Syria

Syria (Arabic: Sūriyā or Sūriyah), officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in Southwest Asia, bordering Lebanon, the Mediterranean Sea and the island of Cyprus to the west, Israel to the southwest, Jordan to the south, Iraq to the east, and Turkey to the north. The modern state of Syria was formerly a French mandate and attained independence in 1946, but can trace its roots to the fourth millennium BC. Its capital city, Damascus, was the seat of the Umayyad Empire and a provincial capital of the Mamluk Empire.

Once the centre of the Islamic Empire, Syria covers an area that has seen invasions and occupations over the ages, from Romans and Mongols to Crusaders and Turks. A country of fertile plains, mountains and deserts, it is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Alawite Shias and Druze, as well as the Arab Sunnis who make up a majority of the Muslim population.

Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey.

Capital: Damascus

Official language: Arabic

Government type:  Republic under an authoritarian military-dominated regime.

President: Bashar al-ASAD

Prime Minister: Muhammad Naji al-Utri

National Holiday: Independence Day, 17 April (1946)

Area

total: 185 180 km²
land: 184 050 km²
water: 1 130 km²

Climate: mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with snow or sleet periodically in Damascus.

Population: 19 314 747 (July 2007)

Currency: Syrian pound (SYP)

IntInternet domain: .sy

International dialing code: +963

Sources: www.wikipedia.org

http://news.bbc.co.uk