SYRIA

The modern state of Syria was formerly a French mandate and attained independence in 1946, but can trace its roots to the Eblan civilization in the third millennium BC. Its capital city, Damascus, was the seat of the Umayyad Empire and a provincial capital of the Mamluk Empire.

Syria's population is approximately 90% Muslim and 10% Christian. Syria is a middle-income, with an economy based on agriculture, oil, industry, and tourism. According to UNDP, 30% of the Syrian population lives in poverty and 11.4% live below the subsistence level. Syria has an area of 185,180 km2 and a population of 19,405,000 (2007 census).

Location

Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is an Arab country in Southwest Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Palestine (Israel) to the southwest, Jordan to the south, Iraq to the east, and Turkey to the north.

Geography

The Northeast of the country "Al Jazira" and the South "Hawran" are important agricultural areas. The Euphrates, Syria's most important river, crosses the country in the east.

Capital

Damascus

Climate

Syria consists mostly of arid plateau, although the northwest part of the country bordering the Mediterranean is fairly green.

Language

Arabic (Official language), Kurdish is widely spoken in the Kurdish regions

Monetary Unit

Syrian pound (SYP)

Largest Cities

Damascus, Aleppo, Tartus, Latakia, Homs, Hama, Idlib, As-Suwayda, Daraa, Quneitra, Deir ez-Zor, Al-Hasakah, Ar-Raqqah.

Principal rivers

Euphrates

Places to Visit

Aleppo's old town has been designated by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Syrian food : Dishes like shish kebab, stuffed zucchini, yabra' (stuffed grape leaves, the word yapra' derives from the Turkish word 'yaprak' meaning leaf), shawarma, and falafel are very popular in Syria as the food there is diverse in taste and type.

Air Ports

Damascus and Aleppo