Names: conventional long form: Syrian Arab Republic conventional short form: Syria local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah local short form: Suriyah former: United Arab Republic (with Egypt)

Capital City: Damascus

Population: 18,881,361 note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and about 20,000 Israeli settlers (July 2006 est.)

GDP Per Capita: $4,000 (2006 est.)

Currency: Syrian pound (SYP)

Languages: Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood

Total Area: total: 185,180 sq km land: 184,050 sq km water: 1,130 sq km note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory slightly larger than North Dakota

Region: Asia

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

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

Resources: petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower

Labor Force: 5.505 million (2006 est.)
agriculture: 26% industry: 14% services: 60% (2003 est.)

Exports: $6.923 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
crude oil, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat

Imports: $6.634 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper

Overview: The Syrian economy grew by an estimated 2.9% in real terms in 2006, led by the petroleum and agricultural sectors, which together account for about one-half of GDP. Higher crude oil prices countered declining oil production and exports and led to higher budgetary and export receipts. Total foreign assets of the Central Bank and domestic banking system rose to about $20 billion in 2006, and the government strengthened the private sector foreign exchange rate by about 7 percent from the start of the year. The Government of Syria has implemented modest economic reforms in the past few years, including cutting interest rates, opening private banks, consolidating some of the multiple exchange rates, and raising prices on some subsidized foodstuffs. Nevertheless, the economy remains highly controlled by the government. Long-run economic constraints include declining oil production and exports, weak investment, and increasing pressure on water supplies caused by heavy use in agriculture, rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and water pollution.

_{CIA World Book}

In 2007 Missouri had no exports to Syria.