2,363 km of land border against just 193 km of coast — this country faces its neighbors far more than it faces the sea.
coastline 193 km · 138th/229 · land borders 2,363 km · 81st/230 CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · ranks computed across the countries in this atlas that carry the value
Population
17,070,135
Natural Earth population estimate.
Area
187,437 km²
Official total area (land + water) from the CIA World Factbook. Computed from the Natural Earth boundary: ≈ 185,959 km².
Field “Economy → GDP (official exchange rate)” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
GDP per capita (PPP)
$4,200
Field “Economy → Real GDP per capita → Real GDP per capita 2023” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Each line is every country in this atlas that carries the value, ordered smallest to largest. The line down the middle is the world median; the mark on each line is this country.
median
Median age24.5 years175th of 224 · median 32.6 years
Life expectancy74.8 years133rd of 224 · median 76.2 years
Fertility rate2.64 children per woman57th of 225 · median 1.92 children per woman
Population17,070,13568th of 235 · median 5,454,073
Total area187,437 km²89th of 228 · median 83,736 km²
Coastline193 km138th of 229 · median 402 km
Overview
Geography
Between Lebanon and Türkiye, Syria borders the Mediterranean Sea in the Middle East. Its terrain is primarily a semiarid, desert plateau, with a narrow coastal plain and mountains in the west. Petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, and hydropower are natural resources.
Damascus lies at an oasis fed by the Barada River, and is thought to be one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Mount Hermon, also called Jabal a-Shayk, is Syria's highest point. Yarmuk River is Syria's lowest point.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Climate
Mostly desert, Syria has hot, dry, sunny summers and mild, rainy winters along the coast. In Damascus, cold weather periodically comes with snow or sleet.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Key figures
CIA World Factbook
Economy
GDP (nominal)
$19.99 billion
Field “Economy → GDP (official exchange rate)” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
GDP (PPP)
$98.86 billion
Field “Economy → Real GDP (purchasing power parity) → Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
GDP per capita (PPP)
$4,200
Field “Economy → Real GDP per capita → Real GDP per capita 2023” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
GDP growth
-1.2%
Field “Economy → Real GDP growth rate → Real GDP growth rate 2023” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Inflation (consumer prices)
94.1%
Field “Economy → Inflation rate (consumer prices) → Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Unemployment
13%
Field “Economy → Unemployment rate → Unemployment rate 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Exports
$1.61 billion
Field “Economy → Exports → Exports 2022” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Imports
$6.8 billion
Field “Economy → Imports → Imports 2022” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
People
Life expectancy
74.8 years
Field “People and Society → Life expectancy at birth → total population” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Median age
24.5 years
Field “People and Society → Median age → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Birth rate
21.26 per 1,000
Field “People and Society → Birth rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Death rate
3.97 per 1,000
Field “People and Society → Death rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Fertility rate
2.64 children per woman
Field “People and Society → Total fertility rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Population growth
+1.63% a year
Field “People and Society → Population growth rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Urban population
57.4%
Field “People and Society → Urbanization → urban population” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Literacy
94.4%
Field “People and Society → Literacy → total population” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Languages
Arabicofficial
Kurdish
Armenian
Aramaic
Circassian
French
English
Field “People and Society → Languages → Languages” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Religions
Muslim87%
Christian10%includes Orthodox, Uniate, and Nestorian
Druze3%
Field “People and Society → Religions” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Land
Total area
187,437 km²Land 185,887 km² · Water 1,550 km²
Field “Geography → Area → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Coastline
193 km
Field “Geography → Coastline” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Land borders
2,363 km
Field “Geography → Land boundaries → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Mean elevation
514 m
Field “Geography → Elevation → mean elevation” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Highest point
2,814 m Mount Hermon (Jabal a-Shayk)
Field “Geography → Elevation → highest point” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Values from the CIA World Factbook archive. Each carries the year it describes; open a year for the exact source field.
Syria