e completed toward the end of the 1990s. Output in 1990
rebounded from the very bad year of 1989, as agricultural production
and oil revenues increased substantially.

_#_GDP: $20.0 billion, per capita $1,600; real growth rate 12%
(1990 est.)

_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50% (1990 est.)

_#_Unemployment rate: NA%

_#_Budget: revenues $4.8 billion; expenditures $5.5 billion, including
capital expenditures of $2.1 billion (1990 est.)

_#_Exports: $2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);

commodities--petroleum 40%, textiles 30%, farm products 13%,
phosphates (1989);

partners--USSR and Eastern Europe 42%, EC 31%, Arab countries 17%,
US/Canada 2% (1989)

_#_Imports: $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);

commodities--foodstuffs and beverages 21%, metal and metal
products 16%, machinery 14%, textiles, petroleum (1989);

partners--EC 42%, USSR and Eastern Europe 13%, other Europe 13%,
US/Canada 8%, Arab countries 6% (1989)

_#_External debt: $5.2 billion in hard currency (1990 est.)

_#_Industrial production: growth rate 17% (1990 est.); accounts
for 19% of GDP

_#_Electricity: 2,867,000 kW capacity; 6,000 million kWh produced,
500 kWh per capita (1989)

_#_Industries: textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco,
phosphate rock mining, petroleum

_#_Agriculture: accounts for 27% of GDP and one-third of labor force;
all major crops (wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas) grown
mainly on rainfed land causing wide swings in production; animal
products--beef, lamb, eggs, poultry, milk; not self-sufficient in grain
or livestock products

_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $538
million; Western (non-US) ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88),
$1.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $12.3 billion; Communist
countries (1970-89), $3.3 billion

_#_Currency: Syrian pound (plural--pounds);
1 Syrian pound (5S) = 100 piasters

_#_Exchange rates: Syrian pounds (5S) per US$1--11.2250 (fixed rate
since 1987), 3.9250 (fixed rate 1976-87)

_#_Fiscal year: calendar year

_*_Communications
_#_Railroads: 2,241 km total; 1,930 km standard gauge, 311 km
1.050-meter narrow gauge; note--the Tartus-Latakia line is nearly
complete

_#_Highways: 27,000 km total; 21,000 km paved, 3,000 km gravel or
crushed stone, 3,000 km improved earth

_#_Inland waterways: 672 km; of little economic importance

_#_Pipelines: 1,304 km crude oil; 515 km refined pr