Syrian Arab Republic

Syrian Arab Republic Background

Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Syria was administered by the French until independence in 1946. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. Since 1976, Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon, ostensibly in a peacekeeping capacity. In recent years, Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan Heights.

Syrian Arab Republic Information

• Population: 18,016,874 note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and about 20,000 Israeli settlers (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Syrian(s) adjective: Syrian
• Location:: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
• Religions:: Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
• Ethnic Groups:: Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
• Land Boundaries:: total: 2,253 km border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km
• Area: total: 185,180 sq km note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory water: 1,130 sq km land: 184,050 sq km
• Coast Line: 193 km
• Climate: mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with snow or sleet periodically in Damascus
• Terrain: primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 41 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 25.22% permanent crops: 4.43% other: 70.35% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water
• Natural Resources: petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
• Highways: total: 43,381 km paved: 10,021 km (including 877 km of expressways) unpaved: 33,360 km (1999)
• Railways: total: 2,711 km standard gauge: 2,460 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus
• Airports: 93 (2003 est.)