The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Syria:
Syria – country in West Asia, that borders Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest. Civilization in Syria was one of the most ancient on earth. Syria is part of the Fertile Crescent, and from approximately 10,000 BCE it was one of the centers of Neolithic culture where agriculture and cattle breeding appeared for the first time in the world. Over the millennia, Syria has been conquered and settled by many different peoples. A country of fertile plains, high mountains and deserts, it is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, including Assyrians, Kurds, Turkmens, Circassians, Armenians, Greeks, Arameans (of Maaloula and Jubb'adin), Black people of Yarmouk Basin, Romani, Druze, Alawite, Christians, Shias and Sunnis. The latter make up the majority of the population.
In 2011, Syria was embroiled in civil war in the wake of uprisings (considered an extension of the Arab Spring, the mass movement of revolutions and protests in the Arab world) against Assad and the neo-Ba'athist government. In 2024, the Assad regime was toppled by several opposition militias and organizations. As of 2025, the country is led by Ahmed al-Sharaa and a provisional government, which aims to lead a transitional period of up to five years.
General reference
Pronunciation: ; (officially the Syrian Arab Republic; ) Common English country name: Syria Official English country name: Syrian Arab Republic Common endonym(s): List of countries and capitals in native languages Official endonym(s): List of official endonyms of present-day nations and states Adjectival(s): Syrian Demonym(s): Syrians Etymology: Name of Syria International rankings of Syria ISO country codes: SY, SYR, 760 ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:SY Internet country code top-level domain: .sy
Geography of Syria
Syria is: a country Location: Northern Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere Eurasia Asia Western Asia Southwest Asia Middle East Levant Time in Syria Time zone: UTC+02, summer UTC+03 Extreme points of Syria High: Jabal el-Sheikh Low: Mediterranean Sea 0 m Land boundaries: 2,253 km 822 km 605 km 375 km 375 km 76 km Coastline: Mediterranean Sea 193 km Population of Syria: 24,672,760 - 57th most populous country Area of Syria: 185180 km2 Atlas of Syria
Environment of Syria Climate of Syria Climate change in Syria Environmental issues in Syria Geology of Syria Wildlife of Syria Fauna of Syria Birds of Syria Mammals of Syria
Natural geographic features of Syria Islands of Syria Lakes of Syria Mountains of Syria Volcanoes in Syria Rivers in Syria World Heritage Sites in Syria List of ecoregions in Syria
Administrative divisions of Syria
Governorates and Districts of Syria
Al-Hasakah Governorate Al-Hasakah District Al-Malikiyah District Al-Shaddadah District Qamishli District Ras al-Ayn District Aleppo Governorate Afrin District Al-Bab District As-Safira District Atarib District Ayn al-Arab District Azaz District Dayr Hafir District Jarabulus District Manbij District Mount Simeon District Damascus Daraa Governorate As-Sanamayn District Daraa District Izraa District Deir ez-Zor Governorate Abu Kamal District Deir ez-Zor District Mayadin District Hama Governorate Al-Suqaylabiyah District Hama District Masyaf District Mharda District Salamiyah District Homs Governorate Al-Mukharram District Al-Qusayr District Al-Rastan District Homs District Tadmur District Taldou District Talkalakh District Idlib Governorate Ariha District Harem District Idlib District Jisr al-Shughur District Ma'arrat Nu'man District Latakia Governorate Al-Haffah District Jableh District Latakia District Qardaha District Quneitra Governorate Fiq District Quneitra District Raqqa Governorate Raqqa District Tabqa District Tell Abyad District Rif Dimashq Governorate Al-Nabek District Al-Qutayfah District Al-Tall District Al-Zabadani District Darayya District Douma District Markaz Rif Dimashq District Qatana District Qudsaya District Yabroud District Sweida Governorate Salkhad District Shahba District Suwayda District Tartus Governorate Al-Shaykh Badr District Baniyas District Duraykish District Safita District Tartus District List of cities in Syria List of towns and villages in Syria
Demography of Syria
Demographics of Syria
Government and politics of Syria
Form of government: Provisional government Capital of Syria: Damascus Elections in Syria Political parties in Syria
Branches of the government of Syria
Government of Syria
Executive branch of the government of Syria Head of state and government: President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa List of presidents of Syria List of vice presidents of Syria List of prime ministers of Syria Cabinet of Syria Government ministries of Syria
Legislative branch of the government of Syria People's Assembly of Syria (Unicameral) List of speakers of the Parliament of Syria
Judicial branch of the government of Syria
Judiciary of Syria
Supreme Judicial Council of Syria Court of Cassation Civil and criminal courts Military courts Security courts Supreme Constitutional Court of Syria
Foreign relations of Syria
Arab League monitors in Syria Diplomatic missions in Syria List of ambassadors of Canada to Syria List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Syria United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria United States Ambassador to Syria Diplomatic missions of Syria Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations
International organization membership
International organization membership of Syria The Syrian Arab Republic is a member of:
Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA) Arab Federation for Engineering Industries (General Organization for Engineering Industries) Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Group of 24 (G24) Group of 77 (G77) Interkosmos Spaceflight Program International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) International Criminal Court (ICCt) (signatory) International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) International Development Association (IDA) International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS) International Finance Corporation (IFC) International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) International Labour Organization (ILO) International Maritime Organization (IMO) International Monetary Fund (IMF) International Olympic Committee (IOC) International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM) International Telecommunication Union (ITU) International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO) Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Islamic Development Bank (IDB) League of Arab States (LAS) Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) Nonaligned Movement (NAM) Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) United Nations (UN) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Universal Postal Union (UPU) World Customs Organization (WCO) World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) World Health Organization (WHO) World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) World Meteorological Organization (WMO) World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
Law and order in Syria Constitution of Syria Crime in Syria Human trafficking in Syria Terrorism in Syria Human rights in Syria Freedom of religion in Syria Human rights violations during the Syrian civil war LGBT rights in Syria Law enforcement in Syria Visa requirements for Syrian citizens
Military of Syria
Military of Syria Command Commander-in-chief: Ministry of Defence of Syria Syrian Armed Forces Syrian Army Syrian Navy Syrian Air Force List of Syrian Air Force bases List of Syrian Air Force squadrons Syrian Republican Guard Military history of Syria Military ranks of Syria
History of Syria
History of Syria, by period Syria during the Stone Age Levantine corridor – relatively narrow land route of migrations between the Mediterranean Sea to the northwest and deserts to the southeast that connects Africa into Eurasia. It is believed that early hominids spread from Africa to Asia and Europe via the Horn of Africa and the Levantine corridor (named after the Levant, which includes Syria). Cradle of civilization – term referring to locations identified as the sites of the emergence of civilization. In Western European and Middle Eastern cultures, it has frequently been applied to the Ancient Near Eastern Chalcolithic (Ubaid period, Naqada culture), especially in the Fertile Crescent (Levant and Mesopotamia). Mesopotamia – area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, corresponding to modern-day Iraq, the northeastern section of Syria and to a lesser extent southeastern Turkey and smaller parts of southwestern Iran. Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization in the West. Natufian culture – Epipaleolithic culture that existed from 13,000 to 9,800 years ago in the Levant. It was unusual in that it was sedentary, or semi-sedentary, before the introduction of agriculture. Tell Abu Hureyra – archaeological site located in the Euphrates valley in modern Syria. The remains of the villages within the tell come from over 4,000 years of habitation, spanning the Epipaleolithic and Neolithic periods. The inhabitants of Abu Hureyra started out as hunter-gatherers but gradually transitioned to farming, making them the earliest known farmers in the world. Tell Aswad – large prehistoric, Neolithic Tell, about 5 hectares (540,000 sq ft) in size, located around 48 kilometres (30 mi) from Damascus in Syria. Tell Ramad – prehistoric, Neolithic tell at the foot of Mount Hermon, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of Damascus in Syria. The tell was the site of a small village of 2 hectares (220,000 sq ft), which was first settled in the late eighth millennium BC. Halaf culture – prehistoric period that existed between 6,100 - 5,100 BC primarily in the Khabur River, and is considered a continuous development of the Late Neolithic Tell Halaf – prehistoric, Neolithic tell in Al-Hasakah, a few kilometers from Ras al-Ayn near the Syria-Turkey border. Considered the type-site of Halaf culture, with the name meaning "made of former city" Syria during the Bronze Age Canaanites – Semitic-speaking civilization of the Levant, with significant religious importance Amorites – Northwest Semitic-speaking Bronze Age peoples from the Levant, establishing several city states such as Andariq, Yamhad, and Andarig Eblaites (Ebla city-state) – One of the earliest kingdoms in Syria, its remains now constitute a tell southwest of the city of Aleppo Ugarites – Ancient port city in northern Syria, ruling an area roughly equating to the modern Latakia governorate Akkadian Empire – First ever empire in the world Arameans – Northwest Semitic semi-nomadic and pastoralist people who originated in what is now modern Syria (Biblical Aram) during the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age.