Syria
Independent since 1946, Syria shares its northern borders with Turkey, and its eastern ones with Iraq. It borders with Jordan to the south, and with Israel, Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. It has a population of 21.5 million and its official language is Arabic.
Since 2011, Syria has been the theatre of a bloody civil war. While the conflict is still ongoing, President Bashar al-Assad’s government has regained the control of much of the territory. Russian, Iranian, Turkish and American forces are still in the country, together with pro-government militias linked to the Lebanese organization Hezbollah. Although some Arab countries have recently resumed relations with Syria, the country remains largely isolated and under international sanctions.
Although the volumes of trade between them is low, Syria and Italy used to enjoy good relations. During the civil war, the Italian Cooperation Agency has provided a great deal of assistance to Syria via multilateral initiatives.
The presence of heterogeneous organizations, with different agendas and interests to protect, could make Syria the riskiest escalation point. An analysis by Daniele Ruvinetti
Climate change and drought plague the Countries in the Levant region. The mismanagement of water resources can contribute to the outburst of conflicts. The case of Syria offers food for thought.
| Head of state | Bashar al-Assad |
| Head of Government | Hussein Arnous |
| Institutional Form | Unitary semi-presidential Ba'athist republic under a hereditary authoritarianism |
| Capital | Damascus |
| Legislative Power | Unicameral People’s Assembly (250 members) |
| Judicial Power | Supreme Constitutional Court (the judges are elected every 4 years by the President); High Judicial Council; Court of Cassation; State Security Council |
| Total Area kmq | 187.437 km2 |
| Land | 185.887 km2 |
| Weather | Desert, hot, dry and sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along the coast. Cold with snow or sleet periodically in Damascus |
| Natural resources | Petroleum, phosphates, chromium and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower |
| Economic summary | Socialism has been the official economic model since 1963. The Syrian economy has deeply deteriorated due to the ongoing conflict started in 2011, a decline of more than 70% from 2010 to 2017 |
| GDP | $22.645 billion (Dec. 2021) |
| Pro-capite GDP (Purchasing power parity) | $ 1.436 (Dec. 2021) |
| Exports | $868 million (2020) |
| Export partner | Turkey 27.2%, Saudi Arabia 22.4%, Lebanon 11.4%, Egypt 7.91%, UAE 5.35%, Jordan 4.99% (2020) |
| Imports | $4.44 billion (2020) |
| Import partner | Turkey 31.9%, China 18.8%, UAE 15%, Egypt 6.49%, India 2.78%, Lebanon 2.75% (2020) |
| Trade With Italy | $ 75,78 million (2021) |
| Population | 21.563.800 (2022) |
| Population Growth | +5.91% (2022) |
| Ethnicities | Arabs 50%, Alawites 15%, Kurds 10%, Levantines 10%, others 15% (includes Druze, Ismailites, Imami, Nusairi, Assyrians, Turcomans, Armenians) |
| Languages | Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Turkish, Aramaic, Circassian, French, English |
| Religions | Muslims 87% (includes Sunnis 74% and Alawites, Ismailis and Shiites 13%), Christians 9% (includes Orthodox, Uniates and Nestorians), Druze 3%, Jews (few remaining in Damascus and Aleppo) |
| Urbanization | 56,8% (2022) |
| Literacy | 86.4% |
Independent since 1946, Syria shares its northern borders with Turkey, and its eastern ones with Iraq. It borders with Jordan to the south, and with Israel, Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. It has a population of 21.5 million and its official language is Arabic.
Since 2011, Syria has been the theatre of a bloody civil war. While the conflict is still ongoing, President Bashar al-Assad’s government has regained the control of much of the territory. Russian, Iranian, Turkish and American forces are still in the country, together with pro-government militias linked to the Lebanese organization Hezbollah. Although some Arab countries have recently resumed relations with Syria, the country remains largely isolated and under international sanctions.
Although the volumes of trade between them is low, Syria and Italy used to enjoy good relations. During the civil war, the Italian Cooperation Agency has provided a great deal of assistance to Syria via multilateral initiatives.
