FAX: (31) 357 73 44

Flag description: red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag

Switzerland Economy

Economy - overview: Switzerland, a prosperous and stable modern market economy with a per capita GDP 20% above that of the big western European economies, experienced solid growth of 3% in 2000, but growth is expected to fall back to about 2% in 2001. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness. Although the Swiss are not pursuing full EU membership in the near term, in 1999 Bern and Brussels signed agreements to further liberalize trade ties, and the agreements should come into force in 2001. Switzerland is still considered a safe haven for investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and has kept up the franc's long-term external value.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $207 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $28,600 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.8%

industry: 31.1%

services: 66.1% (1995)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8%

highest 10%: 25.2% (1992)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 3.9 million (964,000 foreign workers, mostly Italian) (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: services 69.1%, industry 26.3%, agriculture 4.6% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate: 1.9% (2000 est.)

Budget: revenues: $32.66 billion

expenditures: $34.89 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.3 billion (1998 est.)

Industries: machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments

Industrial production growth rate: 8.6% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 66.768 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 3.44%

hydro: 59.16%

nuclear: 35.43%

other: 1.97% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 51.862 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 31.955 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 21.723 billion kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs

Exports: $91.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities: machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products

Exports - partners: EU 65.8% (Germany 22.6%, France 9.2%, Italy 8.0%, UK 5.5%, Austria 3.2%), US 12.4%, Japan 4.0% (1999)

Imports: $91.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities: machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products, textiles

Imports - partners: EU 77.7% (Germany 31.0%, France 12.0%, Italy 9.7%, Netherlands 5.1%, UK 5.7%), US 7.1%, Japan 2.9% (1999)

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid - donor: ODA, $1.1 billion (1995)

Currency: Swiss franc (CHF)

Currency code: CHF

Exchange rates: Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.6303 (January 2001), 1.6888 (2000), 1.5022 (1999), 1.4498 (1998), 1.4513 (1997), 1.2360 (1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Switzerland Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 4.82 million (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 1.967 million (1999)

Telephone system: general assessment: excellent domestic and international services

domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 113 (plus many low power stations), shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios: 7.1 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 115 (plus 1,919 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 3.31 million (1997)

Internet country code: .ch

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 44 (Switzerland and
Liechtenstein) (2000)

Internet users: 2.4 million (2000)

Switzerland Transportation

Railways: total: 4,492 km (1,564 km double track)

standard gauge: 3,317 km 1.435-m gauge (3,288 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 1,165 km 1.000-m gauge (1,165 km electrified); 10 km 0.800-m gauge (1998)

Highways: total: 71,059 km (including 1,638 km of expressways)

paved: 71,059 km

unpaved: 0 km (1999)

Waterways: 65 km

note: The Rhine carries heavy traffic on the Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee stretches; there are also 12 navigable lakes

Pipelines: crude oil 314 km; natural gas 1,506 km

Ports and harbors: Basel

Merchant marine: total: 24 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 435,966 GRT/780,458 DWT

ships by type: bulk 12, cargo 6, chemical tanker 5, petroleum tanker 1

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: UK 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: 67 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 42

over 3,047 m: 3

2,438 to 3,047 m: 4

1,524 to 2,437 m: 13

914 to 1,523 m: 7

under 914 m: 15 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 25

under 914 m: 25 (2000 est.)

Switzerland Military

Military branches: Army, Air Force, Frontier Guards, Fortification
Guards

Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,849,034 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,570,918 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 42,597 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $3.1 billion (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.2% (FY98)

Switzerland Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: because of more stringent government regulations, used significantly less as a money-laundering center; transit country for and consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin

@Syria

Syria Introduction

Background: Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Syria was administered by the French until independence in 1946. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. Since 1976, Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon, ostensibly in a peacekeeping capacity. In recent years, Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan Heights.

Syria Geography

Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
Lebanon and Turkey

Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N, 38 00 E

Map references: Middle East

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

Area - comparative: slightly larger than North Dakota

Land boundaries: total: 2,253 km

border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km

Coastline: 193 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 41 NM

territorial sea: 35 NM

Climate: mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with snow or sleet periodically hitting Damascus

Terrain: primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west

Elevation extremes: lowest point: unnamed location near Lake
Tiberias -200 m

highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m

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

Land use: arable land: 28%

permanent crops: 4%

permanent pastures: 43%

forests and woodland: 3%

other: 22% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 9,060 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms

Environment - current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from dumping of raw sewage and wastes from petroleum refining; inadequate supplies of potable water

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note: there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 1999 est.)

Syria People

Population: 16,728,808

note: in addition, there are about 38,200 people living in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 18,200 Arabs (16,500 Druze and 1,700 Alawites) and about 20,000 Israeli settlers (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 39.92% (male 3,440,060; female 3,238,576)

15-64 years: 56.87% (male 4,868,816; female 4,644,870)

65 years and over: 3.21% (male 261,036; female 275,450) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.54% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 30.64 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 5.21 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female

total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 33.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.77 years

male: 67.63 years

female: 69.98 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.95 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Syrian(s)

adjective: Syrian

Ethnic groups: Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%

Religions: Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)

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

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 70.8%

male: 85.7%

female: 55.8% (1997 est.)

Syria Government

Country name: 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)

Government type: republic under military regime since March 1963

Capital: Damascus

Administrative divisions: 14 provinces (muhafazat, singular -
muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah, Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As
Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims, Idlib,
Rif Dimashq, Tartus

Independence: 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under
French administration)

National holiday: Independence Day, 17 April (1946)

Constitution: 13 March 1973

Legal system: based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice Presidents Abd al-Halim ibn Said KHADDAM (since 11 March 1984) and Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984)

head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa MIRU (since 13 March 2000), Deputy Prime Ministers Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since 11 March 1984), Khalid RA'D (since 13 March 2000), Muhammad NAJI 'UTRI (since 13 March 2000)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; referendum/election last held 10 July 2000 - after the death of President Hafez al-ASAD, father of Bashar al-ASAD - (next to be held NA 2007); vice presidents appointed by the president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president

election results: Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.29%

note: Hafiz al-ASAD died 10 June 2000; 20 June 2000 the Ba'th Party nominated Bashar al-ASAD for president and presented his name to the People's Council 25 June 2000

Legislative branch: unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-shaab (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 30 November-1 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - NPF 67%, non-NPF 33%; seats by party - NPF 167, independents 83; note - the constitution guarantees that the Ba'th Party (part of the NPF alliance) receive one-half of the seats

Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court (justices are appointed for four-year terms by the president); High Judicial Council; Court of Cassation; State Security Courts

Political parties and leaders: National Progressive Front or NPF
(includes the Ba'th Party, ASU, Arab Socialist Party, Socialist
Unionist Democratic Party, ASP, SCP) [President Bashar al-ASAD];
Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party (governing party) [Bashar
al-ASAD, secretary general of the party, and chairman of the
National Progressive Front after the death of Hafiz al-ASAD on 10
June 2000]; Arab Socialist Unionist Movement or ASU [Sami SOUFAN];
Arab Socialist Party [Abd al-Ghani KANNUT]; Socialist Unionist
Democratic Party [Ahmad al-ASAD]; Syrian Arab Socialist Party or ASP
[Safwan KOUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party or SCP [Yusuf FAYSAL]

Political pressure groups and leaders: conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood (operates in exile in Jordan and Yemen); non-Ba'th parties have little effective political influence

International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF,
CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Rustum al-ZU'BI

chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: (202) 232-6313