ble;
coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon,
and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel

Radio broadcast stations: AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: 4.15 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 1.05 million (1997)

Internet country code: .sy

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)

Internet users: 20,000 (2000)

Syria Transportation

Railways: total: 2,750 km

standard gauge: 2,423 km 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge: 327 km 1.050-m gauge

note: rail link between Syria and Iraq replaced in 2000 (2000)

Highways: total: 41,451 km

paved: 9,575 km (including 877 km of expressways)

unpaved: 31,876 km (1997)

Waterways: 870 km (minimal economic importance)

Pipelines: crude oil 1,304 km; petroleum products 515 km

Ports and harbors: Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus

Merchant marine: total: 133 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
425,392 GRT/612,097 DWT

ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 117, livestock carrier 4, roll
on/roll off 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: 100 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 24

over 3,047 m: 5

2,438 to 3,047 m: 16

914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 76

1,524 to 2,437 m: 2

914 to 1,523 m: 11

under 914 m: 63 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 2 (2000 est.)

Syria Military

Military branches: Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab
Air Force, Syrian Arab Air Defense Forces, Police and Security Force

Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 4,384,528 (2001
est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49:
2,448,630 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 200,859
(2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $921 million (FY00 est.);
note - based on official budget data that may understate actual
spending

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.9% (FY98)

Syria Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; dispute
with upstream riparian Turkey over Turkish water development plans
for the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; Syrian troops in northern,
central, and eastern Lebanon since October 1976

Illicit drugs: a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for
regional and Western markets

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