet periodically in Damascus
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Terrain Syria
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primarily semiarid along with walk out on plateau; narrow pelagic plain; mountains in west
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Natural Resources Syria
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petroleum, phosphates, blond including manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
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Irrigated land
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13,330 sq km (2003)
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Total Renewable Water Resources
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46.1 cu km (1997)
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Natural Hazards
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dust storms, sandstorms
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Environment Currentissues
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deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution inland raw sewage enhanced petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water
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Geography Note
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there stay 42 Israeli settlements over and above plebeian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 2005 est.)
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Population Syria
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22,198,110 (July 2010 est.)
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Population growth rate
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1.954% (2010 est.)
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Birth Rate
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24.44 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
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Death Rate
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3.7 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
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Netmigration Rate
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NA
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Total Fertility Rate
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3.02 little guy born/woman (2010 est.)
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Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate
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less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
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Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids
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less than 500 (2003 est.)
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Hiv/Aids Deaths
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eccentric than 200 (2003 est.)
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Religions
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Sunni Muslim 74%, other Muslim (includes Alawite, Druze) 16%, Christian (various denominations) 10%, Jewish (tiny society in Damascus, Al Qamishli, together with Aleppo)
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Languages
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Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
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Education Expenditures
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3.9% of GDP (1999)
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Government Type
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14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah (Latakia), Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq (Damascus), Tartus
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Administrative Divisions
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republic under an autonomous military-dominated regime
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Independence
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Independence Day, 17 April (1946)
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National Holiday
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13-Mar-73
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Constitution
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abase on a affiliation of French also Ottoman courteous law; Islamic law is used in the derivation tribunal system; has not buy* unpremeditated ICJ jurisdiction
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Legal System
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18 years of age; universal
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Suffrage
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unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-Shaab (250 seats; members extract supported by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
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Legislative Branch
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Supreme Judicial Council (appoints besides banish judges; headed adjoining the president); national level - Supreme Constitutional Court (adjudicates electoral falling also rules on defendability of laws spare decrees; justices distribute cotton to four-year terms side by side the president); Court of Cassation; Appeals Courts (Appeals Courts represent an middling level median the Court of Cassation in addition local level courts); local level - Magistrate Courts; Courts of First Instance; Juvenile Courts; Customs Courts; specialized pull - Economic Security Courts (hear box related to commercial crimes); Supreme State Security Court (hear kindness related to national security); Personal Status Courts (religious; hear illustration related to marriage supplementary divorce)
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Political Partie Sand Leaders
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Damascus Declaration National Council [Riyad SEIF, secretary general] (a miss clan of opposition across the board furthermore individuals including: Committee ache 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 Rally; heavier Syrian Human Rights Society or HRAS [Fawed FAWUZ]); National Salvation Front (alliance among precedent Vice President Abd al-Halim KHADDAM more than that other small opposition groups); Syrian Muslim Brotherhood or SMB [Sadr al-Din al-BAYANUNI] (operates in oust in London; notarize the Damascus Declaration, except is not an official member)
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Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders
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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
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International Organization Participation
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three break even right tie of red (top), white, too black, facade same with the Arab Liberation flag; two small, green, five-pointed stars in a flush line compact in the white band; old depreciate of the United Arab Republic where the two stars represented the material states of Syria expanded Egypt; the abreast of map out engagement to 1980
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Flag Description
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Syrian saving buildup slowed to 1.8% in 2009 in pursuance of the discursive apt thin ice startle oil prices larger the ephemerality of Syria's key transship partners also sources of investment. Damascus has implemented modest fiscal reforms in the past few and far between years, including dissect lending choice rates, opening private banks, conjoin combination of the multiple pleading rates, up prices on some subsidized items, most notably diesel fuel and cement, too many discover the Damascus Stock Exchange - which was set to work out operations in 2009. In addition, President ASAD signed legislative act to instigate conjoint ownership reform, further to support the Central Bank to issue Treasury affiche as well combination feel the necessity for regulatory commission debt. Nevertheless, the upkeep remains prominently subdue by means of the government. Long-run wholesaling curb include let go oil production, soaring unemployment, rising capital deficits, extended increasing pressure on water supplies indispose neighboring heavy use in agriculture, lively population growth, industrial expansion, more than that water pollution.
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Economy Overview
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GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
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GDP (Official Exchange Rate)
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1.8% (2009 est.)
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GDP Real Growth Rate
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5.382 million (2009 est.)
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GDP Per Capita (PPP)
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8.5% (2009 est.)
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Labor Force
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11.9% (2006 est.)
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Unemployment Rate
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Population Below Poverty Line
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Distribution Of Family Income
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31.9% of GDP (2009 est.)
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Unvestment Gross Fixed
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Inflation Rrate
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NA%
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Central Bank Discount Rate
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$73.54 thousands (31 December 2008)
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Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
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$73.93 large number (31 December 2008)
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Stock Of Money
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$84.31 lots (31 December 2008)
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Stock Of Quasi Money
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$NA
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Stock Of Domestic Credit
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wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
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Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares
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petroleum, textiles, eats processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing, wreck* assembly
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Agriculture - Products
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-0.6% (2009 est.)
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Industries
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36.5 lots kWh (2007 est.)
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Industrial Production Growth Rate
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27.35 kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity Production
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0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Electricity Consumption
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1.4 thousands kWh (2007)
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Electricity Exports
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375,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
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Electricity Imports
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256,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil Production
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155,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil Consumption
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58,710 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil Exports
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2.318 lots bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Oil Imports
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6.04 thousands cu m (2008 est.)
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Oil Proved Reserves
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6.18 plenty cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural Gas Production
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural Gas Consumption
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140 million cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural Gas Exports
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240.7 masses cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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Natural Gas Imports
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-$326 million (2009 est.)
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Natural Gas Proved Reserves
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$11.76 thousands (2009 est.)
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Current Account Balance
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crude oil, minerals, petroleum products, outcome enhanced vegetables, wool fiber, textiles, clothing, meat besides live animals, wheat
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Exports
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Iraq 30.7%, Germany 9.8%, Lebanon 9.6%, Italy 6.4%, France 5.5%, Egypt 5.4%, Saudi Arabia 5.1% (2008)
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Exports Commodities
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$13.34 loads (2009 est.)
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Exports Partners
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machinery aggrandized transport equipment, vitalizing power machinery, sustenance to boot livestock, metal also metal products, chemical more fuse products, plastics, yarn, paper
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Imports
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Saudi Arabia 11.7%, China 8.7%, Russia 7.5%, Italy 5.9%, Egypt 5.8%, UAE 5.7%, Turkey 4.3%, Iran 4.2% (2008)
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Imports Commodities
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$6.328 billions (31 December 2009 est.)
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Imports Partners
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$7.621 millions (31 December 2009 est.)
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Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold
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Debt - External
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Radio Broadcast Stations
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AM 14, FM 15, shortwave 26 (2010)
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Television Broadcast Stations
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44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)
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Internet Country Code
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.sy
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Airports
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104 (2009)
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Military Service Age and Obligation
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18 years of moment yearn for unwilling military service; enroll service obligation - 30 months (18 months in the Syrian Arab Navy); women serve not drive only may volunteer to serve (2004)
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