Syria

• 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

• primarily semiarid and desert plateau;
• narrow coastal plain;
• mountains in west

highest point:

Mount Hermon (Jabal a-Shayk) 2,814 m

lowest point:

Yarmuk River -66 m

mean elevation:

514 m

• significant population density along the Mediterranean coast;
• larger concentrations found in the major cities of Damascus, Aleppo (the country's largest city), and Hims (Homs);
• more than half of the population lives in the coastal plain, the province of Halab, and the Euphrates River valley

note: the recent civil war has altered the population distribution

• the capital of Damascus is located at an oasis fed by the Barada River and is thought to be one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities;
• there are Israeli settlements and civilian land-use sites in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights (2017)

noun:

Syrian(s)

adjective:

Syrian

total:

24.5 years (2025 est.)

male:

23.6 years

female:

24.7 years

• significant population density along the Mediterranean coast;
• larger concentrations found in the major cities of Damascus, Aleppo (the country's largest city), and Hims (Homs);
• more than half of the population lives in the coastal plain, the province of Halab, and the Euphrates River valley

note: the recent civil war has altered the population distribution

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.88 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

14.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

16.6 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

13.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

74.8 years (2024 est.)

male:

73.4 years

female:

76.4 years

total:

0.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

• deforestation;
• overgrazing;
• soil erosion;
• desertification;
• depletion of water resources;
• water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes;
• inadequate potable water

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Environmental Modification

• 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

urban population:

57.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

5.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

energy:

519.8 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture:

144.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste:

138 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other:

1.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

4.5 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

2.5% (2010 est.)

municipal:

1.475 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

615.4 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

14.67 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

conventional long form:

Syrian Arab Republic

conventional short form:

Syria

local long form:

Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah

local short form:

Suriyah

former:

United Arab Republic (with Egypt)

etymology:

the source of the name is uncertain; the name appears as "Suri" in Babylonian cuneiform writings dating from about 4000 B.C.

name:

Damascus

geographic coordinates:

33 30 N, 36 18 E

time difference:

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

the city has an ancient, pre-Semitic name of unknown origin

• 14 provinces ( muhafazat , singular - muhafazah );
• Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah (Latakia), Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq (Damascus), Halab (Aleppo), Hamah, Hims (Homs), Idlib, Rif Dimashq (Damascus Countryside), Tartus

history:

• Syria's 2012 constitution was rescinded by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led government in January 2025;
• in March 2025, interim authorities announced a transitional constitution to remain in effect for up to five years

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

the father must be a citizen of Syria; if the father is unknown or stateless, the mother must be a citizen of Syria

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

10 years

chief of state:

Ahmad al-Shara'; former President Bashar al-ASAD was overthrown by Islamist rebels on 8 December 2024

head of government:

Prime Minister Muhammad al-BASHIR (since 8 December 2024)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

election/appointment process:

• president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term);
• the president appoints the vice president and prime minister

most recent election date:

26 May 2021

election results:

2021: Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD (Ba'th Party) 95.2%, Mahmoud Ahmad MAREI (Democratic Arab Socialist Union) 3.3%, other 1.5%; 2014: Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD (Ba'th Party) 88.7%, Hassan al-NOURI (independent) 4.3%, Maher HAJJER (independent) 3.2%, other/invalid 3.8%

expected date of next election:

2028

legislature name:

People's Assembly (Majlis Al-Chaab)

legislative structure:

unicameral

number of seats:

210 (140 indirectly elected; 70 appointed)

electoral system:

plurality/majority

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

10/5/2025

percentage of women in chamber:

9.6%

expected date of next election:

March 2030

highest court(s):

• Court of Cassation (organized into civil, criminal, religious, and military divisions, each with 3 judges);
• Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of 7 members)

judge selection and term of office:

• Court of Cassation judges appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), a judicial management body headed by the minister of justice with 7 members, including the national president;
• judge tenure NA;
• Supreme Constitutional Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the SJC;
• judges serve 4-year renewable terms

subordinate courts:

• courts of first instance;
• magistrates' courts;
• religious and military courts;
• Economic Security Court;
• Counterterrorism Court

chief of mission:

• Ambassador (vacant);
• note - on 6 February 2012, the US suspended operations at its embassy in Damascus;
• Czechia serves as a protecting power for US interests in Syria

mailing address:

6110 Damascus Place, Washington DC 20521-6110

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://sy.usembassy.gov/

description:

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black; three five-pointed red stars in a horizontal line, centered on the white band

meaning:

• the design is the same as a previous Syrian national flag (in use 1932-58 and 1961-63), but it is still unclear if the elements will retain the same meanings;
• the bands formerly represented Syria’s past rulers: white (Umayyad Caliphate), black (Abbasid Caliphate), and green (Rashidun Caliphate);
• the first star represented Damascus, Aleppo, and Deir ez-Zor, the three administrative subdivisions in Syria in the 1930s;
• the second star stood for Jabal Druze (the Mountain of the Druze), and the third star for the Alawite Mountains

history:

in 2011, opponents to the Asad regime adopted the flag; in 2025, it became the new national flag, replacing the two-star design

title:

“Ħumāt ad-Diyār (Guardians of the Homeland)

lyrics/music:

Khalil Mardam BEY/Mohammad Salim FLAYFEL and Ahmad Salim FLAYFEL

history:

adopted 1936, restored 1961; the country had a different anthem between 1958 and 1961, when Syria was part of the United Arab Republic

total World Heritage Sites:

6 (all cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Ancient City of Damascus;
• Ancient City of Bosra;
• Site of Palmyra ;
• Ancient City of Aleppo;
• Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din;
• Ancient Villages of Northern Syria

• low-income Middle Eastern economy;
• prior infrastructure and economy devastated by 11-year civil war;
• ongoing US sanctions;
• sporadic trans-migration during conflict;
• currently being supported by World Bank trust fund;
• ongoing hyperinflation

total:

31.5% (2024 est.)

male:

27.8% (2024 est.)

female:

47.9% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

lowest 10%:

3.8% (2022 est.)

highest 10%:

21.1% (2022 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

consumption:

15,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

15,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

65,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

102,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

2.5 billion barrels (2021 est.)

production:

2.763 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

2.763 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

240.693 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

• state-run TV has 2 networks and 5 satellite channels;
• roughly two-thirds of homes have a satellite dish with access to foreign TV;
• 3 state-run radio channels;
• first private radio station launched in 2005;
• private radio broadcasters prohibited from transmitting news or political content (2018)

total:

2,052 km (2014)

standard gauge:

1,801 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge:

251 km (2014) 1.050-m gauge

total ports:

3 (2024)

large:

1

medium:

1

small:

1

very small:

0

ports with oil terminals:

3

key ports:

Al Ladhiqiyah, Baniyas, Tartus

• the interim government authorities in Syria have established a Ministry of Defense and are attempting to unify the dozens of armed factions operating in Syria under a single, state-linked army;
• it has also established a Ministry of Interior to manage police and other security forces (2025)

• under Bashar al-ASAD, Syrian men aged 18-38 were required to serve 18-21 months in the military;
• conscription continued until ASAD's fall when the interim government announced that mandatory conscription to Syria’s armed forces would be abolished and only be reinstated in extreme cases, such as national emergencies relating to war (2025)

• status unclear;
• has been handicapped by the impact of the civil war, including the loss of students and scientists who fled the country;
• had previously focused on satellite development and related space technologies, as well as scientific research;
• has relations with the space agency and space industries of Russia (2024)

• 1987 - first and only Syrian astronaut into space as part of a Soviet-crewed mission to the Mir Space Station under the Intercosmos program
• 2016 - signed a scientific cooperation agreement in the field of space technology and remote sensing with Russia
• 2018 - announced that developing a satellite would be a primary goal of the space program

• Abdallah Azzam Brigades;
• Ansar al-Islam;
• Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq;
• Hizballah;
• Hurras al-Din;
• Islamic Jihad Union;
• Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force;
• Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS);
• Kata'ib Hizballah;
• Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK);
• al-Qa'ida;
• Palestine Liberation Front (PLF);
• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP);
• PFLP-General Command (PLFP-GC)

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

refugees:

16,402 (2024 est.)

IDPs:

7,408,809 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

160,000 (2024 est.)

tier rating:

• Tier 3 — Syria does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore, Syria remained on Tier 3;
• for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/syria/