Syria
Syria (Arabic: سوريا Sūriyā or سورية Sūriyah), or the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic: الجمهورية العربية السورية ), is a
country in Southwest Asia, bordering the Mediterranean Sea and Lebanon to the west, Israel to the southwest, Jordan to
the south, Iraq to the east, and Turkey to the north. The modern state of Syria was governed by a French mandate after
World War I, Its capital city, Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the world, a seat of the Aramaean empire, and in
Muslim times the seat of the Umayyad Empire and a provincial capital of the Mamluk Empire.
Syria has a population of 20.3 million. Sunni Muslims constitute 74% of the population. Other Muslim groups include
Alawites 11%, Druze and other Muslim sects 5%. This includes a notable Kurdish minority in the north. There are also
various Christian sects constituting 10% of the total population. Since 1963 the country has been governed by the Baath
Party, Syria's current President is Bashar al-Assad, son of Hafez al-Assad, who held office from 1970 until his death in
2000. The Assads belong to the tiny Alawi
minority.
Historically, Syria has had fluctuating borders. It sometimes included part or all of the territories of
Lebanon, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza Strip and parts of Jordan.
The Syrians claim that any part of this region that was ever part of Syria as a political or geographic entity,
should be considered Greater Syria or by the Arabic name Bilad al-Sham (بلاد الشام) and they actively lay claim to both
Israel and Lebanon as well as Palestinian lands. They have never established diplomatic relations with Lebanon. The
Syrian Government relinquished its claim over the region of İskenderun, now part of the Turkish province of Hatay. The
area used to be part of Syria, but the Syrian government agreed to recognize Turkish sovereignty after Turkey threatened
military action. In the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria following incessant shelling
of Israeli settlements from Syrian fortified positions in the Golan. (From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syria).
Map of Syria
Country Stub - to be supplied
Synonyms and alternate spellings:
Further Information:
|