World Context: Syria

Source and mapping status

This page maps the site registry entry “Syria” to the supplied dataset entity “Syria.” Mapping status: exact-name. The source is a frozen 2025 snapshot; dates embedded in individual fields remain controlling.

• Source entity count: 1.
• Selected public fields present: 19.
• Independent corroboration in this page: none.

Place and environment

Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey Area: total : 187,437 sq km; land: 185,887 sq km; water: 1,550 sq km; note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory Climate: 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 Terrain: primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west Natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms; volcanism: Syria's two historically active volcanoes, Es Safa and an unnamed volcano near the Turkish border, have not erupted in centuries Environmental issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; depletion of water resources; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water

Population, settlement, and language context

Population: total: 24,261,882 (2025 est.); male: 12,183,128; female: 12,078,754 Population distribution: 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 Urbanization: urban population: 57.4% of total population (2023); rate of urbanization: 5.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) Languages: Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French, English

Public and legal context

Capital: 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 Government type: transitional presidential republic Legal system: mixed system of civil and Islamic (sharia) law (for family courts)

Economy and connectivity context

Economic overview: 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 Industries: petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing, automobile assembly Electricity access: electrification - total population: 89% (2022 est.); electrification - urban areas: 100%; electrification - rural areas: 75% Internet users: percent of population: 35% (2019 est.) Airports: 42 (2025) Ports: total ports: 3 (2024); large: 1; medium: 1; small: 1; very small: 0; ports with oil terminals: 3; key ports: Al Ladhiqiyah, Baniyas, Tartus

Interpretation and freshness boundary

Use these fields to ask better questions about material conditions, access, distance, public administration, and information availability. Do not use them to infer intelligence capability, government intent, personal loyalty, protected traits, or a permanent national character. Reverify any time-sensitive claim before publication or comparison.