Syria

• Area: 185,180 sq. km (71,498 sq. mi.)
• Population: 17,185,170 (2016 est.)
• Population growth rate: 1.56% (2016 est.)
• Life expectancy: 74.9 years (2016)
• Languages: Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French, English
• Religions: Muslim 87% (official; includes Sunni 74% and Alawi, Ismaili, and Shia 13%), Christian 10% (includes Orthodox, Uniate, and Nestorian), Druze 3%, Jewish
• Formal name: Syrian Arab Republic
• Alternate names: Al Iqlīm as Sūrī, Al Iqlīm ash Shamālī, Al Jumhūrīyah al ‘Arabīyah as Sūrīyah, Al-Sham, Al-Suriyah, Arām, El Sham, El Suriya, Es Suriya, Esh Sham, La Syrie, Northern Region, Siria, Sūrīyah, Syrian Arab Republic, Syrian Region, Syrie
• Government type: presidential republic; highly authoritarian regime
• Leaders: chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD; head of government: Prime Minister Imad Muhammad Dib KHAMIS
• Capital: Damascus
• Administrative divisions: 14 provinces
• GDP per capita (PPP): $5,100 (2011 est.)
• Exports: crude oil, minerals, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, textiles, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat
• Imports: machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper
• Currency: Syrian pound (SYP)

Current time in Damascus