01
Physical geography
Primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west.
Local timeDamascus ·
Asia / Western Asia · Card 041
Syria
Syria is a country in Western Asia. Its capital is Damascus.
Find Syria
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Damascus
- Languages
- Arabic
- Currency
- Syrian pound (SYP)
- Population
- 25.6 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 185,180 km²71,498 square miles
- Independence
- 1946
Syria in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Damascus; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Arabic.
03
Location
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black; three five-pointed red stars in a horizontal line, centered on the white band
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · UN Security Council · Syrian transition
History & independence
Syria emerged from French mandate rule and achieved full independence with the withdrawal of French troops in 1946. The Assad family’s rule began in 1970. Protests in 2011 escalated into a devastating war. The government fell in December 2024, followed by a transitional governing framework in 2025.
-
Full independence
-
Protests and war begin
-
Transitional constitutional framework introduced
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · UN Security Council · Syrian transition
Economy
Main activities
Agriculture, trade, manufacturing and energy were important before the war. Extensive damage, displacement and loss of productive capacity make reconstruction and restoration of basic services central economic challenges.
Industry and production
petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing, automobile assembly
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · UN Security Council · Syrian transition
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people25.62025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6,380,609 | 6.381 |
| 1980 | 8,957,663 | 8.958 |
| 1990 | 12,579,208 | 12.579 |
| 2000 | 16,637,888 | 16.638 |
| 2010 | 22,482,421 | 22.482 |
| 2020 | 21,049,429 | 21.049 |
| 2025 | 25,620,427 | 25.620 |
Real GDP, 1990–2022
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars16.12022 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 11,722,362,728 | 11.722 |
| 1991 | 12,621,053,938 | 12.621 |
| 1992 | 14,258,356,770 | 14.258 |
| 1993 | 15,135,373,405 | 15.135 |
| 1994 | 16,227,092,309 | 16.227 |
| 1995 | 17,367,303,480 | 17.367 |
| 1996 | 19,073,739,937 | 19.074 |
| 1997 | 20,031,967,344 | 20.032 |
| 1998 | 21,391,197,331 | 21.391 |
| 1999 | 20,631,071,857 | 20.631 |
| 2000 | 20,770,464,165 | 20.770 |
| 2001 | 21,558,371,667 | 21.558 |
| 2002 | 23,252,547,295 | 23.253 |
| 2003 | 23,389,919,092 | 23.390 |
| 2004 | 25,004,416,047 | 25.004 |
| 2005 | 26,558,566,639 | 26.559 |
| 2006 | 27,898,712,655 | 27.899 |
| 2007 | 29,481,891,563 | 29.482 |
| 2008 | 30,801,684,272 | 30.802 |
| 2009 | 32,622,770,589 | 32.623 |
| 2010 | 34,316,384,709 | 34.316 |
| 2011 | 35,294,477,375 | 35.294 |
| 2012 | 25,998,298,626 | 25.998 |
| 2013 | 19,160,679,077 | 19.161 |
| 2014 | 17,185,147,686 | 17.185 |
| 2015 | 16,466,861,435 | 16.467 |
| 2016 | 15,412,046,167 | 15.412 |
| 2017 | 15,300,563,702 | 15.301 |
| 2018 | 15,513,736,242 | 15.514 |
| 2019 | 15,703,116,792 | 15.703 |
| 2020 | 15,853,068,145 | 15.853 |
| 2021 | 16,136,789,237 | 16.137 |
| 2022 | 16,104,116,654 | 16.104 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.564Medium human developmentRank 162 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.572
20000.594
20100.669
20200.570
20230.564
72.1 yearsLife expectancy at birth
5.9 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Transitional republic under the March 2025 Constitutional Declaration. The president leads the executive during a five-year transition; institutions are being rebuilt after the fall of the previous government. Effective control and security conditions vary across the country.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · UN Security Council · Syrian transition
Knowledge check
Three questions about Syria.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Where are Syria’s coastal plain and mountains located?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · UN Security Council · Syrian transition
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.