|
The Syrian Arab Republic
| Official Name |
The Syrian Arab Republic |
| Head of State |
President Dr. Bashar al-Assad |
| Legal System |
Based on Islamic and Civil Law Suits |
| Languages |
Arabic (official)
Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French & English widely understood and spoken. |
| Major Religions |
Sunni Muslim 74%
Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%
Christian (various sects) 10% |
| Ethnic Groups |
Arab 90.3%
Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7% |
| Growth Rate |
3.37% |
| Birth Rate |
39.56 births/1,000 |
| Death Rate |
5.86 deaths/1,000 |
| Fertility Rate |
5.91 children/woman |
| Male life expectancy |
65 |
| Female life expectancy |
68 |
| Infant mortality rate |
40 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Time Zone |
GMT +02:00 - EST + 07:00 |
| Population |
17 Million (2000) |
| Land Area |
185,180 sq. km (71,548 sq. mi) |
| Highways |
31,569 km (1991) |
| Labor force |
4.7 million |
| Unemployment rate |
8% (1994) |
| Inflation Rate |
15.1% (1994) |
| GDP |
$91.2 billion (1995 est.) |
| Budget |
$3.4 billion (1995 est.) |
| Debt |
$21.2 billion (1995) |
| Exports |
$3.5 billion, primarily
petroleum 66%, cotton, fruits and vegetables 14%, textiles 9%,
animal products 4%, industrial products 3% |
| Imports |
$5.4 billion, primarily
machinery 25%, metal products 16%, transport equipment 15%,
foodstuffs 12%, textiles 10% |
| Defense spending |
8% of GDP (1995 est.) |
. |