Syria which formerly was called Al Sham or Levant is located in Western Asia. This country has borders with Turkey to the north Iraq to the east Jordan to the south Israel to the south east and Lebanon and Mediterranean Sea to the west. Before 1516 Syria was part of Mamluk Empire centered in Egypt. In 1516 the Ottoman Sultan, Selim, conquered Syria, after defeating the Mamluk near Aleppo in Northern Syria. After sometimes he changed the whole Syria into one Eyalat named Sam (Syria). During the course of history the number of Eyalats was growing and in 1877. It had six provinces which were Aleppo Vilayet, Sanjak of Zor, Beirut Vilayet, Damascus vilaytat, Mutasarrifate of Mount Lebanon and Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem. Now the modern Syria which was established after First World War has fourteen governorates or Muhafazat. Each of the governorates is divided into sixty districts or Mantiqa, which are further divided into sub districts (Nahiya). Every Nahiya encompasses villages which are considered the smallest administrative unite. Each governorate is governed by a governor and is appointed by the ministry of interior and must gain the approval of the cabinet. The capital of the Syria is Damascus, which is located in the south of Syria.
Syria is a diverse country and is consisted of different ethnic groups including Sunni 75% , Kurds 10 to 15% , Alawites (a shia sect) 8 to 15%, Christians 10%, Ismailis, (branch of the shia sect) comprise a small percentage of the population
In Syria there are two main religions: Islam and Christianity. Muslims are followers of Islam, and there are two types of Muslims: Sunni and Shias. Muslims mostly live in northeastern Syria, some in Damascus, and the rest are scattered around Syria. There are many types of
Syria, an important and influential country in the Middle East resides on the four corners of Africa, Asia, and Europe. Syria’s history dates back many centuries and covers the multi-highway of commerce and religion. Both the ancient Silk Road between the Mediterranean and China and the Pilgrim’s Road to Mecca pass routed throughout Syria. Although the country’s population is 86% Muslim, the oldest Semitic language of Aramaic written in parts of the Hebrew Bible is still spoken today.
Syria has often criticized the United States policy in the Middle East, however, they do have some pros. Syria has been willing to negotiate with the United States over the Arab-Israeli conflict and other regional issues, as long as it
Syria was granted de jure independence from the French in 1941. However, the country was not truly independent until 1946. For the next twenty-five years, the country would be launched into extreme political instability and
Syria capital Damascus along with Aleppo is the country largest cities, and is widely known as the most ancient continually occupied cities in the world. The country’s official language is Arabic however, English is widely understood. The population is mostly Muslims and a small percentage of Christians. The people of Syria have endured many changes in the past and still continue to do so today.
Within the ever-changing landscape of the Middle Eastern Region, Syria is consistently in the news due to its strategic location and the present set of local and global problems. Located in the northwest portion of the Middle East, Syria is bordered by Turkey to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest. Mostly composed of Sunni Arabs, Syria is also the home to a diverse ethnic group that includes Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds, and Turks. The capital of Syria is Damascus and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world (CIA Fact Book). Once a part of the Ottoman Empire, Syria was controlled by France following World War I until it gained its independence in 1946.
Syria is a Middle Eastern country bordering the Mediterranean sea, in between Lebanon and Turkey. The population of about 17,000,000 consists of all different religions and languages. Most of the population speaks Arabic. Armenian and Kurdish are also often spoken as well. Syrian government has the influence of Islamic laws. The country’s capital is Damascus.
Six years ago Syria’s civil war broke out and has torn the country apart. Violent reactions of the Syrian government to peaceful protests led the country into chaos.
The recent conflict in Syria encompasses a series of events that have led to a political and humanitarian crisis. Since the civilization origins, Syria has suffered invasions, changes and violence. In the 1900’s and after 400 years of Ottoman’s Empire domain, the Arab army, supported by French, entered in Damascus. Emir Feisal was crowned as king of Syria, but French troops forced him to resign few months later. A new France state has been arisen, and it was divided in three separate regions and dominated by two religious groups: the Alawis and the Druze. The French domain did not last long and faced nationalist’s protests. Finally, Syria gains independence although France had the economic and military control until 1946 when the last French troops left Syria. Since then, military and civilian government interleaved power. The Arab Socialist Baath party was created but a coup d’etat dissolves all the political parties
Syria’s population consists of 230,018,387 individuals as of January 1st of 2015. 35.2% are under 15, 61% are between 15 and 64, and 3.8% are over 64. More than 4 million refugees have fled the country since 2011. 86% of adults (15+) can read as of 2013. 90.3% are Arabs, and 9.7% are other ethnicities (Kurds, Armenians, etc.) Arabic is the national language, although Kurdish, Armenian, and Aramaic are also spoken. 57.7% live in Urban areas. 4% of children are used in child labor.
The war in Syria has displaced an average of 12.5 million people (Connor Key Facts). Some internationally displaced people in Syria have no humanitarian aid (i.e. food, water, medicine). About 100,000 have perished trying to flee the country by way of land or sea. The Syrian War began in 2011 when groups of Syrian students initiated revolts against the government because they did not agree with how the country was being run. Their frustrations with President Assad’s leadership triggered a massacre on the students. This horrific act pushed the country into civil war. Many nations, including the United States, called for Assad to relinquish his power, but he refused to step down from power. By the year 2013, the civil war had killed 90,000 people and this number would increase to 250,000 by 2015. The revolutionaries, Syrian citizens who want change, received support from the U.S. while Assad received support from Russia. During this dispute, other groups have joined the war causing even more terror and destruction, including the Islamic State (ISIS) (Thompson).
Snug within the Fertile Crescent, Syria lies in the Middle East region within the southwest Asian realm and is encircled by Turkey to the north, Iraq to the southeast, and Jordan on the southern border, while Lebanon and the
The recent conflict in Syria encompass a series of events that have led to a political and humanitarian crisis. Since the civilization origins, Syria have suffered invasions, changes and violence. In the 1900’s and after 400 years of Ottoman Empire domain, the Arabs army, supported by French, entered in Damascus. Emir Feisal was crown as king of Syria but he was forced to dismiss few months later by French troops. A new France’ state have been arisen, and it was divided in tree separate regions and dominated by two religious groups: the Alawis and the Druze. However, French faced nationalist’s protests and finally Syria gains independence but France still have had the economic and military control until 1946 when last French troops
As early as 1516, Syria has been known to be ruled under Ottoman Turks Empire for well over several centuries. In 1916 Arabs and British military collaborated together and rebelled against Turkish rules. This allowed independence over the Turks for Arab countries and ending 400 years of supreme political power of the Ottoman Empire. After many years of restructuring Syria economics, social, and political fields, they combined the Ottoman, French, and Islamic laws up until the 1980’s. The criminal, civil, and commercial codes were mostly based on the French way of practicing laws. In 1949, they had certain provisions that they had to follow due to religious minorities. Now the Islamic still had power in some parts of Syria
Syria is a country located in the Middle Eastern region of the world, and is currently in the stages of developing. It is located on the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea and lies between the neighboring countries of Jordan, Israel, Iraq, Turkey, and Lebanon. Much of Syria’s economy is based on agriculture, oil, industry and services. All of which are major reasons why Syria could be a developing country. Syria’s population has been steadily increasing since the 1960’s, and today has reached a population of about 22 million. The majority religion in Syria, like most Middle Eastern countries, is Islam. Therefore the main language spoken in Syria is Arabic because it is the universal language spoken in Islam.