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Syrian Arab Republic Cities with Hotels
Syria (Arabic Suriyah), officially Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah (Syrian
Arab Republic), republic in southwestern Asia, bounded on the north by Turkey,
on the east by Iraq, on the south by Jordan and Israel, and on the west by
Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea. Syria has an area of about 185,050 sq km
(about 71,498 sq mi). The capital and largest city is Damascus, also spelled
Dimashq.
Land and Resources
Syria has an extreme east-to-west distance of about 830 km (about 515 mi) and an
extreme north-to-south distance of about 740 km (about 460 mi). Along the
Mediterranean coast, which is about 160 km (about 100 mi) long, lies a narrow
plain extending inland as far as 32 km (20 mi). Parallel to this plain is the
Jabal an Nusayrìyah, a narrow range of mountains and hills, south of which,
along the border of Syria and Lebanon, are the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, the site
of Mount Hermon, the highest point in the country at 2814 m (9232 ft). The
Anti-Lebanon range tapers off into a hilly region called the Golan Heights
(captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War) in the southwestern corner of
Syria. Much of the rest of the country consists of a plateau, which is bisected
in the northeast by the valley of the Euphrates (known in Syria as Al Furat)
River. The plateau area north of the Euphrates is called the plain of Al Jazìrah.
The semicircular plateau area in the southeastern is in the Syrian Desert.
The Euphrates, the longest river in Syria, flows diagonally
across the country from Turkey in the north to Iraq on the east. The second
longest river, the Orontes, originates in the Lebanese portion of the
Anti-Lebanon Mountains and flows north through western Syria to Turkey.
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Climate
West of the Jabal an Nusayrìyah, Syria has a Mediterranean
climate, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Yearly
rainfall ranges from about 510 to 1020 mm (about 20 to 40 in) in the coastal
area, from about 255 to 510 mm (about 10 to 20 in) between Halab (Aleppo), and
Damascus, and from 127 mm (5 in) to less than 25 mm (less than 1 in) in the
desert area in the southeast. Regional variations in temperature are
comparatively slight. At Halab, in the northwest, the average August temperature
is about 30° C (about 86° F) and the average January temperature is about 4.4° C
(about 40° F). At Tudmur, in the central region at the edge of the Syrian
Desert, the corresponding temperatures are about 30.8° C (about 87.5° F) and
about 6.4° C (about 43.5° F).
Natural Resources
Petroleum, natural gas, phosphate rock, asphalt, and salt are
the main Syrian minerals found in sufficiently large quantities for commercial
exploitation. Small deposits of coal, iron ore, copper, lead, and gold exist,
primarily in mountainous regions. Good farmland is located in the coastal region
and in parts of the valleys of the Orontes and Euphrates rivers.
Plants and Animals
Syria has comparatively limited areas of abundant natural
vegetation. On the whole the nonarable areas are too dry to support extensive
plant life, and virtually all of the arable areas have been stripped of natural
cover. Along the coast, however, are found some reed grasses, wild flowers,
trees, and shrubs, including buckthorn and tamarisk. In the Anti-Lebanon
Mountains are forests of Aleppo pine and Syrian and valonia oak.
The mammalian wildlife of Syria includes the antelope, deer, wildcat, porcupine,
squirrel, and hare. Birds native to the country include the flamingo, pelican,
bustard, ostrich, eagle, and falcon. Lizards and chameleons are found in the
desert.
Population
Syria is populated chiefly by Arabs, who constitute about 90
percent of the population. The largest non-Arab minorities are Kurds, most of
whom are pastoral people concentrated along the Turkish border, and Armenians,
who dwell chiefly in the larger cities. The Syrian Desert is the most sparsely
populated part of Syria. The most densely settled area of the country is in the
west.
Population Characteristics
The population of Syria (1995 estimate) is about 14,775,000,
giving the country an overall population density of about 80 persons per sq km
(about 207 per sq mi). Population growth during the early 1990s was estimated at
3.6 percent a year.
"Syria," Microsoft® Encarta® 97 Encyclopedia.
© 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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December 03, 2008 01:01 PM. |
