Syria Map

Syria, with its official name being the Syrian Arab Republic, is located in the region of Western Asia. The population of the country is 21.3 million people, the territory of which is 185,180 km². Syria has an area of plains, mountains, and deserts which are fertile in nature. Another major political system of influence in Syria is Ba’athism which is an ideology based on Arab socialism and Arab nationalism.

History:

Despite political upheaval or turmoil, the conflict between different indigenous groups and foreign invaders led to cultural enrichment. Syria had a short-lived period of independence in 1919-1920 as the array of events that preceded the country’s mandatory annexation to France took place between the start of WWI and Syria’s mandate over to the League of Nations. Syria had a short and independent period before it became part of the French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon after 1923, yet this very short episode left the Syrian Arabs conscious of an intense animosity toward the West and the need to unite all the Arab countries in one state.

Syria gained independence in 1946 and since then had several years of political struggle as to the desire for either democratic or dictatorial rule. This was witnessed by coups, countercoups, and occasional civil intermittent with army interference. Syria and Egypt merged in the time span of February 1958 up to September 1961.

In 1970, Hafez al-Assad came to power and with the help of military force managed to put into power an authoritarian regime which stayed in power until the death of Hafez al-Assad in 2000. His son, Bashar al-Assad, took over from him and is still the current president of Syria. The Assad regime has been characterized by attempts to secure the stability of the state and domestic front at the cost of the citizen’s freedom.

Culture:

Syria has a conservative culture and has existed for quite a long time. Such performances as the al-Samah, the Dabkeh in all its types, and sword dance are some of the ways in which Syrians demonstrate satisfaction with their taste for the traditional Syrian arts. It is demonstrated actively during marriages and births of children into the community as is the traditional African dance.

Syria is a culturally diverse country endowed with appealing tourist sites; some of the oldest cities include Damascus and Aleppo among others. It also boasts of a vibrant culture when it comes to food and is home to kibbeh, hummus, and baklavheight.

Syrian literature and poetry is one of the oldest and most developed centers of literature; the notable poets are Nizar Qabbani and Adonis. The arts include handicrafts such as weaving and other materials arts and it also includes modern graphic and plastic arts.

Language:

It has some dialects that are spoken in the different regions of the country while Arabic is the official language of the nation. The country, in fact, has 17 officially recognized dialects spoken by the people, some of them are Kurdish, Mesopotamian Arabic, Aramaic, Armenian, and many more. These languages mirror the ethnic and cultural heterogeneity of the Syrian community that is under consideration.

Another prominent language is Kurdish particularly in the northeastern districts while Armenian and Aramaic are also used by a few persons. English and French are also the languages learned at school and used in business and diplomatic relationships.

Geography:

Syria lies between Latitude 32° and 38° N and Longitudes 35° and 43 ° E It is identified by the following climatic zones, the Mediterranean coast where the climate is humid, the semiarid steppe, and the arid desert in the east. The bulk of the area is an arid plain, but an area near the Mediterranean Sea in the northwest of the country is considerably more fertile. Al-Jazira agro region is located in the northeast while Hawran is located in the south agro region in Syria. The major river of Syria is Euphrates which flows in an east-west direction passing through the middle of the country.

Mountainous regions, which include the Anti-Lebanon Mountains and the coastal mountain ranges are worth mentioning. Golan Heights which is an important geographical area has been controlled by Israel since the Six-Day War in the year 1967.

Syria's geographical features are; the Orontes Valley which is fertile, the Syrian desert which is dry, and the coastal plains which are rich in vegetation. The highest point of the country is Mount Hermon which stands 2,814 meters above sea level.

Economy:

The civil war that is currently raging through most parts of Syria has terribly affected the country’s economy. The economy of the country before the conflict was dependent on agriculture, oil, industries, and tourism. This war has brought about the devastation of structures, loss of manpower and capability, and restriction of doing business.

The agricultural sector is still vast up to this date and some of the crops grown include wheat, barley, cotton, and olives. The oil industry which used to be a major source of revenue has also been affected by the conflict. The manufacturing sector comprises sectors such as textile, cement, and steel production.

Syria's economic conditions have deteriorated; more than 90% of the population is poor, and 80% of Syria has insufficient food. In the context of international aid and hard currency generated through Syrians’ foreign remittances, the country has been surviving.

The civil war has thus led to the expansion of the informal economy where a significant number of Syrians engage in and survive through vending, trading, and offering of services. The positive change will mean that reconstruction of this country’s economy will demand a lot of capital as well as support from other countries.

Government and Politics:

Syria is uniquely a Unitary Republic with a system of presidential form of government. He/she is the chief executive with dual responsibilities as head of state and head of government. Currently, the parliamentary system is the unicameral system that includes 250 members of the People’s Assembly of the country. Ba’ath has however been the major political party since the 1960s.

The Assad regime has entrenched itself using political force, the Military and intelligence agencies, and through using ‘favors’. New wave of authoritarianism The civil war which started back in 2011 intensified the authoritarianism among the regime.

It has also created numerous forms of opposition and other extreme political parties making the conflict international with more complicated structures. Some tries have been made to address this issue with the aim of finding a diplomatic solution but the problem in question still persists.

Education:

As noted earlier, the conflict has negatively impacted the education sector in Syria in a very terrible way. Gross primary, secondary, and tertiary enrollment rates were much higher than the average for occupied Arab countries and the mean of all developing countries, and the gross literacy rate had been higher than other developed regions, before the war. Primary, secondary, and tertiary are the levels of education with compulsory education to the age of 15 years.

Schools have been damaged or taken over by the military, and millions of children can no longer attend school. Stakes are being taken to continue the provision of education in other ways including through online learning and community-based schools.

Other faculties that have been affected include the higher education faculties including the University of Damascus and the University of Aleppo. Most students and academics have migrated to different countries and this leads to the so-called ‘brain drain’.

Healthcare:

The war situation in Syria has greatly contributed to the deterioration of health care. The healthcare system that could once boast of being among the very best In the region is in a state of disarray. Some of the health facilities have been attacked thus resulting in limited health care provisions including medical equipment and qualified professionals.

Some international organizations and NGOs have been trying to deliver basic healthcare facilities but it is still a big challenge for many people, especially in the war-affected countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has deteriorated the health sector which was noticeably worn out.

This is an essential aspect because in sympathy more and more people, especially Syrians, have been experiencing trauma and stress situations in recent years due to the war. CACL has been working hard to address and meet the mental health needs of the people, though they are scarce.

Transportation:

As expected and has already been demonstrated by the numerous examples, the current war has taken its toll on Syria and its transportation systems as well. The country has three international airports: These are some of the major cities in Syria, they include; These are the airports which are used by Syrian Air and several other international airlines have also been established here.

The transportation network which was formerly well developed has been affected due to the conflict. B Erickson, Chemins de Fer Syriens is responsible for rail transport which is vital for the transportation of goods but the rails too are some of the most damaged infrastructures.

In cities such as Damascus and Aleppo, people use buses and minibusses, although services have been disrupted by the war. Public investments in the infrastructure of transportation will have to be undertaken in order to spur economic growth.

FAQs

Q1 What is the official language of Syria?

Arabic is the official language of Syria.

Q2 What is the capital of Syria?

Damascus is the capital of Syria.

Q3 What is the currency of Syria?

Syrian Pound is the currency of Syria.

Q4 How is the climate of Syria?

Syria has a Mediterranean climate. Summers are dry and the majority of the nation's summertime highs typically exceed 30°C.