SYRIA SYRIA REGION MIDDLE EAST NATURAL RESOURCES INDUSTRY AGRICULTURE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION GLOBAL RELATIONS DATE OF INDEPENDENCE APRIL 17 1946 DATE OF CURRENT CONSTITUTION MARCH 13 1973 POPULATION 17213871 1999 EST AREA 71498 SQ MI CAPITAL DAMASCUS FORM OF GOVERNMENT MILITARY REPUBLIC MAIN INDUSTRIES OIL PRODUCTS TEXTILES FOOD PROCESSING TOBACCO PHOSPHATE MINING CONSTRUCTION AGRICULTURE COTTON WHEAT BARLEY GYPSUM NATURAL RESOURCES CRUDE OIL NATURAL GAS PHOSPHATES ASPHALT ROCK SALT MARBLE GYPSUM CURRENCY POUND GDP 41.7 BILLION 1998 EST GDP PER CAPITA 2500 1998 EST LANGUAGES ARABIC OFFICIAL KURDISH ARMENIAN ENGLISH FRENCH RELIGIONS SUNNI ISLAM OTHER ISLAM CHRISTIANITY DRUZE LITERACY RATE 71 LIFE EXPECTANCY 67 YEARS MALE 69 YEARS FEMALE BIRTHRATE 37 BIRTHS PER 1000 POPULATION DEATH RATE 6 DEATHS PER 1000 POPULATION
