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Asia / Western Asia · Card 041
Flag shown for Syria

Syria

Syria is a country in Western Asia. Its capital is Damascus.

Find Syria

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● 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.

At a glance

Capital
Damascus
Language guide
Languages spoken & official status
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 map

Geography & environment

Landscape

Syria extends inland from a relatively narrow Mediterranean coast. Coastal mountains separate wetter western areas from much drier interior plains and plateaus. The Euphrates crosses the east, while other river valleys support settlement and farming in the west.

Large parts of the interior belong to the Syrian Desert, which includes stony plains as well as sandy areas. The Orontes valley provides a contrast, with water and cultivated land between surrounding uplands. These regions have very different growing conditions.

Climate & seasons

The coast has wetter winters and hot, dry summers. The inland plateau is drier and has greater temperature extremes, including cold winter weather.

Water & land use

Most rainfall arrives in the cooler season and decreases inland. Agriculture depends on rainfall, irrigation and local water access. Conflict and damaged infrastructure also affect land use, so physical conditions alone do not explain present-day life.

Flag shown for Syria

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

Languages

Public and official use

Arabic is the official language. Syrian Arabic varieties are used in everyday conversation, while Standard Arabic is used in formal writing.

Community and regional languages

Kurdish, Armenian, Syriac and other Neo-Aramaic varieties, Circassian and additional community languages are also spoken. These reflect distinct communities and histories, and some have been affected by displacement and conflict.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

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.

  1. Full independence

  2. Protests and war begin

  3. 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 people
25.62025 · millions of people
0.0015.030.06.419709.0198012.6199016.6200022.5201021.0202025.62025

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table
Population: source values and plotted units
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 dollars
16.12022 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
0.0020.040.01990200020102022

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
Real GDP: source values and plotted units
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.

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