Syria: Background & Geography
| Introduction | Syria |
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Background:
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Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Syria was administered by the French until independence in 1946. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. Since 1976, Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon, ostensibly in a peacekeeping capacity. In recent years, Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan Heights. |
| Geography | Syria |
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Location:
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Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey |
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Geographic coordinates:
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35 00 N, 38 00 E |
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Map references:
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Middle East |
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Area:
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total: 185,180 sq km
note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory water: 1,130 sq km land: 184,050 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than North Dakota |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,253 km
border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km |
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Coastline:
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193 km |
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Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
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territorial sea: 12 NM
contiguous zone: 41 NM |
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Climate:
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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 |
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Terrain:
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primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m
highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 25.96%
permanent crops: 4.08% other: 69.96% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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12,130 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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dust storms, sandstorms |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
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Geography - note:
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there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.) |