Country Data:

1.  PROFILE:
-  Population:  13.4
-  Population growth rate (percent):  3.4
-  Religions:  Sunni Muslims (74 percent), Alawi Muslims (12
   percent), Christians (10 percent), Druze (3 percent), small
   numbers of Jews, Yazidis, and other Muslim sects.
-  Government system:  Republic, under military-authoritarian
   regime since 1963.
-  Languages:  Arabic (official), English and French (somewhat
   understood), Kurdish, Armenian, Syriac, and Circassian.
-  Work week:  Saturday through Thursday.

2.  DOMESTIC ECONOMY:  Most of the following statistics are from official
Syrian sources which are only available for a given time period after 1 - 3
years:

                                     1992     1993     1994
                                     ----     ----     ----
-  GDP (million USD)/1               8833     9771     10450
-  GDP growth rate (percent)/1         10       11         7
-  GDP per capita  (USD)              641      684       746
-  Government spending
    as percent of GDP                  11       11        15
-  Inflation (percent)/2               10       15        20
-  Unemployment (percent)             N/A      N/A       4.6
-  Foreign exchange reserves/3        311      N/A       N/A
-  Average exchange rate
     for USD 1.00                      42       42        42
-  Foreign debt/4 (million USD)      3544     3548      3550
-  U.S. Economic/military
     assistance                         0        0        0


3.  TRADE: (million USD)
                                     1992     1993     1994
                                     ----     ----     ----
-  Total Exports                    3,100    3,153    3,300
-  Total Imports                    3,498    4,149    4,500
-  U.S. Exports                       214      267      240
-  U.S. Imports                        24       60       50
-  U.S. Share of Syrian
    imports (percent)                 6.1      6.4        5
-  Manufactured goods
   trade balance with U.S.         -189.6     -207     -190
-  Total imports of
     agricultural goods               561      322      300
    From the U.S.                      46       29       30
-  U.S. Share of agricultural
    imports (percent)                   8        9       10
-  Agricultural goods trade
    Balance with U.S.                 -44      -24      -20
- Trade balance with three
    leading partners in 1993          N/A      N/A      N/A


PRINCIPAL U.S. EXPORTS (top 5 by 4-digit tariff item)

Steel pipes (678.1)                  11.5      10.2     N/A
Soybean meal (081.3)                 18.0       4.5     N/A
Corn (056.6)                          7.0      15.4     N/A
Sugar (061.2)                         4.1         0     N/A
Synthetic Fiber (651.5)               6.3       5.9     N/A


PRINCIPAL U.S. IMPORTS (top 5 by 4-digit tariff item)

Oil (333.0)                            0       35.9     N/A
Fuel Oil (334.3)                     9.7       19.5     N/A
Gasoline (334.1)                     6.4          0     N/A
Cotton underwear (845.2)             0.6        1.2     N/A
Garments (845.0)                     0.6        0.1     N/A