Facts at a Glance
Full country name: Syrian Arab Republic
Area: 185,000 sq km (72,150 sq mi)
Population: 17 million
Capital city: Damascus (pop 6 million)
People: Arabs (90%), Kurds, Armenians, Circassians, Turks
Language: Arabic, Kurdish, Armenian, Turkish, English
Religion: Islam
Government: Military republic
President: Hafez al-Assad
Economic Profile
GDP: US$17 billion
GDP per head: US$1000
Annual growth: 6%
Inflation: 22%
Major industries: Oil, agriculture, textiles
Major trading partners: Germany, Italy, France
Favorite Dish: Environment
Occupying an area slightly larger than North Dakota and twice the size of Portugal, Syria is bordered in the south-west by Lebanon, in the south by Jordan, in the east by Iraq and in the north by Turkey. The country has four geographical regions: a fertile 180km (112mi) long coastal strip; the Jebel an-Nusariyah and Jebel Lubnan ash-Sharquiyyeh mountain ranges which form a 2000m (6560ft) high border with Lebanon; the cultivated steppes inland from the mountain range; and the stony Syrian desert of the south-east.
There's not much left of Syria's once-abundant mountain forests. The few remaining verdant bits are mostly yew, lime and fir trees, while elsewhere agriculture dominates. There's also very little to see in the way of animal life. Officially, wolves, hyenas, foxes, badgers, wild boar, jackals, deer, bears, squirrels and polecats roam the country, but you're unlikely to see anything more exciting than donkeys, goats and camels.
Syria has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, although inland it gets progressively drier and more inhospitable. On the coast, average daily temperatures range from 29°C (84°F) in summer (July) to 10°C (50°F) in winter (January). In the steppes area, where most of the cities are, expect temperatures of around 35°C (95°F) in summer and 12°C (54°F) in winter, while the desert can clock up temperatures of 46°C (115°F). Not much rain falls anywhere, but what there is falls mainly on the coast.
Leave a Comment
Theme: Other
Directions: Facts for the Traveler
Visas: All foreigners need a visa, available at consulates or in some cases on arrival. If there is evidence of a visit to Israel in your passport, you won't be allowed in. To
Other Contact: When to Go
Spring (April to Ju
email me
add as friend
on Sep 12, 2002
Comments for batman2000bc about Aleppo