re 30,500 people living in the Israeli-occupied
Golan Heights--16,500 Arabs (15,000 Druze and 1,500 Alawites) and
14,000 Jewish settlers (1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.74% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
43.65 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
6.25 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
42.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
66.46 years
male:
65.37 years
female:
67.61 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.65 children born/woman (1994 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 (1990)
total population:
64%
male:
78%
female:
51%
Labor force:
2.951 million (1989)
by occupation:
miscellaneous and government services 36%, agriculture 32%, industry
and construction 32%; note - shortage of skilled labor (1984)

@Syria, Government

Names:
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)
Digraph:
SY
Type:
republic under leftwing 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, Halab, Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq, Tartus
Independence:
17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French
administration)
National holiday:
National Day, 17 April (1946)
Constitution:
13 March 1973
Legal system:
based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Hafiz al-ASAD (since 22 February 1971 see note); Vice
Presidents 'Abd al-Halim ibn Said KHADDAM, Rif'at al-ASAD, and
Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984); ele