Syria

National name:
Al- Jumhuriyah al-’Arabiyah as- Suriyah

Government
Republic under a military regime since March 1963.

Geography
Syria lies at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. Coastal Syria is a narrow plain, in back of which is a range of coastal mountains, and still farther inland a steppe area. In the east is the Syrian Desert and in the south is the Jebel Druze Range. The highest point in Syria is Mount Hermon (9,232 ft; 2,814 m) on the Lebanese border.

Historical Background
Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, France administered Syria until its independence in 1946. The country lacked political stability, however, and experienced a series of military coups during its first decades. Syria united with Egypt in February 1958 to form the United Arab Republic, but in September 1961 the two entities separated and the Syrian Arab Republic was reestablished. In November 1970, Hafiz al- ASAD, a member of the Socialist Ba'th Party and the minority Alawite sect, seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel, and over the past decade Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over its return. Following the death of President al ASAD in July 2000, his son, Bashar al-ASAD, was approved as president by popular referendum.

Facts & Figures

Name

Syrian Arab Republic

Capital

Damascus

Government

Hereditary Dictatorship Presidential single party republic under Emergency Law since 1963.1973 Constitution defines Syria as a secular socialist state with Islam recognised as majority

Religion

President Bashar al-Assad-Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-Otari-Speaker of Parliament Mahmoud al-Abrash

Area

Total 185,180 km2 (88th) 71,479 sq mi  

Population

2011 estimate 22,457,763[2] (53rd)

Currency

Syrian pound (SYP)

GDP (PPP) 2011 estimate

Total $105.238 billion[4]-Per capita $5,043[4]