Syrian Arab Republic الجمهورية العربية السورية al-Jumhūriyyah al-‘Arabīyah as-Sūriyyah
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: "Homat el Diyar" "Guardians of the Land"
Capital	Damascus
Largest city	Aleppo
Official languages	Arabic1
Demonym(s)	Syrian
Government	Ba'athist Single Party State Unitary Presidential republic
• President	Bashar al-Assad
Legislature	People's Council
Independence
• from France	17 April 1946
• from the United Arab Republic	28 September 1961
Area
• Total	185,180 km2 (71,500 sq mi) (89th)
• Water (%)	1.1
Population
• April 2016 estimate	18,090,242[1] (53rd)
• Density	118.3/km2 (306.4/sq mi) (101st)
GDP (PPP)	2011 estimate
• Total	$105.238 billion[2] (65th)
• Per capita	US$5,043[2] (114th)
GDP (nominal)	2010 estimate
• Total	US$60.210 billion[2] (66th)
• Per capita	US$2,958[2] (118th)
HDI (2011)	0.632[3] medium · 119th
Currency	Syrian pound (SYP)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Driving side	right
Calling code	9632
ISO 3166 code	SY
Internet TLD	.sy, سوريا.
Arabic is the official language; spoken languages and varieties are: Syrian Arabic, North Mesopotamian Arabic, Kurmanji Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, Turkish[4] 02 from Lebanon

Syria

A map of Syria

Syria is a country in the Middle East, the west part of Asia. It borders (from south to north) on Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey. Its western part faces the Mediterranean Sea. Its eastern and northern parts are mountainous.

The current president and head of state is Bashar al-Assad. Syria's national capital is Damascus. The biggest city is Aleppo. The Syrian civil war began in 2011.

The population of Syria is 74% Sunni, 12% Alawi, 10% Christian, and 3% Druze.

History |

Syria has a very long history. It was a land of Phoenicians. Later it became part of the Achaemenid Empire, Roman Empire, and then the Eastern Roman Empire. In those days people spoke the Syriac language. The city Antioch was great and one of the important cities in Christendom. The Umayyad Caliphate control of Syria in the 7th century. In this Arab Empire people began to speak the Arabic language. Today most Syrian people believe in Islam but there are still Christians too.

When World War I started, the Ottoman Empire ruled Syria and many other places. When it ended, France controlled Lebanon and Syria. Britain had Iraq, Jordan and Palestine. They drew a border between Iraq and Syria in 1920. France controlled Syria until 1946 when Syria became its own country.^[5]

Syria was part of the United Arab Republic with Egypt in 1958-1961. Syria had some wars with Israel and some territories like the Golan Plateau were occupied by Israel.

The line in the middle of this map is the border drawn in 1920 separating Iraq and Syria.

In 2012 with the Arab Spring a bloody civil war began against President Bashar al-Assad.

Geography |

Syria is between latitudes 32° and 38° N, and longitudes 35° and 43° E. It is mostly arid plateau. The area bordering the Mediterranean is fairly green. The Euphrates, Syria's most important river, crosses the country in the east.

The climate in Syria is dry and hot. Winters are mild.

Politics and government |

Syria is a republic. The old Constitution of Syria was started on 13 March 1971.^[6] It made Syria as a secular socialist state. Islam was the majority religion. A new constitution has been in place since 2012.

Branches of government |

The executive branch is the president, two vice presidents, the prime minister, and the Council of Ministers. The constitution says the president must be a Muslim.^[6] It does not make Islam the state religion. According to the 2012 constitution, the president is elected by Syrian people in a direct election.

The People's Council is the legislative branch.

State control |

Nearly all of Syria’s radio and television outlets are state owned. The Ba'ath Party controls nearly all newspapers.^[7]

Human rights |

Syria's human rights are among the worst in the world, according to human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch.^[8] The authorities arrest democracy and human rights activists, censor websites, detain bloggers, and have travel bans.

Governorates |

Syria has fourteen Governorates, or muhafazat. The governorates are divided into sixty districts. The governorates are:

• Al Hasakah


• Al Ladhiqiyah


• Al Qunaytirah


• Ar Raqqah


• As Suwayda


• Dara


• Dayr az Zawr


• Dimashq


• Halab


• Hamah


• Homs


• Idlib


• Rif Dimashq


• Tartus

Military |

The President of Syria is commander in chief of the Syrian armed forces. There are about 400,000 troops. Males must go in the military when they are age 18.^[9]

Economy |

Syria is a middle-income country. The economy is based on agriculture, oil, industry, and tourism.

Transport |

Syria has three international airports (Damascus, Aleppo and Lattakia). They are hubs for Syrian Air. Foreign airlines also fly to them.^[10] Most Syrian cargo is carried by Chemins de Fer Syriens, the Syrian railway company.

Demographics |

Most people live in the Euphrates valley and along the coastal plain, a fertile strip between the coastal mountains and the desert.

Education is free from ages 6 to 12. All children this age must attend school.

Sports |

The most popular sports in Syria are football, basketball, swimming, and tennis. Damascus was home to the fifth and seventh Pan Arab Games. Many popular football teams are based in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, and Latakia.

Civil war 2011- |

Since 2011, there has been a civil war between pro-government supporters and rebels who oppose the government. Over 470,000 people have been killed in this war according to United Nations.^[13] The United Nations Security Council has condemned the mass killing in Syria in May 2012 but in vain.

Related pages |

• List of rivers of Syria


• Syria at the Olympics


• Syria national football team

References |

Wikivoyage has a travel guide about: Syria