Factbook dossier
Background
After World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French administered the area until granting it independence in 1946. The new country lacked political stability and experienced a series of military coups. Syria united with Egypt in 1958 to form the United Arab Republic. In 1961, the two entities separated, and the Syrian Arab Republic was reestablished. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost control of the Golan Heights region to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held occasional, albeit unsuccessful, peace talks over its return. In 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a member of the socialist Ba'ath Party and the minority Alawi sect, seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country. Following the death of al-ASAD, his son, Bashar al-ASAD, was approved as president by popular referendum in 2000. Syrian troops that were stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role were withdrawn in 2005. During the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizballah, Syria placed its military forces on alert but did not intervene directly on behalf of its ally Hizballah. In 2007, Bashar al-ASAD's second term as president was again approved in a referendum. In the wake of major uprisings elsewhere in the region, antigovernment protests broke out in the southern province of Dar'a in 2011. Protesters called for the legalization of political parties, the removal of corrupt local officials, and the repeal of the restrictive Emergency Law allowing arrests without charge. Demonstrations …
Location
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Area
total : 187,437 sq km land: 185,887 sq km water: 1,550 sq km note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory
Natural resources
petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
Natural hazards
dust storms, sandstorms volcanism: Syria's two historically active volcanoes, Es Safa and an unnamed volcano near the Turkish border, have not erupted in centuries
Population
total: 24,261,882 (2025 est.) male: 12,183,128 female: 12,078,754
Ethnic groups
Arab ~50%, Alawite ~15%, Kurd ~10%, Levantine ~10%, other ~15% (includes Druze, Ismaili, Imami, Nusairi, Assyrian, Turkoman, Armenian)
Languages
Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French, English major-language sample(s): كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic) ڕاستییەکانی جیهان، باشترین سەرچاوەیە بۆ زانیارییە بنەڕەتییەکان (Kurdish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Muslim 87% (official; includes Sunni 74% and Alawi, Ismaili, and Shia 13%), Christian 10% (includes Orthodox, Uniate, and Nestorian), Druze 3% note: the Christian population may be considerably smaller as a result of Christians fleeing the country during the ongoing civil war
Environmental issues
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; depletion of water resources; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water
Government type
transitional presidential republic
Capital
name: Damascus geographic coordinates: 33 30 N, 36 18 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the city has an ancient, pre-Semitic name of unknown origin
Executive branch
chief of state: Ahmad al-Shara'; former President Bashar al-ASAD was overthrown by Islamist rebels on 8 December 2024 head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad al-BASHIR (since 8 December 2024) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); the president appoints the vice president and prime minister most recent election date: 26 May 2021 election results: 2021: Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD (Ba'th Party) 95.2%, Mahmoud Ahmad MAREI (Democratic Arab Socialist Union) 3.3%, other 1.5% 2014: Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD (Ba'th Party) 88.7%, Hassan al-NOURI (independent) 4.3%, Maher HAJJER (independent) 3.2%, other/invalid 3.8% expected date of next election: 2028
Legislative branch
legislature name: People's Assembly (Majlis Al-Chaab) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 210 (140 indirectly elected; 70 appointed) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 10/5/2025 percentage of women in chamber: 9.6% expected date of next election: March 2030
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$98.858 billion (2023 est.) $100.066 billion (2022 est.) $99.338 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$4,200 (2023 est.) $4,500 (2022 est.) $4,600 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
94.1% (2022 est.) 98.3% (2021 est.) 114.2% (2020 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Turkey 29%, Saudi Arabia 16%, Lebanon 10%, India 10%, UAE 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
Turkey 49%, UAE 11%, China 8%, Egypt 7%, Lebanon 3% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
the interim government authorities in Syria have established a Ministry of Defense and are attempting to unify the dozens of armed factions operating in Syria under a single, state-linked army; it has also established a Ministry of Interior to manage police and other security forces (2025)
Military expenditures
6.5% of GDP (2019 est.) 6.7% of GDP (2018 est.) 6.8% of GDP (2017 est.) 6.9% of GDP (2016 est.) 7.2% of GDP (2015 est.)