An ancient Assyrian state with a rich history, unique architecture, where existing mosques, hammams and medieval markets coexist near ancient ruins - these are all Syria, a unique and amazing Middle Eastern country, washed by the waters of the Mediterranean, Cyprus, Levantine Seas and adjacent to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan , Iraq and Israel.
Despite the centuries-old history of these places, the modern statehood of today's Syria barely totals 70 years. But this will not be discussed in the article. We have to get acquainted with the geography and ancient history of the state, find out what is the area of Syria in thousand km2, what are the features of the landscape of this country.
Acquaintance
From the fourth millennium BC these blessed lands began to be inhabited by permanent settlers. Centuries changed, states formed, flourished, died, new ones formed, and the area of Syria was never empty. The excellent climate with warm mild winters and sunny, but not exhausting sultry summers is always attractive. Comfortable, mild, dry weather is here throughout the year. Only from November to March with the onset of winter, rare rains of small duration are shed. Winter temperatures + 7-9˚, in the summer - 25-30˚. Desert and mountainous areas surprise tourists with nightly cold weather; in winter, the thermometer often shows temperatures below zero.
The successful location of the country, including a narrow coastal plain with a coastline of 183 km long, and vast desert plateaus, and mountains that protect from the western dry winds, as if specially created for the life of people. Therefore, the capital of Damascus, existing for more than one millennium, is one of the oldest cities on Earth, constantly and densely populated. Today, according to official figures, approximately 2 million people live in it.
Historical reference
These ancient lands occupied by Syria have seen many states that bloomed here at different times. After the decline of Egyptian rule on the banks of the Euphrates formed the state of Ebla, subsequently conquered by Akkad. Then, many small states appeared on this territory, only since 661, Islam was established in the region, and Damascus became the official capital of the famous Arab caliphate. The area of Syria in thousand km2 has changed over time.
In the Middle Ages, the crusaders ruled the region. Their states were conquered and sacked by Tamerlane in the 15th century, and from then on Syria became an integral part of the Ottoman Empire. The country became independent only after the end of the 2nd World War in 1946. Founded about 5 thousand years ago, today Damascus is the country's main city, the full name of which is the Syrian Arab Republic. The official state language is Arabic. The area of Syria is more than 185.2 thousand km 2 . According to this indicator, the state is in 87th place in the modern world.
Syria: area and population
According to 2015, 18.5 million people inhabit the country. Rural residents make up 46% of the total population, but the lack of stability in the country today does not allow us to say this for sure. More than 70% of the population profess Islam, Christians in Syria about 10%.
Despite the overwhelming majority of the Arab population, among the country's inhabitants there are Kurds (9%), Armenians (2%), Assyrians (0.3%), and representatives of Caucasian nationalities (0.3%).
Landscape
The area of Syria is very impressive, and the terrain is diverse: mountain landscapes give way to lowland rivers. The legendary Tiger and Euphrates flow throughout its territory. The length of the Euphrates is 680 km. The country's waterways are not only large, but also historically famous rivers.
On the Dutch heights occupied by Israel today at 2814 m above sea level is Mount Hermon. Al-Assad, a lake of rare beauty, is the largest body of water in the country, occupying almost 675 square kilometers.
Cities and History
The Arab Republic has amazing, almost fabulous sights. Syria Square contains a huge layer of history that continues to live in monuments and buildings. The heritage of previous civilizations is enormous, each of which left traces of its former power. These lands were witnesses of the glory of Alexander the Great, the conquests of Tamerlane, the courage of Saladdin.
Damascus is the oldest of the capitals of the world, which arose at the intersection of trade routes and became the center of Mediterranean eastern trade. South of the capital is the city of Bosra, built of black basalt. The attraction of the city is the Roman theater, turned into an impregnable citadel.
The second after the Damascus Syrian city of Aleppo is famous not only for its amazing historical monuments, but also for the fact that it is inhabited mainly by Christians.
It is impossible to list all the wonders of these unique lands. It does not really matter what area of Syria, it is only important that almost all of it is a real open-air museum.