Country profile: Syria

President: Bashar al-Assad

A referendum in 2007 endorsed Bashar al-Assad as president for a second seven-year term. 

Bashar al-Assad was born in 1965, the third of President Hafez al-Assad's children. He studied in Damascus and London. Shy and private, he was brought up outside the political spotlight, seemingly destined for a quiet life.

Vice president: Faruq al-Shara 

Prime minister: Naji al-Itri 

Foreign minister: Walid al-Moualem

Once the centre of the Islamic Empire, Syria covers an area that has seen invasions and occupations over the ages, from Romans and Mongols to Crusaders and Turks.

A country of fertile plains, mountains and deserts, it is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Alawite Shias and Druze, as well as the Arab Sunnis who make up a majority of the Muslim population.

Modern Syria gained its independence from France in 1946 but has lived through periods of political instability driven by the conflicting interests of these various groups.

AT-A-GLANCE

• Full name: The Syrian Arab Republic

• Population: 18 million (via UN, 2006)

• Capital: Damascus

• Area: 185,180 sq km (71,498 sq miles)

• Major language: Arabic

• Major religion: Islam

• Life expectancy: 71 years (men), 

• 75 years (women) (UN)

• Monetary unit: 1 Syrian pound = 100 piastres

• Main exports: Oil, gas

• GNI per capita: US $1,380 (World Bank, 2006)

• Internet domain: .sy

• International dialing code: +963