id MUALEM
chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313
FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher W. S. ROSS
embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansur Street No. 2, Damascus
mailing address : P. O. Box 29, Damascus
telephone: [963] (11) 333-2814, 333-0788, 332-0783
FAX: [963] (11) 224-7938

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white,
and black with two small green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line
centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a
plain white band and of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an
Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band;
also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a symbolic eagle centered
in the white band

Economy

Economy - overview: Sheltered from the pressures of the international
marketplace for almost three decades, Syria's predominantly statist
economy is on a weak footing because of Damascus's failure to
implement extensive economic reform. After an economic rebound in the
early 1990s in the wake of the Persian Gulf war, economic growth has
slowed as the traditionally volatile economy has once again slumped.
Current account and budget deficits and inflation are increasing. The
dominant agricultural sector remains underdeveloped, with roughly 80%
of agricultural land still dependent on rain-fed sources. Although
Syria has sufficient water supplies in the aggregate at normal levels
of precipitation, the great distance between major water supplies and
population centers poses serious distribution problems, and the water
problem is exacerbated by rapid population growth, industrial
expansion, and increased water pollution. Unemployment remains a
nagging problem because about 60% of the population is under the age
of 20, ensuring a steady flow of job seekers into the already tight
labor market. Private investment is critical to the modernization of
the agricultural, energy, and export sectors, particularly because
Damascus is saddled with a heavy foreign debt. Oil production is
leveling off, and the efforts of the nonoil sector to penetrate
international markets have fallen short. Syria's inadequate
infrastructure, outmoded technological base, and weak educational
system hamper competition with neighbors such as Jordan and Israel.
The dominant public sector continues to be plagued by labor,
financial, and