| Local name: Al-Jumhuriya al-'Arabiya as-Suriya |
| Surface :
185,180 sq km (71,498 sq miles) |
| Population : 17,459,550
(1998) inhabitants |
| Electricity: 220
volts AC, 50Hz. European-style 2-pin plugs |
| PASSPORTS:
Valid passport required by all except nationals of Lebanon holding
valid national ID cards. VISAS: Required by all except the following:nationals
of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,
Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan,
Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen; transit passengers
continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft
within 24 hours provided holding onward or return documentation and
not leaving the airport. Nationals of Australia can obtain their visa
on arrival. Restricted entry and transit: (a) Holders of
Israeli passports will be refused admission; so will any passenger
holding a passport containing a visa (valid or expired) for Israel and
those holding a stamp indicating an Israel-Jordan border crossing. (b)
The following may be refused entry into Syria: nationals of Iraq or
anyone born in Iraq; all holders of Korea (Rep. of) passports; and
female nationals of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Philippines, Sri Lanka
and Thailand, who must obtain prior approval from the Department of
Immigration in Syria before entering the country. |
| West of the Jabal an Nusayreyah, Syria has a Mediterranean
climate, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
Yearly rainfall ranges from about 510 to 1,020 mm in the coastal area,
from about 255 to 510 mm between Aleppo, and Damascus, and from 127 mm
to less than 25 mm in the desert area in the southeast. Regional
variations in temperature are comparatively slight. At Aleppo, in the
northwest, the average August temperature is 30°C and the average
January temperature is 4°C. At Tudmur, in the central region at the
edge of the Syrian Desert, the corresponding temperatures are 31°C
and 7°C. |
| Capital : Damascus -
Population: 1,431,821 (1998) |
| System :
Republic since 1973. Gained independence
in 1946 - The 1973 constitution allows for a
single-chamber legislature, the 250-member People’s Assembly.
Executive power is vested in the president who is directly elected for
a seven-year term. |
| Languages : Arabic,
French and English |
| Religions: Over
80 per cent Muslim (mostly Sunni), with sizeable Christian (mostly
Orthodox and Catholic) groups and Jewish minorities. |
| Money : Syrian
Pound (S£) = 100 piastres. Notes are in denominations of S£1000,
500, 100, 50, 25, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of S£25, 10,
5, 2 and 1. |
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+ 963 |
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+ 2 (GMT
+ 3 from March 30 to September 30) |
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