Syrian Arab Republic

Syrian Arab Republic

AREA	185,180 sq km (71,498 sq miles).
POPULATION	17,459,550 (1998).
POPULATION DENSITY	94.2 per sq km (1998).
CAPITAL	Damascus
CAPITAL POPULATION	1,431,821(1998).
GEOGRAPHY	The country can be divided geographically into four main areas: the fertile plain in the northeast, the plateau, coastal and mountain areas in the west, the central plains, and the desert and steppe region in the central and southeastern areas. The Euphrates flows from Turkey in the north, through Syria, down to Iraq in the southeast. It is the longest river in Syria, the total length being 2330km (1450 miles), of which 600km (370 miles) pass through Syria. The Khabur River supports the al-Khabur Basin in the northeast.
GOVERNMENT	Republic since 1973. Gained independence in 1946. Head of State: President Hafez al-Assad since 1971. Head of Government: Prime Minister Mahmud az-Zu'bi since 1987.
LANGUAGE	Arabic, French and English.
RELIGION	Mainly Muslim and Christian (mostly Orthodox and Catholic) with Jewish minorities.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from March 30 to September 30).
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style 2-pin plugs

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