Population: 12,965,996 (July 1991), growth rate 3.8% (1991); in addition, there are at least 12,000 Druze and 13,000 Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (1990 est.)

Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Infant mortality rate: 37 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 71 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1991)

Nationality: noun--Syrian(s); adjective--Syrian

Ethnic divisions: Arab 90.3%; Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%

Religion: Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, tiny Jewish communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo

Language: Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian; French widely understood

Literacy: 64% (male 78%, female 51%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Labor force: 2,400,000; miscellaneous and government services 36%, agriculture 32%, industry and construction 32%; majority unskilled; shortage of skilled labor (1984)

Organized labor: 5% of labor force

NOTE: The information regarding Syria on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Syria People 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Syria People 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.