GDP-real growth rate: 2.1% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$19,700 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 27%
services: 71% (1993)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 2% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
total: 4.552 million (84% unionized, 1992)
by occupation: community, social and personal services 38.3%, mining
and manufacturing 21.2%, commerce, hotels, and restaurants 14.1%,
banking, insurance 9.0%, communications 7.2%, construction 7.0%,
agriculture, fishing, and forestry 3.2% (1991)
Unemployment rate: 6.6% plus about 5% in training programs (1997 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $109.4 billion
expenditures: $146.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY95/96)
Industries: iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and
telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed
foods, motor vehicles
Industrial production growth rate: 2.6% (1996)
Electricity-capacity: 35.462 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 142.913 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 15,996 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: grains, sugar beets, potatoes; meat, milk
Exports:
total value: $84.5 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood,
iron and steel products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products
partners: EU 59.1% (Germany 13.2%, UK 10.2%, Denmark 6.9%, France
5.1%), Norway 8.1%, Finland 4.8%, US 8.0% (1994)
Imports:
total value: $66.6 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals,
motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing
partners: EU 62.6% (Germany 18.4%, UK 9.5%, Denmark 6.6%, France
5.5%), Finland 6.3%, Norway 6.1%, US 8.5% (1994)
Debt-external: $66.5 billion (1994)
Economic aid:
donor: ODA, $1.769 billion (1993)
Currency: 1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 oere
Exchange rates: Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1-8.0085 (January 1998),
7.6349 (1997), 6.7060 (1996), 7.1333 (1995), 7.7160 (1994), 7.7834
(1993)
Fiscal year: 1 January-31 December (Sweden changed its fiscal year
from 1 July - 30 June in 1995)
Communications
Telephones: 13 million (1996 est.)
Telephone system: excellent domestic and international facilities;
automatic system
domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cable carry most voice traffic;
parallel microwave radio relay network carries some additional
telephone channels
international: 5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations-1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and
Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth station
with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and
Norway)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 360 (mostly repeaters), shortwave 0
Radios: 7.272 million (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 880 (mostly repeaters)
Televisions: 3.5 million
@Sweden:Transportation
Railways:
total: 11,837 km (includes 1,955 km of privately-owned railways)
standard gauge: 11,837 km 1.435-m gauge (7,317 km electrified and
1,152 km double track) (1996)
Highways:
total: 138,000 km
paved: 105,018 km (including 1,330 km of expressways)
unpaved: 32,982 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges
Pipelines: natural gas 84 km
Ports and harbors: Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Hudiksvall,
Kalmar, Karlshamn, Malmo, Solvesborg, Stockholm, Sundsvall
Merchant marine:
total: 164 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,036,831 GRT/1,919,367
DWT
ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 33, chemical tanker 27, combination
ore/oil 1, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 29, railcar carrier 1,
refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 41, short-sea passenger
7, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 12 (1997 est.)
Airports: 255 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 145
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 83
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 24 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 110
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 105 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1997 est.)
@Sweden:Military
Military branches: Swedish Army, Royal Swedish Navy, Swedish Air Force
Military manpower-military age: 19 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 2,088,061 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 1,827,336 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 52,208 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $5.8 billion (FY94/95)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 2.5% (FY94/95)
@Sweden:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
Illicit drugs: minor transshipment point for and consumer of narcotics
shipped via the CIS and Baltic states; increasing consumer of European
amphetamines
______________________________________________________________________
SWITZERLAND
@Switzerland:Geography
Location: Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy
Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 8 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 41,290 sq km
land: 39,770 sq km
water: 1,520 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries:
total: 1,852 km
border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km,
Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy,
rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with
occasional showers
Terrain: mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a
central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m
highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m
Natural resources: hydropower potential, timber, salt
Land use:
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 28%
forests and woodland: 32%
other: 28% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 250 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: avalanches, landslides, flash floods
Environment-current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions and
open-air burning; acid rain; water pollution from increased use of
agricultural fertilizers; loss of biodiversity
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea
Geography-note: landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern
Europe; along with southeastern France and northern Italy, contains
the highest elevations in Europe
@Switzerland:People
Population: 7,260,357 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 17% (male 642,365; female 613,931)
15-64 years: 68% (male 2,506,653; female 2,415,647)
65 years and over: 15% (male 436,804; female 644,957) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.22% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 10.81 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 9.03 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.88 years
male: 75.71 years
female: 82.22 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.46 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Swiss (singular and plural)
adjective: Swiss
Ethnic groups: total population-German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%,
Romansch 1%, other 6%
note: Swiss nationals-German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%,
other 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 46.1%, Protestant 40%, other 5%, no religion
8.9% (1990)
Languages: German 63.7%, French 19.2%, Italian 7.6%, Romansch 0.6%,
other 8.9%
note: figures for Swiss nationals only: German 74%, French 20%,
Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other 1%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1980 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
@Switzerland:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Swiss Confederation
conventional short form: Switzerland
local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German),
Confederation Suisse (French), Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)
local short form: Schweiz (German), Suisse (French), Svizzera
(Italian)
Data code: SZ
Government type: federal republic
National capital: Bern
Administrative divisions: 26 cantons (cantons, singular-canton in
French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; kantone,
singular-kanton in German); Aargau, Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft,
Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Inner-Rhoden,
Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen,
Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud,
Zug, Zurich
Independence: 1 August 1291
National holiday: Anniversary of the Founding of the Swiss
Confederation, 1 August (1291)
Constitution: 29 May 1874
Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial
review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of
general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Flavio COTTI (since 1 January 1998); Vice
President Ruth DREIFUSS (since 1 January 1998); note-the president is
both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Flavio COTTI (since 1 January 1998);
Vice President Ruth DREIFUSS (since 1 January 1998); note-the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Federal Council or German-Bundesrat, French-Conseil Federal,
Italian - Consiglio Federale elected by the Federal Assembly from
among its own members for a four-year term
elections: president and vice president elected by the Federal
Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for one-year
terms that run concurrently; election last held 10 December 1997 (next
to be held NA December 1998)
election results: Flavio COTTI elected president; percent of Federal
Assembly vote-Flavio COTTI 90%; Ruth DREIFUSS elected vice president;
percent of legislative vote - Ruth DREIFUSS 69%
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly or
German-Bundesversammlung, French-Assemblee Federale, Italian-Assemblea
Federale consists of the Council of States or German-Standerat,
French-Conseil des Etats, Italian-Consiglio degli Stati (46 seats;
members are elected two from each canton and one from each half canton
to serve four-year terms) and the National Council or German -
Nationalrat, French-Conseil National, Italian-Consiglio Nazionale (200
seats; members are elected by popular vote on a basis of proportional
representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Council of States-last held throughout 1997 (each canton
determines when the next election will be held); National Council-last
held 20 October 1995 (next to be held probably 24 October 1999)
election results: Council of States-percent of vote by party-NA; seats
by party - FDP 17, CVP 16, SVP 5, SPS 5, LPS 2, LdU 1; National
Council-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-FDP 45, SPS 54,
CVP 34, SVP 29, Greens 9, LPS 7, FPS 7, LdU 3, EVP 2, SD 3, PdAdS 3,
Ticino League 1, EDU 1, FRAP 1, CSP 1
Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court, judges elected for six-year
terms by the Federal Assembly
Political parties and leaders: Radical Free Democratic Party
(Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti
Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio Liberal-Radicale Svizzero
or PLR) [Franz STEINEGGER, president]; Social Democratic Party
(Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti Socialist Suisse
or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica
de la Svizra or PSS) [Ursula KOCH, president]; Christian Democratic
People's Party (Christichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP,
Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito Democratico-Cristiano
Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or
PCD) [Adalbert DURRER, president]; Swiss People's Party
(Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or
UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica da Center
or UDC) [Ueli MAURER, president]; Green Party (Grune Partei der
Schweiz or Grune, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito
Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda)
[Ruedi BAUMANN, president]; Freedom Party or FPS [Roland BORER];
Liberal Party (Liberale Partei der Schweiz or LPS, Parti Liberal
Suisse or PLS, Partito Liberale Svizzero or PLS) [Francois Jeanneset,
president]; Alliance of Independents' Party (Landesring der
Unabhaengigen or LdU, Alliance des Independants or AdI) [Daniel
ANDRES, president]; Ticino League (Lega dei Ticinesi) [Giuliano
BIGNASCA, president]; and other minor parties including Swiss
Democratic Party (Schweizer Demokraten or SD, Democrates Suisses or
DS, Democratici Svizzeri or DS), Workers' Party (Parti Suisse du
Travail or PST, Partei der Arbeit der Schweiz or PdAdS, Partito
Svizzero del Lavoro or PSdL), Evangelical People's Party (Evangelische
Volkspartei der Schweiz or EVP, Parti Evangelique Suisse or PEV,
Partito Evangelico Svizzero or PEV), and the Union of Federal
Democrats (Eidgenossisch-Demokratische Union or EDU, Union
Democratique Federale or UDF, Unione Democratica Federale or UDF);
note-see elections
International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer),
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO,
G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNTSO,
UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Alfred DEFAGO (since April 1997)
chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 745-7900
FAX: [1] (202) 387-2564
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New
York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Madeleine May KUNIN (since 8 August 1996)
embassy: Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [41] (31) 357 70 11
FAX: [41] (31) 357 73 44
Flag description: red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in
the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag
@Switzerland:Economy
Economy-overview: Switzerland, a fundamentally prosperous and stable
modern economy with a per capita GDP roughly 10% above that of the big
West European economies, is experiencing continued economic
difficulties. GDP growth was a minus 0.2% in 1996 and a weak plus 0.4%
in 1997. Weak domestic consumer demand is partly at fault; stagnating
real disposable income combines with a reluctance to reduce saving
rates in the face of an uncertain employment outlook. Switzerland's
leading sectors, including financial services, biotechnology,
pharmaceuticals, and special-purpose machines, therefore are more
reliant on export markets. Exports should lead an upturn in Swiss
economic performance in 1998-99, provided the franc does not
appreciate substantially as a result of Swiss monetary policy or
instability in the run up to EMU.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$172.4 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 0.4% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$23,800 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.8%
industry: 31.1%
services: 66.1% (1995)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: -0.1% (1997)
Labor force:
total: 3.8 million (850,000 foreign workers, mostly Italian)
by occupation: services 67%, manufacturing and construction 29%,
agriculture and forestry 4% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 5% (1997 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $25.8 billion
expenditures: $30.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.3
billion (1997)
Industries: machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision
instruments
Industrial production growth rate: 0% (1996)
Electricity-capacity: 14.27 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 55 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 6,850 kWh (1996 est.)
Agriculture-products: grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs
Exports:
total value: $99.2 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
commodities: machinery 29%, chemicals 26%, metals 8%, agricultural
products 4% (1996)
partners: EU countries 61%, US 9%, Japan 4% (1996)
Imports:
total value: $86.6 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
commodities: machinery 22%, chemicals 20%, metals 8%, agricultural
products 9% (1996)
partners: EU 79%, US 7%, Japan 3% (1996)
Debt-external: $NA
Economic aid:
donor: ODA, $1.034 billion (1995)
Currency: 1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SFR) = 100 centimes,
rappen, or centesimi
Exchange rates: Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SFR) per
US$1-1.4757 (January 1998), 1.4513 (1997), 1.2360 (1996), 1.1825
(1995), 1.3677 (1994), 1.4776 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 5.24 million (including 663 million car-mobile phones)
(1996 est.)
Telephone system: excellent domestic and international services
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks
international: satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and
Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 50 (state-owned 10, private 40,
shortwave 1 (1997)
Radios: 2.8 million (1996)
Television broadcast stations: 15 of which state-owned 5, private 10
(repeaters 1,322) (1997)
Televisions: 2.647 million licenses (1996)
@Switzerland:Transportation
Railways:
total: 5,249 km (1,564 km double track)
standard gauge: 3,741 km 1.435-m gauge (3,119 km electrified; 808 km
nongovernment owned)
narrow gauge: 1,438 km 1.000-m gauge (1,088 km electrified; 1,364 km
nongovernment owned)
other gauge: 70 km 0.750-m or 0.800-m gauge (1996)
Highways:
total: 71,117 km (including 1,594 km of expressways)
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 65 km; Rhine (Basel to Rheinfelden, Schaffhausen to
Bodensee); 12 navigable lakes
Pipelines: crude oil 314 km; natural gas 1,506 km
Ports and harbors: Basel
Merchant marine:
total: 22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 424,261 GRT/733,551 DWT
ships by type: bulk 13, cargo 1, chemical tanker 5, oil tanker 2,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1997 est.)
Airports: 67 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 42
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 15 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 24 (1997 est.)
@Switzerland:Military
Military branches: Army, Air Force, Frontier Guards, Fortification
Guards
Military manpower-military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 1,878,453 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 1,605,409 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 40,887 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $3.2 billion (1997)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 1.2% (1997)
@Switzerland:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
Illicit drugs: because of more stringent government regulations,
significantly less used as a money-laundering center; transit country
for and consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin
______________________________________________________________________
SYRIA
@Syria:Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
Lebanon and Turkey
Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references: Middle East
Area:
total: 185,180 sq km
land: 184,050 sq km
water: 1,130 sq km
note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory
Area-comparative: slightly larger than North Dakota
Land boundaries:
total: 2,253 km
border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon
375 km, Turkey 822 km
Coastline: 193 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 41 nm
territorial sea: 35 nm
Climate: mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and
mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather
with snow or sleet periodically hitting Damascus
Terrain: primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain;
mountains in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m
highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
Natural resources: petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores,
asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum
Land use:
arable land: 28%
permanent crops: 4%
permanent pastures: 43%
forests and woodland: 3%
other: 22% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 9,060 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms
Environment-current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification; water pollution from dumping of raw sewage and wastes
from petroleum refining; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous
Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography-note: there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use
sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 1997 est.)
@Syria:People
Population: 16,673,282 (July 1998 est.)
note: in addition, there are 35,150 people living in the
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights-18,150 Arabs (16,500 Druze and 1,650
Alawites) and 17,000 Israeli settlers (August 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (male 3,937,575; female 3,748,881)
15-64 years: 51% (male 4,342,022; female 4,157,268)
65 years and over: 3% (male 240,603; female 246,933) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.23% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 37.83 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 5.55 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 37.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 67.76 years
male: 66.48 years
female: 69.11 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.55 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Syrian(s)
adjective: Syrian
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: 70.8%
male: 85.7%
female: 55.8% (1997 est.)
@Syria:Government