Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Syrian(s); adjective—Syrian
Ethnic divisions: 90.3% Arab; 9.7% Kurds, Armenians, and other
Religion: 74% Sunni Muslim; 16% Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects; 10% Christian (various sects); tiny Jewish communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo
Language: Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic,
Circassian; French widely understood
Literacy: 49%
Labor force: 2,400,000; 36% miscellaneous and government services, 32% agriculture, 32% industry and construction); majority unskilled; shortage of skilled labor (1984)
Organized labor: 5% of labor force
- Government
Long-form name: Syrian Arab Republic