ne 8.7%, China 7.8%, Russia 5.4%, Saudi Arabia
5.2%, US 4.7%, South Korea 4.6%, Italy 4.3% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$5 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$4 billion (excludes military debt and debt to Russia) (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$180 million (2002 est.)

Currency (code):
Syrian pound (SYP)

Currency code:
SYP

Exchange rates:
Syrian pounds per US dollar - (official rate): 11.225 (2004),
11.225 (2003), 11.225 (2002), 11.225 (2001), 11.225 (2000),
(parallel market rate in Amman and Beirut) NA (2004), 52.8 (2003),
52.4 (2002), 50.4 (2002), 49.4 (2000)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Syria

Telephones - main lines in use:
2,099,300 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
400,000 (2002)

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: country code - 963; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region);
1 submarine cable; 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 hosts:
11 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
220,000 (2002)

Transportation Syria

Railways:
total: 2,711 km
standard gauge: 2,460 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2004)

Highways:
total: 45,697 km
paved: 6,489 km (including 1,001 km of expressways)
unpaved: 39,208 km (2002)

Waterways:
900 km (not economically significant) (2002)

Pipelines:
gas 2,300 km; oil 2,183 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Baniyas, Latakia

Merchant marine:
total: 120 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 446,981 GRT/636,620 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 105, container 1, livestock carrier
4, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 12 (Egypt 1, Greece 1, Jordan 2, Lebanon 7, Romania 1)
registered in other countries: 73 (2005)

Airports:
92 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 26
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: