ity - $3,100 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 29%

industry: 22%

services: 49% (1997)

Population below poverty line: 15%-25%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 4.7 million (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry 20%, services
40% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20% (2000 est.)

Budget: revenues: $2.25 billion

expenditures: $5.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)

Industries: petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages,
tobacco, phosphate rock mining

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: 17.94 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 57.64%

hydro: 42.36%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 16.684 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas,
olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk

Exports: $4.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: petroleum 65%, textiles 10%, manufactured
goods 10%, fruits and vegetables 7%, raw cotton 5%, live sheep 2%,
phosphates 1% (1998 est.)

Exports - partners: Germany 21%, Italy 12%, France 10%, Saudi Arabia
9%, Turkey 8% (1999 est.)

Imports: $3.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment 23%,
foodstuffs/animals 20%, metal and metal products 15%, textiles 10%,
chemicals 10% (1998 est.)

Imports - partners: France 11%, Italy 8%, Germany 7%, Turkey 5%,
China 4% (1999 est.)

Debt - external: $22 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $199 million (1997 est.)

Currency: Syrian pound (SYP)

Currency code: SYP

Exchange rates: Syrian pounds per US dollar - 46 (2000), 46 (1998),
41.9 (January 1997)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Syria Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 1.313 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: general assessment: fair system currently
undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including
fiber-optic technology

domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network

international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 1 submarine ca