Country (long form) |
Syrian Arab Republic |
Capital |
Damascus |
Total Area |
71,498 sq mi
185,180.00 sq km
(slightly larger than North Dakota) |
Population |
16,728,808 (July 2001 est.)
note: in addition, there are about 38,200 people living in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 18,200 Arabs (16,500 Druze and 1,700 Alawites) and about 20,000 Israeli settlers |
Estimated Population in 2050 |
34,437,235 |
Languages |
Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood |
Literacy |
70.8% total, 85.7% male, 55.8% female (1997 est.) |
Religions |
Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo) |
Life Expectancy |
67.63 male, 69.98 female (2001 est.) |
Government Type |
republic under military regime since March 1963 |
Currency |
1 Syrian pound = 100 piastres |
GDP (per capita) |
$3,100 (2000 est.) |
Industry |
petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining |
Agriculture |
wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk |
Arable Land |
28% |
Natural Resources |
petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower |
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