Syria

• Capital: Damascus
• Major City: Halab (Aleppo)
• Major Geographical Features
  • Mediterranean Sea
  • Orontes River
  • Euphrates River
  • Lake al-Assad
  • Tigris River
  • Abu Rujmayn Mountains
  • Mount Hermon
  • Syrian Desert
  • Golan Heights
• Official Name: Syrian Arab Republic
• Religion: Sunni Muslim (74%)
• Language: Arabic (official)
• 1919: Becomes French mandate following World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire
• 1967: Arab-Israeli War results in Syria's loss of the Golan Heights
• 1976: Sends peacekeeping forces to Lebanon
• 2011: Civil war begins
  • Rebels include some Islamic militants and al Qaeda backed groups
    • The question of aiding the rebels has become an international issue. The United States, France, and Britain are considering becoming involved in support of the rebels, but have not provided lethal weapons yet.
  • President Bashar al-Assad is backed by Iran and Russia
  • 2013: President Assad is accused of using chemical warfare
• Formerly the United Arab Republic with Egypt in opposition of Israel
• Independence: 1946 from France
• Government: republic under an authoritarian regime
• Currency: Syrian pound (SYP)
• Syria is slightly larger than North Dakota
• Literacy: 79.6%
• Climate: Desert
• Aleppo claims to be the oldest inhabited settlement
• 80 miles of Mediterranean coastline