-Syria: Facts and figures

Official name: The Syrian Arab Republic

Location: North-east of the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Israel & Lebanon

Size: 71,498 sq miles (185,180 sq kms)

Capital city: Damascus

Estimated population 2005: 20,000,000 (in addition, about 30,000 Syrians live under Israeli occupation in the Golan Heights)

Head of state: President Bashar al-Asad (since 2000)

People: Arabs 90%; Kurds, Armenians and others 10%

Languages: Arabic (official); also Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, some French and English

Religions: Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite 11%, Druze and other Muslim sects 5%, Christian (various denominations) 10%. About 100 Jews remain in Syria

Age structure: 0-14 years: 38%; 15-64 years: 58.7%; 65 years and over: 3.3%

Median age: 20 years

Life expectancy at birth: total population 69.71 years (male: 68.47 years
female: 71.02 years)

Literacy (age 15 & over who can read & write): total population 76.9% (male: 89.7%; female: 64%)

Currency: Syrian Pound; 100 Piastres to the Pound (also called Lira – LSYR)

GDP: $22.4 billion

GDP per head: $1,191

Annual economic growth: 3.5%

Inflation: 3% in 2002

Major industries: Syrian exports: $6.2 billion in 2002. Oil accounts for 55-60% of total export earnings. Other exports include textiles, cotton, petroleum, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, agricultural produce and animals. Imports: $4.9 billion in 2002. Machinery, food, transport equipment, chemicals and metals.

Approximate exchange rate: 1 US$ = 50 SYP

International dialling code: +963

Internet domain: .sy

Sources:

British Foreign Office, Syria Country Profile (includes map and flag).

Syrian Media Centre, London