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| Countries of the World |
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| AREA |
185,180
sq km (71,498 sq miles). |
| POPULATION |
17,459,550 (1998). |
| POPULATION DENSITY |
94.2 per sq km (1998). |
| CAPITAL |
Damascus |
| CAPITAL
POPULATION |
1,431,821(1998). |
| GEOGRAPHY |
The country can be
divided geographically into four main areas:
the fertile plain in the northeast, the
plateau, coastal and mountain areas in the
west, the central plains, and the desert
and steppe region in the central and southeastern
areas. The Euphrates flows from Turkey in
the north, through Syria, down to Iraq in
the southeast. It is the longest river in
Syria, the total length being 2330km (1450
miles), of which 600km (370 miles) pass
through Syria. The Khabur River supports
the al-Khabur Basin in the northeast. |
| GOVERNMENT |
Republic since 1973.
Gained independence in 1946. Head of State:
President Hafez al-Assad since 1971. Head
of Government: Prime Minister Mahmud az-Zu'bi
since 1987. |
| LANGUAGE |
Arabic, French and
English. |
| RELIGION |
Mainly Muslim and Christian
(mostly Orthodox and Catholic) with Jewish
minorities. |
| STANDARD
TIME |
GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from
March 30 to September 30). |
| ELECTRICITY |
220 volts AC, 50Hz.
European-style 2-pin plugs |
| COMMUNICATIONS |
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