Syria |
|
| OVERVIEW |
| |
| Background |
Following
the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Syria
was administered by the French until independence in 1946.
In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights
to Israel. Since 1976, Syrian troops have been stationed in
Lebanon, ostensibly in a peacekeeping capacity. In recent
years, Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over
the return of the Golan Heights. |
| Natural
resources |
petroleum, phosphates,
chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble,
gypsum, hydropower |
| Land
use |
arable land: 25.96%
permanent crops: 4.08%
other: 69.96% (1998 est.) |
| Population |
17,585,540 (July 2002
est.)
note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied
Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites)
and about 20,000 Israeli settlers (February 2003 est.) (July
2003 est.) |
| Ethnic
groups |
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 widely understood; French, English
somewhat understood |
| Literacy |
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 76.9%
male: 89.7%
female: 64% (2003 est.) |
| Capital |
Damascus |
| Government
type |
republic under military
regime since March 1963 |
| Independence |
17 April 1946 (from League
of Nations mandate under French administration) |
| National
holiday |
Independence Day, 17 April
(1946) |
|
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