'''सीरिया''' (Arabic: سوريا ‎or سورية ), officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic: الجمهورية العربية السورية ),  जम्बुद्वीप (एशिया) का देश।

राजधानी: दमिश्क

==External links==

; Government
*[http://www.mofa.gov.sy Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
*[http://www.baath-party.org/eng/news.asp The Syrian Baath Party]
*[http://www.parliament.gov.sy/ Syrian Parliament] 

; Culture
*[http://cinemasy.com/ The Syrian National Film Organization]
*[http://www.rtv.gov.sy/ Syrian General Organization of Radio and TV]
*[http://www.alassad-library.gov.sy/ Al Assad National Library]

; Economy
*[http://www.banquecentrale.gov.sy/ Central Bank of Syria]
*[http://www.cbs-bank.com/en_index.php/ The Commercial Bank of Syria]

; News
*[http://www.sana.org.sy SANA Syrian Arab News Agency] Government News Agency
*[http://www.champress.net/ Cham Press] A complete roundup of news about Syria (in Arabic & English)
*[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3285832,00.html Syria, a Presidential Republic Under Military Rule] Ynetnews (Israeli newspaper) article about Syria 

; Syrian Cities, towns & Villages websites
*[http://www.mshtawy.com/ www.mshtawy.com] Mashta Al helou official town website)

ang:Syria

arc:ܣܘܪܝܐ

bat-smg:Sėrėjė
be-x-old:Сырыя

bo:སི་རི་ཡ

crh:Suriye

cu:Сѷрї

diq:Suriya
dsb:Syriska
dv:ސޫރިޔާ

eo:Sirio
es:Siria

frp:Sirie
ga:An tSiria

got:𐍃𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌾𐌰
gv:Yn Teer

hsb:Syriska

hy:Սիրիա

ie:Siria
ilo:Siria

{{Infobox Country
|native_name              = <span style="line-height:1.33em;"><big></big><br/></span>
|conventional_long_name   = <span style="line-height:1.33em;">Syrian Arab Republic</span>
|common_name              = Syria
|image_flag               = Flag_of_Syria.svg‎ 
|image_coat               = Coat of arms of Syria.svg
|image_map                = LocationSyria.svg
|national_anthem          = ''Homat el Diyar''<small><br/>''Guardians of the Land''</small>
|official_languages       = Arabic
|demonym                  = Syrian
|capital                  = Damascus
|latd=33 |latm=30 |latNS=N |longd=36 |longm=18 |longEW=E
|largest_city             = capital
|government_type          = Presidential republic 
 under Emergency measures.
|leader_title1            = President
|leader_name1             = Bashar al-Assad
|leader_title2            = Prime Minister
|leader_name2             = Muhammad Naji al-Otari
|area_rank                = 88th
|area_magnitude           = 1 E11
|area_km2                     = 185180<!--DO NOT include the Golan Heights here-->
|area_sq_mi                  = 71479 <!--Do not remove per WP:MOSNUM-->
|percent_water            = 0.06
|population_estimate      = 19,405,000
|population_estimate_rank = 55th
|population_estimate_year = 2007 
|population_census        = 
|population_census_year   = 
|population_density_km2       = 103
|population_density_sq_mi    = 267 <!--Do not remove per WP:MOSNUM-->
|population_density_rank  = 110th
|GDP_PPP                  = $71.74 billion <!--IMF-->
|GDP_PPP_rank             = 65th
|GDP_PPP_year             = 2005
|GDP_PPP_per_capita       = $5,348
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank  = 101st
|sovereignty_type         = Independence 
|sovereignty_note         = from France
|established_event1       = First declaration
|established_date1        = September 1936<sup>1</sup>
|established_event2       = Second declaration
|established_date2        = January 1 1944
|established_event3       = Recognized
|established_date3        = April 17 1946
|HDI                      =  0.724
|HDI_rank                 = 109th
|HDI_year                 = 2007
|HDI_category             = <font color="#ffcc00">medium</font>
|currency                 = Syrian pound
|currency_code            = SYP
|country_code             = 
|time_zone                = EET
|utc_offset               = +2
|time_zone_DST            = EEST
|utc_offset_DST           = +3
|cctld                    = .sy
|calling_code             = 963
|footnote1                = The Franco-Syrian Treaty of Independence (1936), not ratified by France.
}}
thumb|253px|Map of Syria
'''Syria''' ( '''' or <big> '''''' </big> ''''), officially the '''Syrian Arab Republic''' (Arabic:<big> '''''' </big>), is a country in French mandate and attained independence in 1946, but can trace its  roots to the fourth millennium BC. Its capital city, Mamluk Empire.

Syria gained independence in April 1946. Officially a Republic, Syria has been under Emergency Law since 1963 and governed by the 06-13.</ref><ref>http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3580.htm</ref> With the appointment of Bashar al-Assad in 2000 interest in political reform surged, leading to the so called "Damascus Spring" (July 2000-February 2001). Assad appointed pro-reform candidates to formal and less formal positions, but the 2001 arrest and long-term detention of the two reformist parliamentarians signals slow political reform.<ref>http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3580.htm</ref>

==Etymology==

The name ''Syria'' derives from the Akkadian '''', <ref>First proposed by Theodor Nöldeke in 1881; cf. .</ref>

The area designated by the word has changed over time. Classically, Syria lies at the eastern end of the Palaestina in AD&nbsp;135 (the region corresponding to modern day Palestine and Israel, and Jordan) in the extreme southwest, Eleutheris river, and Mesopotamia.

== Politics ==
Syria has the following executive branches of government: the president, two vice presidents, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet). Syria's legislative branch is the unicameral People's Council. 

Syria's judicial branches include  the Supreme Constitutional Court, the High Judicial Council, the Court of Cassation, and the State Security Courts. Islamic jurisprudence is a main source of legislation and Syria's judicial system has elements of Ottoman, French, and Islamic laws. Syria has three levels of courts: courts of first instance, courts of appeals, and the constitutional court, the highest tribunal. Religious courts handle questions of personal and family law.<ref>http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3580.htm</ref> 

Political parties: the Arab Socialist Resurrection (Baath) Party (Baath Party), Syrian Arab Socialist Party, Arab Socialist Union, Syrian Communist Party, Arab Socialist Unionist Movement, Democratic Socialist Union Party, and around 15 very small tolerated political parties.

Suffrage: Universal at the age of 18.<ref>http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3580.htm</ref> 

=== Constitution and Regime===
Syria's constitution was adopted March 13, 1973. It vests the Baath Party with leadership functions in the state and society. The president is approved by referendum for a 7-year term. The president also serves as Secretary General of the Baath Party and leader of the National Progressive Front. The National Progressive Front is a coalition of 10 political parties authorized by the regime. 

The Constitution requires the president to be a Muslim, but does not make Islam the state religion. The Constitution gives the president the right to appoint ministers, to declare war and states of emergency, to issue laws (which, except in the case of emergency, require ratification by the People's Council), to declare amnesty, to amend the constitution, and to appoint civil servants and military personnel.<ref>http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3580.htm</ref> 

=== Emergency Law ===
Since 1963 Emergency Law has been in effect, effectively suspending most constitutional protections for Syrians. Syrian governments have justified the state of emergency in the light of the continuing war with Israel and the threats posed by terrorists. Syrian citizens vote for the President in a referendum (unopposed), citizens do not have the right to elect their government in multi-party elections.<ref>http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3580.htm</ref>

==History==

===Eblan civilization===

<!-- Unsourced image removed: thumb|130px|left|Clay tablet from Ebla's archive. -->Around the excavated city of Egypt. Scholars believe the language of Ebla to be among the oldest known written Semitic languages, designated as Paleo-Canaanite.<ref name=LibraryofCongress/> However, more recent classifications of the Eblaite language has shown that it was an East Semitic language, closely related to the Akkadian language.<ref>{{cite journal
|quotes = 
 |author=
 |date=
 |year=
 |month=
|title = The Aramaic Language and Its Classification
 |journal=Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies
 |volume=Vol. 14
 |issue=No. 1
 |pages=
 |publisher=
 |location=
|issn = 
|pmid = 
 |doi=
|bibcode = 
|oclc =
 |id=
 |url=http://www.jaas.org/edocs/v14n1/e8.pdf
 |language=
 |format=
 |accessdate=
|laysummary = 
|laysource = 
|laydate = 
 |quote=
 }}</ref> The Eblan civilization was likely conquered by Sargon of Akkad around 2260 BC; the city was restored, as the nation of the Amorites, a few centuries later, and flourished through the early second millennium BC until conquered by the Hittites.

===Syria in antiquity===
Bosra|thumb|left|Roman theatre in [[Bosra.]] thumb|right|120px|[[Philip the Arab|Philippus Araps, Roman Emperor -detail of Syrian 100 pound note.]]
During the second millennium BC, Syria was occupied successively by Assyrians, Persians took Syria as part of their hegemony of Southwest Asia; this dominion was transferred to the Romans and the Byzantines.<ref name=LibraryofCongress/>

In the thumb|center|850px|The famous desert city of [[Palmyra, whose ruins are now a United Nations World Heritage site, grew large in the Syrian desert in the 1st and 2nd centuries (A.D.).]]

thumb|left|St.Simon (Samaan) church in [[Aleppo is considered to be one of the oldest remaining churches in the world.]] 
thumb|left|[[Umayyad Mosque|The Umayyad Mosque courtyard, Damascus.]] 
===Early Christian and Islamic history===

Syria is significant in the history of Christianity; Saul of Tarsus was converted on the Road to Damascus, thereafter being known as the Apostle Paul, and established the first organized Christian Church at Antioch in ancient Syria, from which he left on many of his missionary journeys.

In the 7th century, Syria was conquered by Muslims, resulting in the area becoming part of the Islamic empire. In the mid 7th century, the Umayyad dynasty, then rulers of the empire, placed the capital in Damascus.  However, rival factions within the empire disputed the Umayyad right to rule, based on their place in the line of succession from Mohammad. This  resulted in a civil war and their overthrow by the Abbasid dynasty, who moved the capital to Baghdad.

Sections of the coastline of Syria were briefly held by Frankish overlords during the Assassins (''Hashshashin''). In 1260, the Mongols arrived, led by Hulegu with an army 100,000 strong, destroying cities and irrigation works. Aleppo fell in January 1260, and Damascus in March, but then Hulegu needed to break off his attack to return to China to deal with a succession dispute.  The command of the remaining Mongol troops was placed under Kitbugha, a Christian Mongol.  A few months later, the Mamluks arrived with an army from Egypt, and defeated the Mongols in the Battle of Ayn Jalut, in Galilee. The Mamluk leader, Baybars, made his capitals in Cairo and Damascus, linked by a mail service that traveled by both horses and carrier pigeons.  When Baybars died, his successor was overthrown, and power was taken by a Turk named Qalawun. In the meantime, an emir named Sunqur al-Ashqar had tried to declare himself ruler of Damascus, but he was defeated by Qalawun on June 21, 1280, and fled to northern Syria.  Al-Ashqar, who had married a Mongol woman, appealed for help from the Mongols, and in 1281, they arrived with an army of 50,000 Mongols, and 30,000 Armenian, Georgian, and Turkish auxiliaries, along with Al-Ashqar's rebel force. The Mongols of the Ilkhanate took the city, but Qalawun arrived with a Mamluk force, persuaded Al-Ashqar to switch sides and join him, and they fought against the Mongols on October 29, 1281, in the Second Battle of Homs, a close battle which resulted in the death of the majority of the combatants, but was finally won by the Mamluks.<ref>''Timeframe'' pp. 59-75</ref>
thumb|[[Saladin|Saladin's grave in Damascus.]] 
In 1400, Timur Lenk, or Tamerlane, invaded Syria, sacked Aleppo and captured Damascus after defeating the Mamluk army. The city's inhabitants were massacred, except for the artisans, who were deported to Samarkand.<ref>[http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1433425 Battle of Aleppo]</ref><ref>[http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/08/wae/ht08wae.htm The Eastern Mediterranean, 1400–1600 A.D.]</ref> It was during the conquests of Timur that the indigenous Christian population of Syria began to suffer under greater persecutions.

By the end of the overland trade route through Syria. Shattered by the Mongols, Syria was easily absorbed into the Ottoman Empire from the 16th through 20th centuries, and found itself largely apart from, and ignored by, world affairs. ''see also'' Ottoman Syria

<!-- please add the picture of from the link sykes-picot agreement, i dont know how to do it myself; thx -->
Fighting on the side of Germany during World War I, plans by the Entente powers to dissolve this great Ottoman territory could now begin. Two allied diplomats (Frenchman François Georges-Picot and Briton Mark Sykes) secretly agreed, long before the end of the war, how to split the Ottoman Empire into several zones of influence. The Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 set the fate of modern Southwest Asia for the coming century; providing France with the northern zone (Syria, with later the upcoming Lebanon), and the United Kingdom with the southern one (Jordan, Iraq and later, after renegotiations in 1917, Palestine - 'to secure daily transportation of troops from Haifa to Baghdad' - agreement n° 7). The two territories were only separated with a straight border line from Jordan to Iran. But early discoveries of oil in the region of Mosul just before to end of the war led to yet another negotiation with France in 1918 to cede this region to 'Zone B', or the British zone of influence. The borders between the 'Zone A' and 'Zone B' have not changed from 1918 to this date. In 1920, the two sides have been recognized internationally under mandate of the League of Nations by the two dominant countries; France and the United Kingdom.

===French Mandate===

thumb|right|The National Bloc signing the Franco-Syrian Treaty of Independence in [[Paris in 1936. From left to right: Saadallah al-Jabiri, Jamil Mardam Bey, Hashim al-Atassi (signing), and French Prime Minister Léon Blum.]]
In 1920, an independent Arab Kingdom of Syria was established under treaty of independence in September of 1936, and Vichy Government until the British and Free French occupied the country in July 1941. Syria proclaimed its independence again in 1941 but it wasn't until January 1, 1944 that it was recognised as an independent republic. Continuing pressure from Syrian nationalist groups and British pressure forced the French to evacuate their troops in April 1946, leaving the country in the hands of a republican government that had been formed during the mandate.<ref name="USDoS">{{cite web
|url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3580.htm
|title=Background Note: Syria
|work=United States Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, May 2007
}}</ref>

===Instability and foreign relations: independence to 1967===
Although rapid economic development followed the declaration of independence, Syrian politics from independence through the late 1960s were marked by upheaval. Between 1946 and 1956, Syria had 20 different cabinets and drafted four separate constitutions. In 1948, Syria was involved in the Arab-Israeli War, intervening on the side of the Palestinians and attempting to prevent the establishment of Israel. The Syrian army was pressed out of most of the Israel area, but fortified their strongholds on the Golan Heights and managed to keep their old borders and some additional territory (this was converted into demilitarized zones under UN supervision, but then gradually seized by Israel in the inter-war years; the status of these territories have proved a stumbling-block for Syrian-Israeli negotiations). However, the economy was strained by the influx of more than 100,000 Palestinian refugees.

The humiliating defeat suffered by the army was one of several trigger factors for Syrian nationalist and socialist movements, who represented disaffected elements of society, notably including the religious minorities, and demanded radical reform.

During the Suez Crisis of 1956, after the invasion of the Sinai Peninsula by Israeli troops, and the intervention of British and French troops, martial law was declared in Syria. The November 1956 attacks on Iraqi pipelines were in retaliation for Iraq's acceptance into the Baghdad Pact. In early 1957 Iraq advised Egypt and Syria against a conceivable takeover of Jordan. 

In November 1956 Syria signed a pact with the Soviet Union, providing a foothold for Communist influence within the government in exchange for planes, tanks, and other military equipment being sent to Syria. With this increase in the strength of Syrian military technology worried Turkey, as it seemed feasible that Syria might attempt to retake Iskenderun, a matter of dispute between Syria and Turkey. On the other hand, Syria and the U.S.S.R. accused Turkey of massing its troops at the Syrian border. During this standoff, Communists gained more control over the Syrian government and military. Only heated debates in the United Nations (of which Syria was an original member) lessened the threat of war.

Syria's political instability during the years after the 1954 coup, the parallelism of Syrian and Egyptian policies, and the appeal of Egyptian President Gamal Abdal Nasser's leadership in the wake of the Suez crisis created support in Syria for union with Egypt. On February 1, 1958, Syrian president Shukri al-Quwatli and Nasser announced the merging of the two countries, creating the United Arab Republic, and all Syrian political parties, as well as the Communists therein, ceased overt activities.<ref name="USDoS"/>

The union was not a success, however.  Following a military coup on September 28, 1961, Syria seceded, reestablishing itself as the Syrian Arab Republic.  Instability characterised the next 18 months, with various coups culminating on March 8, 1963, in the installation by leftist Syrian Army officers of the National Council of the Revolutionary Command (NCRC), a group of military and civilian officials who assumed control of all executive and legislative authority. The takeover was engineered by members of the Arab Socialist Resurrection Party (Baath Party), which had been active in Syria and other Arab countries since the late 1940s. The new cabinet was dominated by Baath members.<ref name="USDoS"/>

The Baath takeover in Syria followed a Baath coup in Iraq the previous month. The new Syrian Government explored the possibility of federation with Egypt and with Baath-controlled Iraq. An agreement was concluded in Cairo on April 17, 1963, for a referendum on unity to be held in September 1963. However, serious disagreements among the parties soon developed, and the tripartite federation failed to materialize. Thereafter, the Baath regimes in Syria and Iraq began to work for bilateral unity. These plans foundered in November 1963, when the Baath regime in Iraq was overthrown. In May 1964, President Amin Hafiz of the NCRC promulgated a provisional constitution providing for a National Council of the Revolution (NCR), an appointed legislature composed of representatives of mass organizations&mdash;labour, peasant, and professional unions&mdash;a presidential council, in which executive power was vested, and a cabinet. On February 23, 1966, a group of army officers carried out a successful, intra-party coup, imprisoned President Hafiz, dissolved the cabinet and the NCR, abrogated the provisional constitution, and designated a regionalist, civilian Baath government on March 1. The coup leaders described it as a "rectification" of Baath Party principles.

===Six Day War and Aftermath===

The new government generally aligned itself with the hawkish Nasser in intra-Arab conflicts over how hard of a line to take against Israel.  When Nasser closed the June 1967 war.  In the final days of the war, after having captured the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt, as well as the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, Israel turned its attention to Syria.  With a U.N. mandated cease-fire fast approaching, Israel invaded and captured the entire Golan Heights in under 48 hours. The war was widely viewed as a humiliating defeat for the radical socialist regime established by the 1966 coup.

Conflict developed between an extremist military wing and a more moderate civilian wing of the Baath Party. The 1970 retreat of Syrian forces sent to aid the Black September" hostilities with The Corrective Movement") which ousted his rival, Salah Jadid.

===Baath Party rule under Hafez al-Assad, 1970–2000===

thumb|[[Hafez al-Assad, former president of Syria.]]
Upon assuming power, Hafez al-Assad moved quickly to create an organizational infrastructure for his government and to consolidate control. The Provisional Regional Command of Assad's Arab Baath Socialist Party nominated a 173-member legislature, the People's Council, in which the Baath Party took 87 seats. The remaining seats were divided among "popular organizations" and other minor parties. In March 1971, the party held its regional congress and elected a new 21-member Regional Command headed by Assad. In the same month, a national referendum was held to confirm Assad as President for a 7-year term. In March 1972, to broaden the base of his government, Assad formed the National Progressive Front, a coalition of parties led by the Baath Party, and elections were held to establish local councils in each of Syria's 14 governorates. In March 1973, a new Syrian constitution went into effect followed shortly thereafter by parliamentary elections for the People's Council, the first such elections since 1962.<ref name="USDoS"/>

On October 6 1973, Syria and Egypt began the Yom Kippur War by staging a surprise attack against Israel (Arabs call it the "Ramadan War" or "October War" because Syria and Egypt attacked during Ramadan in the month of October). But despite the element of surprise, the israeli army had recovered, pushed the syrian army out of the golan and invaded into syrian teritory further from the 1967 border. as a result, Israel continued to occupy the Golan Heights as part of the Israeli-occupied territories.
In early 1976, the Syrian Army's presence in Lebanon as an occupation, especially following the end of the civil war in 1990, after the Syrian-sponsored Taif Agreement. Syria then remained in Lebanon until 2005, exerting a heavy-handed influence over Lebanese politics, that was deeply resented by many..

About one million Syrian workers came into Lebanon after the war ended to find jobs in the reconstruction of the country. Syrian workers were preferred over Palestinian and Lebanese workers because they could be paid lower wages, but some have argued that the Syrian government's encouragement of citizens entering its small and militarily dominated neighbour in search of work, was in fact an attempt at Syrian colonization of Lebanon. Now, the economies of Syria and Lebanon are completely interdependent. In 1994, under pressure from Damascus, the Lebanese government controversially granted citizenship to over 200,000 Syrian residents in the country. (For more on these issues, see Demographics of Lebanon)

The authoritarian regime was not without its critics, though most were quickly murdered.  A serious challenge arose in the late 1970s, however, from fundamentalist Sunni Muslims, who reject the basic values of the secular Baath program and object to rule by the Alawis, whom they consider heretical. From 1976 until its suppression in 1982, the arch-conservative crushed the fundamentalist opposition centered in the city of Hama, leveling parts of the city with artillery fire and causing between 10.000 and 25.000 of dead and wounded, mostly civilians (see Hama massacre). Since then, public manifestations of anti-regime activity have been very limited.<ref name="USDoS"/>

Syria's 1990 participation in the U.S.-led multinational coalition aligned against Saddam Hussein marked a dramatic watershed in Syria's relations both with other Southwest Asia Peace Conference in Madrid in October 1991, and during the 1990s engaged in direct, face-to-face negotiations with Israel. These negotiations failed, and there have been no further Syrian-Israeli talks since President Hafiz al-Assad's meeting with then President Bill Clinton in Geneva in March 2000.

===21st century===

thumb|President [[Bashar al-Assad of Syria & his wife Asma al-Assad in Moscow.]]Hafiz al-Assad died on June 10, 2000, after 30 years in power. Immediately following al-Assad's death, the Parliament amended the constitution, reducing the mandatory minimum age of the President from 40 to 34. This allowed his son, Bashar al-Assad, to become legally eligible for nomination by the ruling Baath party. On July 10, 2000, Bashar al-Assad was elected President by referendum in which he ran unopposed, garnering 97.29% of the vote, according to Syrian Government statistics. He was inaugurated into office on July 17, 2000 for a 7-year term.<ref name="USDoS"/>
thumbnail|left|Billboard with portrait of Assad and the text ''God protects Syria'' on the [[Damascus#The walls and gates of Damascus|old city wall of Damascus 2006.]]
Under Bashar al-Assad hundreds of political prisoners were released and a steps were taken towards easing media restrictions. However, Bashar al-Assad has made it clear that his priority is economic rather than political reform.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2579331.stm</ref>

On terrorist training facility for members of   Islamic Jihad.
The raid was in retaliation for the bombing of a restaurant in the Israeli town of Haifa that killed 19. Islamic Jihad said the camp was not in use; Syria said the attack was on a civilian area. 

The German Chancellor said that the attack "cannot be accepted" and the French Foreign Ministry said "The Israeli operation… constituted an unacceptable violation of international law and sovereignty rules."
The Spanish UN Ambassador Inocencio Arias called it an attack of "extreme gravity" and "a clear violation of international law." 
However, the United States moved closer to imposing sanctions on Syria, following the adoption of the Syria Accountability Act by the House of Representatives International Relations committee. <ref>[http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/05/20040511-7.html Fact Sheet, The White House]</ref> Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, all included in what the EU and the U.S view as terrorist groups, all take refuge and enjoy strong relationships with the Syrian regime.

Syrian Kurds protest in Brussels, Geneva, in Germany at the US and UK embassies and in Turkey, against violence in north-east Syria starting Friday, March 12, and reportedly extending over the weekend resulting in several deaths, according to reports. The Kurds allege the Syrian government encouraged and armed the attackers. Signs of rioting were seen in the towns of Qameshli and Hassakeh.

On September 6, 2007, Israeli jet fighters carried out an air strike in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, known as Operation Orchard, on a target claimed to be a nuclear reactor under construction by North Korean technicians. Reportedly  a number of the technicians were killed.<ref></ref>

====2008 Israeli Peace Talks====
In April, 2008, President Assad told a Qatari newspaper that Syria and Israel had been discussing a peace treaty for a year, with Turkey as a go-between.  This was confirmed in May, 2008, by a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.  As well as a peace treaty, the future of the Golan Heights is being discussed.  President Assad was quoted in the The Guardian as telling the Qatari paper:
:''...there would be no direct negotiations with Israel until a new US president takes office. The US was the only party qualified to sponsor any direct talks, [President Assad] told the paper, but added that the Bush administration "does not have the vision or will for the peace process. It does not have anything."'' <ref></ref>

==Governorates and districts==

Syria has fourteen governorates, or ''muhafazat'' (singular: ''muhafazah''). The governorates are divided into sixty districts, or ''manatiq'' (sing. ''mintaqah''), which are further divided into sub-districts, or ''nawahi'' (sing. ''nahia'').

A governor, whose appointment is proposed by the minister of the interior, approved by the cabinet, and announced by executive decree, heads each governorate. The governor is assisted by an elected provincial council. Note that parts that used to be under the Quneitra governorate are under Israeli control since 1967 (see Golan Heights).
===Major cities===
Damascus - Aleppo - Latakia - Homs - Hama

===Minor cities===
Al-Hasakah - Deir ez-Zor - Ar-Raqqah - Idlib - Daraa - As-Suwayda - Tartus.

===Towns===
Duma - Baniyas - An-Nabk- Qusair - Maaloula - Zabadani - Bosra - Jaramana - At-Tall - Salamieh- Saidnaya.

===Major villages===
Albaida - Marmarita - Mashta Al helou - Haba - Rhablee - Sirghaya - Fairouzeh - Zaidal - Jaibool - Qunaya - al-Hwash - Oum Walad
- Yabroud - Sadad.

==Geography==
thumb|Satellite image of Syria (border lines added).

Syria consists mostly of arid plateau, although the northwest part of the country bordering the Mediterranean is fairly green. The Northeast of the country "Al Jazira" and the South "Hawran" are important agricultural areas. The Euphrates, Syria's most important river, crosses the country in the east. It is considered to be one of the fifteen states that comprise the so-called "Cradle of Civilization".

Major cities include the capital Damascus in the southwest, Aleppo in the north, and Homs. Most of the other important cities are located along the coast line (see List of cities in Syria).

The climate in Syria is dry and hot, and winters are mild. Because of the country's elevation, snowfall does occasionally occur during winter.
Petroleum in commercial quantities was first discovered in the northeast in 1956. The most important oil fields are those of Suwaydiyah, Qaratshui, Rumayian, and Tayyem, near Dayr az–Zawr. The fields are a natural extension of the Iraqi fields of Mosul and Kirkuk. Petroleum became Syria's leading natural resource and chief export after 1974. Natural gas was discovered at the field of Jbessa in 1940.

==Demographics==

Most people live in the post-secondary schools is over 150,000. The literacy rate of Syrians aged 15 and older is 86% for males and 73.6% for females.

===Ethnic groups===
thumb|Three Syrian men, 1873. 
*Arabs (including some 400,000 Palestinian refugees). Arabs make up over 90% of the population. <ref name="CIA"></ref>

*Kurds. Kurds constitute the one of the largest ethnic minorities in Syria, making up about 9%  of the population (1,800,000 people).<ref></ref> Most Kurds reside in the north-east corner of Syria and many still speak the Kurdish language. Sizeable Kurdish communities live in most major Syrian cities as well.
 
*Turks. Also known as Syrian Turkmen - majority live in Aleppo, Damascus and Latakia.
 
*Assyrian-Syriacs Christians. Assyrian-Syriac Christians are a notable minority that live in north and north-east Syria (Al-Qamishli, Al-Hasakah) around 800,000 in total.<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=aii Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Ethnologue.com]</ref> Although their numbers have been boosted by many Iraqi refugees since the Iraq War.<ref>[http://www.eni.ch/featured/article.php?id=1884 Iraqi Christian refugees pine for home, but fear they face death]</ref> The Assyrian Democratic Organization, is also banned in Syria by the current Syrian government.

*Armenians. Syria holds the 7th largest Armenian population in the world. They number approximately 190,000 . 

*In addition, approximately 1,300,000 Iraqi refugees were estimated to live in Syria in 2007.  Roughly 50 percent of these refugees were Sunni Muslim, 24 percent Shi'a Muslim, and 20 percent Christian.<ref name="World Refugee Survey 2008"></ref>

Syrians today are an overall indigenous Levantine people, closely related to their immediate neighbours, like the Palestinians, Lebanese and Jordanians. <ref>[http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0410/feature2/online_extra.html Phoenicians Online Extra @ National Geographic Magazine<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> While modern-day Syrians are commonly described as Arabs by virtue of their modern-day language and bonds to Arab culture and history &mdash; they are in fact largely a blend of the various Christian Aramaic speaking groups indigenous to the region who were Arabized when Muslim Arabs from South Arabia arrived and settled following the Arab expansion.

Syrians have also migrated heavily to the Americas, most notably to Brazil and Argentina.<ref>[http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200505/the.arabs.of.brazil.htm The Arabs of Brazil]</ref><ref>[http://leb.net/~aljadid/features/ArabsMakingTheirMarkinLatinAmerica.html Arabs Making Their Mark in Latin America]</ref>

===Religion===

thumb|left|[[Hama|Hama, Syria - a minaret of Al Nouri mosque.]]
thumb|left|Ommayyad Masjed 
Syria's population is approximately 90% Muslim and 10% Christian, though due to the high stream of refugees from Iraq the percentage of Christians has risen to slightly less than 12% (Muslim refugees are numerous as well). Among Muslims, 74% are from the Sunni;<ref name="CIA"/> branch, and are ethnic Arabs, Turks, Kurds, while the rest are divided among other Muslim sects, mainly Alawis (accounting for 10% of the total population) and Druze (6%). There is also a small number of non-Druze Isma'ili and Twelver Shi'a, whose numbers have increased dramatically due to the influx of Iraqi refugees, and are now 10% of the population.
thumb|[[Armenian Apostolic Church|Armenian Church in Kasab, near Latakia]] 
thumb|[[Zaynab bint Ali|Shrine of Zaynab bint Ali at Damascus, Syria.]] 
Christians, a sizable number of which are also found among Syrian Chalcedonian Antiochian Orthodox ("Greek Orthodox"; , '''') make up 50–55% of the Christian population; the Catholics (Melkite, Armenian Catholic, Syriac Catholic, Maronite, Chaldean and Latin) make up 18%; the monasteries also exist. Many Christian Syrians belong to a high socio-economic class.. 

Syria also has a tiny population of Syrian Jews sought refuge there. Of the remaining 5,000 Jews, 4,000 left in the 1990s, in the wake of an agreement with the United States. As of 2007, the Jewish community has dwindled to less than 70 Jews, most of them elderly.<ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/anti-semitism/syrianjews.html Syrian Jews<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===Languages===

Arabic is the official and most widely spoken language. Kurdish is widely spoken in the Kurdish regions of Syria. Many educated Syrians also speak English and French. Armenian and Turkmen are spoken among the Armenian and Turkmen minorities. Aramaic, the Arabic, is spoken among certain ethnic groups: as Syriac, it is used as the liturgical language of various Syriac denominations; modern Aramaic (particularly, Al-Jazira region. Most remarkably, Western Neo-Aramaic is still spoken in the village of Ma`loula, and two neighbouring villages, 35 miles (56&nbsp;km) northeast of Damascus.

=== Education in Syria ===

The educational system in Syria was based on the old French system.
Education is free in all public schools and obligatory up to the 9th grade. Schools are divided into three levels:
* 1st to 4th grade: Basic Education Level I ()
* 5th to 9th grade: Basic Education Level II ()
* 10th to 12th grade: Secondary Education (), which is the equivalent of High School.

Final exams of the 9th grade are carried out nationally at the same time. The result of these exams determines if the student goes to the "general" secondary schools or the technical secondary schools. Technical secondary schools include industrial and agricultural schools for male students, crafts school for female students, and commercial and computer science schools for both.

At the beginning of the 11th grade, those who go to "general" secondary school have to choose to continue their study in either the "literary branch" or the "scientific branch".