roduct: GDP - purchasing power parity - $74.4 billion (1994
est.)

National product real growth rate: 4% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $5,000 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 16.3% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7.5% (1993 est.)

Budget: NA

Exports: $3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: petroleum 53%, textiles 22%, cotton, fruits and
vegetables, wheat, barley, chickens
partners: EC 48%, former CEMA countries 24%, Arab countries 18% (1991)

Imports: $4 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
commodities: foodstuffs 21%, metal products 17%, machinery 15%
partners: EC 37%, former CEMA countries 15%, US and Canada 10% (1991)

External debt: $19.4 billion (1993 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity:
capacity: 4,160,000 kW
production: 13.2 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 865 kWh (1993)

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

Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP and one-third of labor force; all
major crops (wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas) grown mainly
on rain-watered land causing wide swings in production; animal
products - beef, lamb, eggs, poultry, milk; not self-sufficient in
grain or livestock products

Illicit drugs: a transit country for Lebanese and Turkish refined
cocaine going to Europe and heroin and hashish bound for regional and
Western markets

Economic aid:
recipient: no US aid; about $4.2 billion in loans and grants from Arab
and Western donors 1990-92 as a result of Gulf war stance

Currency: 1 Syrian pound (#S) = 100 piastres

Exchange rates: Syrian pounds (#S) per US$1 - 11.2 (official fixed
rate), 26.6 (blended rate used by the UN and diplomatic missions),
42.0 (neighboring country rate - applies to most state enterprise
imports), 46.0 - 53.0 (offshore rate) (yearend 1993)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Syria:Transportation

Railroads:
total: 1,998 km
broad gauge: 1,766 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 232 km 1.050-m gauge

Highways:
total: 31,569 km
paved: 24,308 km (including 670 km of expressways)
unpaved: 7,261 km

Inland waterways: 870 km; minimal economic importance

Pipelines: crude oil 1,304 km; petroleum products 515 km

Ports: Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus

Merchant marine:
total: 80 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 233,701 GRT/364,714 DWT
ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 68, vehicle carrier 2