uclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not
ratified - Biodiversity, Desertification, Environmental Modification

Geographic note: there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian
land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 1995
est.)

People
------

Population: 15,608,648 (July 1996 est.)
note: in addition, there are 31,300 people living in the
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 16,500 Arabs (15,000 Druze and
1,500 Alawites) and 14,800 Israeli settlers (August 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 47% (male 3,738,671; female 3,557,474)
15-64 years: 50% (male 4,013,355; female 3,843,466)
65 years and over: 3% (male 227,249; female 228,433) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.37% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 39.56 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.86 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.05 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 67.13 years
male: 65.94 years
female: 68.38 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.91 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Syrian(s)
adjective: Syrian

Ethnic divisions: 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, French widely understood

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 70.8%
male: 85.7%
female: 55.8%

Government
----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: Syrian Arab Republic
conventional short form: Syria
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah
local short form: Suriyah
former: United Arab Republic (with Egypt)

Data code: SY

Type of government: republic under military regime since March 1963

Capital: Damascus

Administrative divisions: 14 provinces (muhafazat, singular -
muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah, Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As
Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq, Ha