Independence Year : 1941
Population : 16125000
Life Expectancy : 68.5
Capital : 3250
GNP : 65984.00
GNP Old : 64926.00
Local Name : Suriya
Government Form : Republic
Location : Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Terrain : Narrow coastal plain with a double mountain belt in the west; large, semiarid and desert plateau to the east
Climate : Mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast
Ethnic Group : Arabs (90%), Kurds (9%), Armenians, Circassians, Turkomans
Religions : Sunni Muslims (74%), Alawis (12%), Christians (10%), Druze (3%), and small numbers of other Muslim sects, Jews, and Yazidis
Official Website :
www.syriatourism.org
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General Information - Syria
Background
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.
(Source: CIA - The World Factbook)
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