Syria

Syria

Syria is located in Middle East and is bordered by Lebanon, the Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus to the west, Israel to the southwest, Jordan to the south, Iraq to the east, and Turkey to the north. Syria was formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, then the French Mandate of Syria, before gaining independence in 1946. The capital, Damascus, was the seat of several empires in antiquity, specifically the Umayyad Caliphate and the Mamluk Sultanate. Today, Syria is lead by President Bashar al-Assad and governed by the Baath Party, which has been in power since 1963. Recently, Syria has been criticized by the United States, European Union and Israel for their support of Hamas and Hezbollah. These political tensions, along with economic policies adopted in the 1960s, have left Syria largely excluded from the global economy. The government has tried, in recent years, to correct this by initiating negotiations for regional free trade agreements and filing a request to beginning the accession process into the World Trade Organization.

Fast Facts

Official name: Syrian Arab Republic
Capital: Damascus
Government: Presidential Republic
President: Bashar al-Assad
Population: 19,405,000 est (2007 estimate)
Currency: Syrian Pound (SYP)
Exchange Rate: 0.0195886
Official Language: Arabic

Categories

Geography | Travel | Countries | South Asia | Asian Destinations

| View Note History

The Mahalo Top 7

Official Tourism: Ministry of Tourism
U.S. Department of State: Background Note: Syria
Foreign & Commonwealth Office: Country Profiles: Syria
Portals to the World: Syria
CIA World Factbook: Syria
Wikipedia: Syria
BBC Country Profile: Syria

Syria Recent News

Mahalo's page on: Israeli Bomb Raid on Syria
Mahalo's page on: Syria Fires on Israeli War Planes
Google News: Syria
Official Site: Syrian Arab News Agency
Syria-News.com: Syria News
Syria Today: Syria Magazine

Syria Vacation

U.S. Department of State: Travel Warning: Syria
Australian Government: Travel Advise for Syria
Wikitravel: Syria

Syria Travel Information

AtlasTours.Net: Syria Tourist Information
World 66: Syria Travel Guide
UR Travel & Tourism: Discover Syria
Atlas Tours DMC Syria: Travel and Tourism in Syria
Lonely Planet: Syria Overview
iExplore: Syria Travel Tips

Syria Politics

Wikipedia: Politics of Syria
United States Institute of Peace: Syria and Political Change
Country Studies: Syria - Political Orientations
International Constitutional Law: Syria - Constitution
Wikipedia: President: Bashar al-Assad | Vice President: Farouk al-Sharaa

Syria Government Sites

Official Site: Syrian Arab Republic Ministry of Economy & Trade
Official Site: Ministry of Industry Syrian Arab Republic
Official Site: Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce

Syria International Relations

Mahalo's page on: U.S. Relations with Syria
Wikipedia: Foreign Relations of Syria
Council on Foreign Relations: State Sponsors: Syria
Global Policy Forum: Lebanon and Syria: UN Security Council

Syria Political Issues

Power and Internet News Report: Turkish-Iranian-Syrian Relations: Limits of Regional Politics in the Middle East (March 7, 2005)
ArabicNews.com: Al-Assad Views on Regional Political Issues Facing Syria (December 28, 2005)

Human Rights

Human Rights Watch: Overview of Human Rights Issues
U.S. Department of State: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
Wikipedia: Human Rights in Syria

Terrorism

U.S. State Department: Syria and Terrorism
Wikipedia: Terrorism in Syria
Lebanese Association: Saddam of Iraq vs Asad of Syria

Syria Economy

Official Site: Central Bank of Syria
Official Site: Commercial Bank of Syria
The World Bank Group: Doing Business in Syria
Wikipedia: Economy of Syria
Syria Economy: Syria
Country Studies: Syria - The Economy
The Syria Report: Economy and Finance
Encyclopedia of the Orient: Syria: Economy

Syria Military

Wikipedia: Military of Syria
GlobalSecurity.org: Syria Military Guide
GlobalFirePower.com: Syria Military Strength Statistics

Syria Facts and History

Mahalo's page on: Syria-Iran Missile Test Deaths
Arab.net: Ancient Syria
Syria Gate: History Of Syria
Damascus Online: A Brief history of Modern Syria
Made in Syria.com: Syria's History
World InfoZone: Syria Facts
BBC: Syria Timeline
Damascus Online: Syrian Encyclopedia Website

Syria Maps and Geography

Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"

Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"

Arab.net: Syria - Topography
Wikipedia: Geography of Syria
Syria Gate: Syrian Landscape

Syria Capital

Official Site: Damascus & Countryside
MSN Encarta: Map of Damascus
Wikipedia: Damascus
Old Damascus.com: Welcome to Old Damascus
Time and Date.com: Current Local Time in Damascus - Syria
BBC Weather: 3 Day Forecast For Damascus, Syria

Syria Major Cities

Wikipedia: Aleppo | Latakia | Homs
Official Site: Aleppo
Official Site: Latakia
Official Site: Homs

Syria Photos and Videos

Google Image Search: Syria
Yahoo! Image Search: Syria
YouTube and Google Video Search: Syria
Yahoo! Video Search: Syria
Dailymotion: Syria (Time: 4:53)

Syria Culture

Cafe-Syria: Syria Culture
Official Site: Culture in Syria
Syria Today.ca: Culture in Syria

Cuisine

Wikipedia: Cuisine of Syria
Official Site: Syrian Cuisine
CookbookWiki: Syrian Cuisine
Cuisine Middle East: The Syrian Table

Music

Wikipedia: Music of Syria
National Geographic: Syria
Official Site: Folklore Dance in Syria

Related Pages on Mahalo

Turkey (country) | Iraq | Damascus | Aleppo | Mediterranean Sea | Jordan | Saudi Arabia | Lebanon | Tigris River | Cyprus | Israel | Asia

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