Safety Score: 5,0 of 5.0 based on data from 9 authorites. Meaning it is not safe to travel Syria.
Travel warnings are updated daily. Source: Travel Warning Syria. Last Update: 2024-08-13 08:21:03
Explore Syria
Syria with its capital Damascus is located in Asia (Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea). It covers some 185,181 square kilometers (slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Pennsylvania) with 18,028,500 citizens. Arabic, Kurdish, Armenian, French and English are the common languages used in Syria (consider regional differences). Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey are bordering countries.
Trave to Syria is strongly discouraged due to a state of severe political crisis. Since January 2011, the unrest within the country has continued to intensify and thousands of people have been injured or killed by government security forces. There also have been reports of some fighting between troops who have cast their lot with anti-government demonstrators and others who remain loyal to the government.
Popular Destinations in Syria
Administrative regions of Syria
- Al-Hasakah Governorate
- Aleppo Governorate
- Ar-Raqqah Governorate
- As-Suwayda Governorate
- Damascus Governorate
- Daraa Governorate
- Deir ez-Zor Governorate
- Hama Governorate
- Homs Governorate
- Idlib Governorate
- Latakia Governorate
- Quneitra Governorate
- Rif-dimashq Governorate
- Tartus Governorate
About the country
Website: Syria Tourism
P.O.Box 6642
Barda Street
Damascus
Syria
Phone: +963 11 2210122
Fax: +963 11 2242636
Mail: min-tourism@mail.sy
The topography is primarily semiarid and desert plateau with narrow coastal plain as well as mountains in west. The average density of population is about 97 per km². The climate in Syria can be described as mostly deserthot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast, cold weather with snow or sleet periodically in Damascus. Potential natural disasters are dust storms, sandstorms Syria's two historically active volcanoes, Es Safa and an unnamed volcano near the Turkish border have not erupted in centuries
To reach someone Syria dial +963 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".sy". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 220 V - 50 Hz (plugs: C, E, L). The sign for the locally used currency Pound is SYP.
Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; two small, green, five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); identical to the former flag of the United Arab Republic (1958-1961) where the two stars represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; the current design dates to 1980.
![Syria Flag Flag of Syria](https://www.tripmondo.com/resources/images/flags/h200/sy.png)
Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French administered the area as Syria until granting it independence in 1946. The new country lacked political stability and experienced a series of military coups. 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 the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights region to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held occasional, albeit unsuccessful, peace talks over its return. In November 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a member of the socialist Ba'th Party and the minority Alawi sect, seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country. Following the death of President Hafiz 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. In May 2007, Bashar al-ASAD's second term as president was approved by popular referendum. Influenced by major uprisings that began elsewhere in the region, and compounded by additional social and economic factors, antigovernment protests broke out first in the southern province of Dar'a in March 2011 with protesters calling for the repeal of the restrictive Emergency Law allowing arrests without charge, the legalization of political parties, and the removal of corrupt local officials. Demonstrations and violent unrest spread across Syria with the size and intensity of protests fluctuating. The government responded to unrest with a mix of concessions - including the repeal of the Emergency Law, new laws permitting new political parties, and liberalizing local and national elections - and with military force and detentions. The government's ongoing violence to quell unrest and widespread armed opposition activity has led to extended clashes between government forces, their allies, and oppositionists. International pressure on the ASAD regime has intensified since late 2011, as the Arab League, the EU, Turkey, and the US expanded economic sanctions against the regime and those entities that support it. In December 2012, the Syrian National Coalition, was recognized by more than 130 countries as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Political negotiations between the government and opposition delegations at the UN-sponsored Geneva II conference in 2014 and the UN-sponsored Geneva III talks in 2016 failed to produce a resolution of the conflict. Unrest continues in Syria, and according to an April 2016 UN estimate, the death toll among Syrian Government forces, opposition forces, and civilians was over 400,000. As of December 2016, approximately 13.5 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria, with 6.3 million people displaced internally, and an additional 4.8 million Syrian refugees, making the Syrian situation the largest humanitarian crisis worldwide.
Geography
Area | ||
---|---|---|
Total (World Rank: 90) | 185,180 | sq km |
Land (World Rank: 88) | 183,630 | sq km |
Water (World Rank: 97) | 1,550 | sq km |
Forest (World Rank: 27) | 44.60 | % |
Comparative | slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Pennsylvania | |
Note | includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory | |
Coastline | ||
193 | ||
Landborder | ||
2363 | ||
Elevation | ||
Lowest point (World Rank: 72) | -208 | m |
Highest point (World Rank: 83) | 2,814 | m |
Agricultural land | ||
Total (World Rank: 11) | 75.80 | % |
Arable (World Rank: 40) | 25.40 | % |
Permanent crops (World Rank: 53) | 5.80 | % |
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 27) | 44.60 | % |
Irrigated land (World Rank: 38) | 14,280 | sq km |
Map reference | ||
Middle East | ||
Environment | ||
Issues |
| |
Agreement party |
| |
Agreement signed | Environmental Modification | |
Hazzards |
| |
Location | ||
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey | ||
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 |
People
Population | ||
---|---|---|
Total (World Rank: 63) | 18,028,500 | |
Deathrate (World Rank: 208) | 0.40 | % |
Birthrate (World Rank: 75) | 2.12 | % |
Growthrate (World Rank: 1) | 7.87 | % |
Fertility rate (World Rank: 78) | 2.50 | % |
Median age | ||
Male (World Rank: 157) | 23.90 | |
Female (World Rank: 160) | 24.80 | |
Age structure | ||
0 14 male (World Rank: 59) | 2,923,810 | |
0 14 female (World Rank: 59) | 2,777,070 | |
15 24 male (World Rank: 58) | 1,790,360 | |
15 24 female (World Rank: 59) | 1,732,690 | |
25 54 male (World Rank: 60) | 3,522,650 | |
25 54 female (World Rank: 61) | 3,547,540 | |
55 64 male (World Rank: 74) | 482,576 | |
55 64 female (World Rank: 77) | 493,085 | |
65 x male (World Rank: 81) | 342,407 | |
65 x female (World Rank: 84) | 416,347 | |
Health | ||
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 100) | 1.48 | % |
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 110) | 75 | years |
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 117) | 78 | years |
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 107) | 73 | years |
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 92) | 1.55 | |
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 126) | 1.50 | |
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 70) | 95.70 | % |
Obesity adult (World Rank: 36) | 27.80 | % |
Drinking water access (World Rank: 137) | 90.10 | % |
Energy
Electricity | ||
---|---|---|
Production (World Rank: 82) | 16,830,000,000 | kWh |
Consumption (World Rank: 80) | 13,960,000,000 | kWh |
Export (World Rank: 72) | 262,000,000 | kWh |
Source fossil (World Rank: 80) | 84.40 | % |
Source nuclear (World Rank: 99) | 15.60 | % |
Crude oil | ||
Production (World Rank: 63) | 28,670 | bbl / day |
Imports (World Rank: 47) | 83,140 | bbl / day |
Proved reserves (World Rank: 34) | 2,500,000,000 | bbl |
Refined products | ||
Production (World Rank: 65) | 111,600 | bbl / day |
Consumption (World Rank: 71) | 140,000 | bbl / day |
Export (World Rank: 77) | 12,500 | bbl / day |
Import (World Rank: 89) | 41,120 | bbl / day |
Natural gas | ||
Production (World Rank: 53) | 4,300,000,000 | m³ |
Consumption (World Rank: 64) | 4,900,000,000 | m³ |
Import (World Rank: 36) | 0 | m³ |
Carbon footprint | ||
49000000 |
Nation
Budget | ||
---|---|---|
Education (World Rank: 60) | 5 | % of GDP |
Health (World Rank: 179) | 3 | % of GDP |
Surplus (World Rank: 190) | -10 | % of GDP |
National symbol | ||
hawk | ||
National colours | ||
white | ||
Adjective | ||
Syrian | ||
Noun | ||
Syrian(s) | ||
Background | ||
Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French administered the area as Syria until granting it independence in 1946. The new country lacked political stability and experienced a series of military coups. 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 the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights region to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held occasional, albeit unsuccessful, peace talks over its return. In November 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a member of the socialist Ba'th Party and the minority Alawi sect, seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country. Following the death of President Hafiz 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. In May 2007, Bashar al-ASAD's second term as president was approved by popular referendum. Influenced by major uprisings that began elsewhere in the region, and compounded by additional social and economic factors, antigovernment protests broke out first in the southern province of Dar'a in March 2011 with protesters calling for the repeal of the restrictive Emergency Law allowing arrests without charge, the legalization of political parties, and the removal of corrupt local officials. Demonstrations and violent unrest spread across Syria with the size and intensity of protests fluctuating. The government responded to unrest with a mix of concessions - including the repeal of the Emergency Law, new laws permitting new political parties, and liberalizing local and national elections - and with military force and detentions. The government's ongoing violence to quell unrest and widespread armed opposition activity has led to extended clashes between government forces, their allies, and oppositionists. International pressure on the ASAD regime has intensified since late 2011, as the Arab League, the EU, Turkey, and the US expanded economic sanctions against the regime and those entities that support it. In December 2012, the Syrian National Coalition, was recognized by more than 130 countries as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Political negotiations between the government and opposition delegations at the UN-sponsored Geneva II conference in 2014 and the UN-sponsored Geneva III talks in 2016 failed to produce a resolution of the conflict. Unrest continues in Syria, and according to an April 2016 UN estimate, the death toll among Syrian Government forces, opposition forces, and civilians was over 400,000. As of December 2016, approximately 13.5 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria, with 6.3 million people displaced internally, and an additional 4.8 million Syrian refugees, making the Syrian situation the largest humanitarian crisis worldwide. | ||
Flag description | ||
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; two small, green, five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); identical to the former flag of the United Arab Republic (1958-1961) where the two stars represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; the current design dates to 1980 |
Economy
Gdp | ||
---|---|---|
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 106) | 55,800,000,000 | USD |
Real growth rate (World Rank: 215) | -9.90 | % |
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 191) | 2,900 | USD |
Source agriculture (World Rank: 53) | 19.50 | % |
Source industry (World Rank: 157) | 19.00 | % |
Source service (World Rank: 108) | 61.50 | % |
Labourforce | ||
Total (World Rank: 95) | 3,871,000 | |
In poverty (World Rank: 1) | 82.50 | % |
Products | ||
Industries |
| |
Agriculture |
| |
Exports |
| |
Imports |
|
Communication
Phone | ||
---|---|---|
Landline total (World Rank: 42) | 3,464,850 | |
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 90) | 20.00 | |
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 176) | 72.00 | |
Assessment | 0 | |
Internet | ||
Users (World Rank: 71) | 5,476,850 | |
Population (World Rank: 151) | 31.90 | % |
Transport
Air | ||
---|---|---|
Airports paved (World Rank: 62) | 29.00 | |
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 53) | 61.00 | |
Heliports (World Rank: 34) | 6.00 | |
Rail | ||
Total length (World Rank: 75) | 2,052 | |
Road | ||
Total length (World Rank: 68) | 69,873 | |
Paved length (World Rank: 41) | 63,060 | |
Unpaved length (World Rank: 99) | 6,813 | |
Water | ||
Total length (World Rank: 70) | 900 |