Syria:
Geography

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Other pages in this profile of Syria:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, France administered Syria until its independence in 1946. The country lacked political stability, however, and experienced a series of military coups during its first decades. Syria united with Egypt in February 1958 to form the United Arab Republic. In September 1961, the two entities separated, and the Syrian Arab Republic was reestablished. In November 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a member of the Socialist Ba'th Party and the minority Alawite sect, seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held occasional peace talks over its return. Following the death of President al-ASAD, his son, Bashar al-ASAD, was approved as president by popular referendum in July 2000. Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April 2005. During the July-August 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizballah, Syria placed its military forces on alert but did not intervene directly on behalf of its ally Hizballah.

Location	Definition Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Geographic coordinates	Definition 35 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references	Definition Middle East
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 185,180 sq km land: 184,050 sq km water: 1,130 sq km note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory
Area - comparative	Definition slightly larger than North Dakota
Land boundaries	Definition total: 2,253 km border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km
Coastline	Definition 193 km
Maritime claims	Definition territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm
Climate	Definition 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	Definition primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
Natural resources	Definition petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 24.8% permanent crops: 4.47% other: 70.73% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition 13,330 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	Definition 46.1 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Definition total: 19.95 cu km/yr (3%/2%/95%) per capita: 1,048 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	Definition dust storms, sandstorms
Environment - current issues	Definition deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water
Environment - international agreements	Definition party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note	Definition there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 2005 est.)

Syria: Geography

Syria:
Geography