Syria

Syria is a country in the Middle East, the west part of Asia. It borders (from south to north) on Lebanon,Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey. Its western part faces the Mediterranean Sea. Its eastern and northern parts are mountainous.
The current president and head of state is Bashar al-Assad. Syria's national capital is Damascus. The biggest city is Aleppo. The Syrian civil war began in 2011.
The population of Syria is 74% Sunni, 12% Alawi, 10% Christian.
History
Syria has a very long history. It was a land of Phoenicians. Later it became part of the Achaemenid Empire, Roman Empire, and then the Eastern Roman Empire. In those days people spoke the Syriac language. The city Antioch was great and one of the important cities in Christendom. The Umayyad Caliphate took control of Syria in the 7th century. In this Arab Empire people began to speak the Arabic language. Today most Syrian people believe in Islam but there are still Christians too.
When World War I started, the Ottoman Empire ruled Syria and many other places. When it ended, France controlled Lebanon and Syria. Britain had Iraq, Jordan and Palestine. They drew a border between Iraq and Syria in 1920. France controlled Syria until 1946 when Syria became its own country.
Syria was part of the United Arab Republic with Egypt in 1958-1961. Syria had some wars with Israel and some territories like the Golan Plateau were occupied by Israel.
In 2012 with the Arab Spring a bloody civil war began against President Bashar al-Assad.
Kurdish people control a small part of the northern region called Rojava.
It is also known as Western Kurdistan.
Geography
Syria is between latitudes 32deg and 38deg N, and longitudes 35deg and 43deg E. It is mostly arid plateau. The area bordering the Mediterranean is fairly green. The Euphrates, Syria's most important river, crosses the country in the east.
The climate in Syria is dry and hot. Winters are mild.
Politics and government
Syria is a republic. The old Constitution of Syria was started on 13 March 1971. It made Syria as a secular socialist state. Islam was the majority religion. A new constitution has been in place since 2012.
Branches of government
The executive branch is the president, two vice presidents, the prime minister, and the Council of Ministers. The constitution says the president must be a Muslim. It does not make Islam the state religion. According to the 2012 constitution, the president is elected by the Syrian people in a direct election.
The People's Council is the legislative branch.
State control
Nearly all of Syria's radio and television outlets are state owned. The Ba'ath Party controls nearly all newspapers.
Human rights
Syria's human rights are among the worst in the world, according to human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch. The authorities arrest democracy and human rights activists, censor websites, detain bloggers, and have travel bans.
Governorates
Syria has fourteen Governorates, or muhafazat. The governorates are divided into sixty districts. The governorates are:
Al Hasakah
Rojava
Al Ladhiqiyah
Al Qunaytirah
Ar Raqqah
As Suwayda
Dara
Dayr az Zawr
Dimashq
Halab
Hama
Homs
Idlib
Rif Dimashq
Tartus
Military
The President of Syria is commander in chief of the Syrian armed forces. There are about 400,000 troops. Ethnic Kurds have their own army called YPG. The Males must go in the military when they are age 18.
Economy
Syria is a middle-income country. The economy is based on agriculture, oil, industry, and tourism.
Transport
Syria has three international airports (Damascus, Aleppo and Lattakia). They are hubs for Syrian Air. Foreign airlines also fly to them. Most Syrian cargo is carried by Chemins de Fer Syriens, the Syrian railway company.
Demographics
Most people live in the Euphrates valley and along the coastal plain, a fertile strip between the coastal mountains and the desert.
Education is free from ages 6 to 12. All children this age must attend school.
Sports
The most popular sports in Syria are football, basketball, swimming, and tennis. Damascus was home to the fifth and seventh Pan Arab Games. Many popular football teams are based in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, and Latakia.
Related pages
List of rivers of Syria
Syria at the Olympics
Syria national football team
References
Members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
Current dictatorships