sentences:  As per the 2004 Syrian census the population was 879,550.A 2011 UNOCHA estimate put the population at 1,008,000, though this has likely changed since the start of the war.The majority at 63% are Alawites, followed by 26% Sunni Muslim, 6% Christian, 5% Shi'ite Muslim and 0.2% Ismaili.