By: Anna Miller

The Land

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey

•Syria is a flat desert plateau dissected by mountains. A narrow coastal plain fronts the Mediterranean Sea.

Natural resources: petroleum, phosphates,

chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt,

marble, gypsum, hydropower

Water Systems

The Euphrates and Khabur are the major rivers.

Dozens of much smaller rivers flow down into the central valleys.

Climate Vegetation

woody vegetation *Mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny

summers (June to August)

*Mild, rainy winters

(December to February) along

coast;

*Cold weather with snow

or sleet periodically in

Damascus

Wildlife

The mammalian wildlife of Syria includes the antelope, deer, wildcat, porcupine, squirrel, and hare.

Birds native to the country include the flamingo, pelican, bustard, ostrich, eagle, and falcon.

Lizards and chameleons are found in the desert.

Government

Population 18,448,800

*Life expectancy 70.9 years

**Government type: republic under military regime

Bashar al-Assad, 40, president

Maher Assad, 37, head of the Presidential Guard.

Ali Habib, 66, chief of staff of the armed forces

Assef Shawqat, 55, head of Military Intelligence

Some Political Leaders

History & Current Events• Syria became independent on Sept. 29, 1961, following a revolution. • Syria joined Egypt in attacking Israel in Oct. 1973 in the fourth Arab-Israeli War.

• Current Event *US-Syria relations still mired in mistrust

Mar 19, 2009 9:55 AM*

• Under the Bush administration the relationship between the US and Syria was bad. Washington described Damascus as an outcast, imposed economic sanctions on the country, and recalled its ambassador. Now President Barack Obama wants to change this.

Culture

• Clothing- Men traditionally wear long gowns called kaftans, and women wear long robes that leave only their hands and feet exposed. Both men and women wear head wraps.

• Food -Wheat is the main crop and one of the staple foods. Vegetables, fruits, and dairy products are also eaten. Lamb is popular, but most people cannot afford to eat meat on a regular basis. Popular fruits that are grown in the region include dates, figs, plums, and watermelons.

• Arabic is the official language

Culture cont…• Architecture- Houses are small, usually with one to three rooms, and are

built around an enclosed central courtyard. Traditional rural houses in the northwest are mud structures that are shaped like beehives. In the south and east, most houses are made of stone. The nomadic Bedouin, who live mainly in the south and east, sleep in tents that are easily transportable.

• Religion- 74% of the population is Sunni Muslim. 16% belong to Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects, and 10% is Christian.

Places to VisitThe Dead Cities

The Dead Cities are a group of 700 abandoned settlements in northwest Syria between Aleppo and Hama. They date back to before the fifth century B.C and contain many remains of Christian Byzantine architecture.

The Omayyad Mosque was constructed on the site of what has always been a place of worship: first, a temple for the Aramean god of the ancient Syrians three thousand years ago; then, a pagan temple during the Roman era. It was later turned into a church called John the Baptist when Christianity spread in the fourth century.

Economy

Industry: Types--mining, manufacturing (textiles, food processing), construction, petroleum

•Major Exports-: petroleum, textiles, phosphates, antiquities, fruits and vegetables, cotton.

•Literacy Rate:92.5%

•The basic unit of currency is the Syrian pound

Anna MillerSyria PowerPoint Questions

1) What is the life expectancy in Syria?a) 52b) 68

c) 70.92) What is the main crop in Syria?

a) wheatb) corn

c) beans3) The official language is…

a) Spanishb) Arabic

c) Chinese 4) What is a major river in Syria?

a) Euphratesb) Nile

c) Mississippi5) What kind of vegetation do they have?

a) fruityb) veggiec) woody

Works Cited

http://www.arab.de/arabinfo/syria.htm2-26-09

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/sy.htm2-26-09

http://www.traveladventures.org/continents/asia/omayyad.shtml3-18-09

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=what+are+traditional+clothing+in+syria%3F&page=1&qsrc=0&ab=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everyculture.com%2FSa-Th%2FSyria.html3-20-09

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7949480.stm3-20-09