<P> The first law passed (Law 134; passed 4 September 1958) in response to concern about peasant mobilization and expanding peasants' rights . This was designed to strengthen the position of sharecroppers and agricultural laborers in relation to land owners . This law led to the creation of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, which announced the implementation of new laws that would allow the regulation of working condition especially for women and adolescents, set hours of work, and introduce the principle of minimum wage for paid laborers and an equitable division of harvest for sharecroppers . Furthermore, it obligated landlords to honor both written and oral contracts, established collective barging, contained provisions for workers' compensation, health, housing, and employment services . Law 134 was not designed strictly to protect workers . It also acknowledged the rights of landlords to form their own syndicates . </P> <P> The Telecommunications in Syria are overseen by the Ministry of Communications and Technology . In addition, Syrian Telecom plays an integral role in the distribution of government internet access . The Syrian Electronic Army serves as a pro-government military faction in cyberspace and has been long considered an enemy of the hacktivist group Anonymous . Because of internet censorship laws, 13,000 internet activists have been arrested between March 2011 and August 2012 . </P> <P> As of 2015, the Syrian economy relies upon inherently unreliable revenue sources such as dwindling customs and income taxes which are heavily bolstered by lines of credit from Iran . Iran is believed to spend between $6 billion and $20 billion USD a year on Syria during the Syrian Civil War . The Syrian economy has contracted 60% and the Syrian pound has lost 80% of its value, with the economy becoming part state - owned and part war economy . At the outset of the ongoing Syrian Civil War, Syria was classified by the World Bank as a "lower middle income country ." In 2010, Syria remained dependent on the oil and agriculture sectors . The oil sector provided about 40% of export earnings . Proven offshore expeditions have indicated that large sums of oil exist on the Mediterranean Sea floor between Syria and Cyprus . The agriculture sector contributes to about 20% of GDP and 20% of employment . Oil reserves are expected to decrease in the coming years and Syria has already become a net oil importer . Since the civil war began, the economy shrank by 35%, and the Syrian pound has fallen to one - sixth of its prewar value . The government increasingly relies on credit from Iran, Russia and China . </P> <P> The economy is highly regulated by the government, which has increased subsidies and tightened trade controls to assuage protesters and protect foreign currency reserves . Long - run economic constraints include foreign trade barriers, declining oil production, high unemployment, rising budget deficits, and increasing pressure on water supplies caused by heavy use in agriculture, rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and water pollution . The UNDP announced in 2005 that 30% of the Syrian population lives in poverty and 11.4% live below the subsistence level . </P>

Where is syria located at on the map