Middle East and North Africa

Syria
Last reviewed: 23 March 2009

Country information

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Country Map: Syria

Full Country Name: The Syrian Arab Republic
Area: 185,180 sq kms (71,498 sq miles)
Population: 20 million: 52% male, 48% female
Capital City: Damascus
People: Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians and others 9.7%
Language(s): Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, some French and English.
Religion(s): Officially secular; Sunni Muslim 75%, Shi’a Muslim 10%, Druze and Alawi minorities 5%, Christian (various)10%. About 100 Jews remain in Syria.
Currency: Syrian Pound (also called Lira – LSYR).
Major political parties: Ba'ath Party
Head of State: Lt-Gen Dr Bashar al-Assad
Prime Minister/Premier: Engineer Mohammad Naji Al-Otri
Foreign Minister: Mr Walid al-Muallam
Membership of international groups/organisations: Arab League (AL), , Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Intergovernmental Group of 24 (G-24), Group of 77 at the United Nations, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Criminal Court (ICC), International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Intelsat, Interpol, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Organisation of Islamic Conference(OIC), OAPEC, United Nations (UN), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Trade Organisation (WTO).