Syria 
Facts
Population:
16,728,808
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 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
39.92% (male 3,440,060; female 3,238,576)
15-64 years:
56.87% (male 4,868,816; female 4,644,870)
65 years and over:
3.21% (male 261,036; female 275,450) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.54% (2001 est.)
Birth rate:
30.64 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate:
5.21 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.95 male(s)/female
total population:
1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
33.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
68.77 years
male:
67.63 years
female:
69.98 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.95 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.01% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun:
Syrian(s)
adjective:
Syrian
Ethnic groups:
Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
Languages:
Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
70.8%
male:
85.7%
female:
55.8% (1997 est.)
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $50.9 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.5% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,100 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture:
29%
industry:
22%
services:
49% (1997)
Population below poverty line:
15%-25%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.5% (2000 est.)
Labor force:
4.7 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 40%, industry 20%, services 40% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate:
20% (2000 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$2.25 billion
expenditures:
$5.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Industries:
petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
17.94 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel:
57.64%
hydro:
42.36%
nuclear:
0%
other:
0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption:
16.684 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Exports:
$4.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum 65%, textiles 10%, manufactured goods 10%, fruits and vegetables 7%, raw cotton 5%, live sheep 2%, phosphates 1% (1998 est.)
Exports - partners:
Germany 21%, Italy 12%, France 10%, Saudi Arabia 9%, Turkey 8% (1999 est.)
Imports:
$3.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 23%, foodstuffs/animals 20%, metal and metal products 15%, textiles 10%, chemicals 10% (1998 est.)
Imports - partners:
France 11%, Italy 8%, Germany 7%, Turkey 5%, China 4% (1999 est.)
Debt - external:
$22 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$199 million (1997 est.)
Currency:
Syrian pound (SYP)
Currency code:
SYP
Exchange rates:
Syrian pounds per US dollar - 46 (2000), 46 (1998), 41.9 (January 1997)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Statistics: CIA World Factbook.
Press
(Organ of the Arab Socialist Party), Damascus
http://www.albaath.com/
Al-Fida'
(Government-controlled weekly), Hama
Al-Jamahir
(Government-controlled), Halab
(Government-controlled), Damascus
http://www.thawra.com
(Government-owned, English-language), Damascus
http://www.teshreen.com/syriatimes
(Newsletter Magazine), Damascus
http://www.syria-today.com/
(Semi-official), Damascus
http://www.teshreen.com/
Syria in the News
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Displaying 1 to 4 of 27 items.
The success of the Obama administration’s August 31, 2010 withdrawal plan will hinge on the actions of Iran and Syria.
The writer offers his perspective on a trip to Syria back in 1993, and the hospitality he experienced.
Serious talks is an important step that will contribute substantially to peace and stability in the region. Unfortunately, the new enterprise is surrounded by dubious signs and uncertain circumstances.
The Syrian government does not allow the estimated 1.5 million Iraqis in Syria to work legally and an increasing number of refugees have taken up
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