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About Syria
There is a plethora of information about Syria available on the internet. We have summerised a few of the key facts and figures for you below and listed links to the more useful sites to help you. If you want to know more, search to your hearts content.
The Syrian Arab Republic is a wonderful place to visit, full of some of the world's best historical, archeological and cultural sites. Syrian people are warm and welcoming and their food delicious. The following summary is brought to you by the Syrian Ministry of Tourism and the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce.
Syria - facts and figures
Official name - Syrian Arab Republic
Capital - Damascus
Land area - 185.180 km2 (71.500sq. miles)
Population - 18.866 millions (2002 census)
Climate - A pleasant and varied Mediterranean climate with four distinct seasons
Average temperatures -
32° C. (90° F) in Summer,
10° C. (50° F) in Winter and
22° C. (72° F) in Spring and Autumn
Time zone - November through February: GMT + 2 Hours (Winter)
March through October: GMT + 3 hours. (Summer)
Electrical current - 220 Volts, 50 A.C.
Official weekend - Friday and Saturday
Weights and measures - metric system
Main cities and number of inhabitants in each governorate:
Damascus 3.8 million inh, Aleppo 4 million inh, Homs 1.5 million inh, Latakia 883 thousands inh, Hama 1.4 million inh, Tartus 716 thousands, Deir-ez-zor 1 million inh.
Telephone codes - International code for Syria: 00963 / Local area codes: Damascus 011, Nabk 012, Deir Ateya 012, Zabadani 013, Bloudan 013, Al-Qunaytra 014, Dar'a 015, Sweida 016, Aleppo 021, Raqqa 022, Jisr Shogour 023, Idleb 023, Homs 031, Palmyra 031, Hama 033, Latakia 041, Kurdahah 041, Jableh 041, Slenfeh 041, Kasab 041, Tartus 043, Banyas 043, Safita 043, Draykish 043, Mashta Helu 043, Deir-ez-zor 051, Hasakeh 052, Raselein 052, Malkieh 052, Kamishli 053.
Currency - Syrian Pound = 100 piasters, 1 U.S. Dollar = 51 S.P.
Notes: 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 S.P.
Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 S.P.
Syria - a quick sketch
Syria has one of the world’s fastest population growth rates. Almost half of all Syrian are under the age of fifteen. Syrians are well-educated by Middle Eastern standards, and much improvement has been made in reducing illiteracy. Over 50 per cent of the population live in cities and urban migration has been rapid in recent years.
Arabic in the first language of 85 to 90 percent of the population. The older generation often speaks some French, while English is widely understood among the younger and middle-aged groups.
Cham Palaces and Hotels puts it nicely as follows. For thousands of years, Syria has been a crossroads of civilizations, the bridge connecting the cultures of the eastern Mediterranean and the fertile crescent, and the beginning of the Silk Road joining the West with the East. It was here that the cultures of Mari and Ugarit rose and fell; where the Assyrian, Sumerian, Phoenician, Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman empires and cultures met and influenced each other.
Damascus, the capital, is considered the oldest city in the world and was the major eastern political and cultural center of the Roman empire in the times of Jesus. St. Paul underwent his conversion to Christianity "on the road to Damascus". A major Islamic city during the time of the crusades, it became famed for the "Damascened" steel weapons that the local sword smiths created for Saladin and his warriors. In the provinces, there are villages still speaking Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus, an oral not written language. The alphabet carved on a clay tablet found in Ugarit, is the first alphabet known in history.
Syria has stunning natural scenery, rugged mountains, green valleys, deserts, swimming beaches and mountain peaks, perpetually covered with snow. Throughout the country there are magnificent ancient ruins, medieval castles and fortresses and wonderful Islamic mosques.
Doesn't that make you want to travel? For our checklist of things to see in Syria, see our Places to visit page.
Want to know more about Syria? Start here...
Syrian Ministry of Tourism
University of St Andrews Centre for Syria Studies
University of Oaklahoma Middle East and Islam site
Creative Syria blog on culture, arts, history and current affairs
The Damascene Blog
Lonely Planet
Syria Daily newspaper
Syria Online
Damascus Online
Every Syrian Site directory of services
The Syria Report
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