Head of state: Bashar Hafez al-Assad
Head of government: Riyad Hijab, PM
Type of state: presidential republic
Land area: 185,180 km2
Capital: Damascus
Population: 22.9m
Ethnic groups: 90.3% Arabs, 9.7% Kurds and Armenians
Religions: 74% Sunni, 16% Alawite and Druze, 10% Christian 
Language: Arabic
Currency: Syrian pound (SYP)
Gross domestic product (GDP) 2011: USD 56.688bn
Change over previous year: -3.4%
Per capita GDP 2011: USD 2,474
Swiss colony 2011: 180 people
Swiss exports 2011: CHF 248.5m
Change over previous year: -8.4%
Swiss imports 2011: CHF 4.0 million
Change over previous year: -2.8%