Syria: An Economic Survey 



Legumes are transported throughout the country, principally 

 from the Beka'a and Transjordania, sesame from the Plain of 

 Esdraelon and the coastal plain. Sheep are bought from the 

 Bedouin by dealers in the inland cities (Aleppo, Horns, etc.) and 

 transported west and south. The trader forms the connecting link 

 not only between producer and consumer, but, in those cases where 

 the production is in excess of domestic needs, between producer and 

 exporter. Sometimes there are several middlemen. In Syria there 

 is no clear distinction between wholesaler and retailer. The Jewish 

 and German orange planters and the Jewish almond planters, who 

 have formed syndicates which dispose of their products at home 

 and abroad, depend neither on inland traders nor on exporters. 

 The vintners around Jaffa have gone still further in forming associ- 

 ations both for output and sale. Their wine is made by a central 

 agency and sold by a central agency. 



The most remunerative branch of inland trade is the distri- 

 bution of the wares brought into the country by the importer. 

 Goods bought in Beirut and Aleppo are taken to smaller cities, 

 which in their turn form distributing stations for towns and vil- 

 lages. Thus Damascus, Tripoli, Sidon, Haifa, Jaffa, and Jerusa- 

 lem depend on Beirut, while Acre, Nazareth, Tiberias, and Safed 

 depend in their turn on Haifa, etc. But this relationship is of 

 a more or less temporary nature. Damascus, Haifa, and Jaffa are 

 beginning to emancipate themselves from their dependence on 

 Beirut and to negotiate directly with European firms. Trans- 

 jordania, which heretofore did its buying in Jerusalem and Nablus, 

 has been connected with Haifa and Damascus by the Hejaz Kail- 

 way. The opening of the Afuleh-Beersheba line will cause many 

 changes. 



Inland trade is generally profitable. The dealers are shrewd 

 business men, far more honest than their reputation would lead 

 one to suppose. Allied with the inland trade is the overland 

 transportation of goods to Bagdad and other places in the interior 

 by camel. This activity amounts to about 2,000,000 francs. 



IV. Bedouin Trade. 



The centers of the Bedouin trade are Aleppo, Horns, Hama and 

 Damascus, and in a smaller measure Zahleh, Tiberias, Safed, 

 Hebron, and Beersheba. The Bedouin bring the products of 

 animal husbandry, live stock (camels, sheep, goats, horses), wool, 

 hides, butter, and eggs to the markets and exchange them for 

 grain, petroleum, sugar, tobacco, groceries, fire-arms and ammuni- 

 tion, dress goods and saddles. The value of the products brought 



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