Info4Migrants SYRIA Country profile Project number: UK/13/LLP-LdV/TOI-615 2 AREA 783 562 km POPULATION 18 mln GDP per capita $2802 CURRENCY Syrian pound Language ARABIC 2 Profile SYRIA MAIN INFORMATION TURKEY SYRIA LEBANON Damascus IRAQ JORDAN Syria is a country in the Middle East, which shares a border with Lebanon in the West, with Israel in the Southwest, Jor- dan in the South, Iraq in the East and Turkey in the North. Capital: Damascus. Aleppo (ancient name Halab) is the big- gest and most populated city in Syria. Flag Climate: subtropical – the climate is Mediterranean (humid and mild winter and long, hot and dry summer) in the coast- al area, and continental (dry) in the inner parts of the coun- try. Ethnic groups: about 74% of the population are Syrian and Palestinian Arabs, 9% are Kurds that live in the Northeast part of Syria. Other minorities include Turkmens, Circas- sians, Greeks, Jews and Armenians. The coat of arms of Syria is a hawk, which is the symbol of Religion: Islam 73% (60% Sunni and 13% Shia), Christian 10% Muhammad, the founder of Islam. (the majority Antiochian Orthodox). Government: unitary, single party, semi-presidential repub- lic. 3 Profile SYRIA FOREIGN RELATIONS The primary goals of president Bashar al-Assad’s foreign policy are ensuring national security, increasing influence among its Arab neighbors, and securing the return of the Golan Heights. In the past, Syria has often seen virulent tension with its neighbors – Tur- key, Israel, Iraq, and Lebanon. There was an improvement in Syria’s relations with several of the states in its region in the 21st century, prior to the Arab Spring and the Syrian Civil War. After the beginning of the civil war in 2011, the large number of killings and human rights abuses resulted in Syria’s isolation from its neighboring countries and the international community. The diplomatic ties with Great Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Tuni- sia, Egypt, Lebanon, the United States, Belgium, Spain, and the Gulf States were severed. In terms of the countries in the Arab league, Syria continues to maintain diplomatic relations with Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan and Yemen. Because of the violence against civilians in the country, Syria was suspended from the Arab League and the Orga- nization of Islamic Cooperation in 2012. Syria continues to foster good relations with her traditional allies Iran, China, Venezuela and Russia, who are among the few countries which have supported the Syrian govern- ment in its conflict with the opposition. Syria considers the Hatay Province of Turkey as part of its own territory. In 1981, Israel annexed the Golan Heights, and to this day Syria continues to demand the return of this territory. The Syrian occupation of Lebanon began in 1976 as a result of the civil war, and ended in April 2006 in response to domestic and international pressure after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Syria is included in the European Union’s European Neighborhood Policy which aims to bring the EU and its neighbors closer. 4 Profile SYRIA CIVIL WAR IN SYRIA The civil war in Syria is a military conflict near the town of Latakia with helicopters that began in March 2011. and fighter jets. Under the influence of the so-called Arab On July 18, 2012 the Minister of Defense Spring, protests began in the country, Dawoud Rajiha, the ex-Military Minister which in the beginning of 2011 escalated to Hasan Turkmani and the brother-in-law of armed clashes between protestors and the the President Asef Shawkat died in a bomb security forces. attack in Damascus. Assad’s army managed to push back the opposition’s army from Protestors demanded an end to the rule of the capital and fell under the control of the Baas’ party and president Bashar al-Assad, regime. Afterwards the military conflict whose family has been ruling Syria since moved to the town of Aleppo. The govern- 1971. ment army conquered the western part of the city, while the FSA governed the eastern March 15, 2011 was declared the “Day of part. In early August, the opposition armies Rage”. Thousands of protestors marched on tried to take over the airport and the city the streets of Damascus, Daraa, Hama, and prison, but were pushed away. In late Sep- Deir Ez Zor. In the period between March 18 tember, the headquarters of FSA were and May 5, 2011 the anti-government forc- transferred from Turkey to the region con- es sieged the town of Daraa. They began trolled by the opposition – North Syria. as students riots, but ended up under the control of the Islam forces. More and more Refugees people joined the protests, but accidents increased and the protests escalated into In what is described by the UN as “the big- a Civil War. More and more civilians were gest humanitarian crisis of our time”, about arrested and killed. With the advance of the 9.5 million Syrian citizens (or almost half of military actions, blockades and bombard- the population) have been forced to leave ments began. their homes since the beginning of the Civil war. Three million Syrian citizens live out- On July 29, the Free Syrian Opposition Army side the country as refugees. (FSA) was created; it included members like deserted soldiers, engineers, farmers, and criminals. In November, the town of Homs became a battlefield after the military ac- tions. On June 5, the Syrian army of Assad’s re- gime attacked the forces of the opposition 5 Profile SYRIA FACTS ABOUT SYRIA Flag The flag consists of three stripes – red at the top, white in the middle and black at the bottom. There are two green stars on the white area – the symbol of Islam. The coat of arms is a hawk, the symbol of Mohammed – the founder of Islam. Arabic Language Arabic is the official language. Nowadays several Arabic dialects are spoken - Levantine in the West and Meso- potamian in the Northeast. The Kurds speak the Kurdish dialеct Kurmanji. Turkish and Armenian are also spoken among the minorities. Aramaic is the ancient language spoken in the region be- fore the adoption of Arabic. It is still spoken among the Assyrians. The classical Syriac is still used as the liturgical language in many Syriac Christian denominations. Many educated Syrians also speak English and French. Government rule Syria is a Presidential Republic. The president is elected for a 7 year period. The legislative body is the unicam- eral National Council, elected for a period of 4 years. Syria is divided into 14 governorates (muhafazah) and 65 districts (mintaqah). 6 Profile SYRIA FACTS ABOUT SYRIA Damascus Damascus is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo. It is commonly known in Syria as ash-Sham and nicknamed as the City of Jasmine (Мadīnat al-Yāsmīn). It is one of the oldest capitals in the world. Damascus has been inhabited since 9000 B.C. The city has been under the rule of the Egyptian Pharaohs, Assyria, Persia, the Empire of Alexander the Great and Bizanteen. During the 7th and 8th centu- ry, Damascus was the capital of the Caliphate of the Umayyad Dynasty. In 1260, it came under the power of Egyptian Mamluks. The period of their reign was fa- mous for the flourishing of arts and crafts. During the Ottoman Empire, the city was a district center. From 1920 to 1943, Damascus was an administrative center of the mandate territory of France–Syria, and after the proclamation of the country’s independence in 1943 it became the capital. In antiquity The first data about the region of Syria can be found in the Egyptian annals from the 4th millennium B.C. describing expeditions to the Amman and Mount Lebanon in search of cedar, pine and cypress trees. The medieval historian Ibn Asakir mentions that the first wall built after the worldwide flood is the Damascus wall, and relates the birth of the city to the 4th millennium B.C. Around the 22nd century B.C. the Phoenicians, descendants of the Canaanites, started to settle down on the Syrian shores. The Phoenicians cre- ated one of the most significant inventions in history – the alphabet. The Arameans adopted the 30-letter Phoenician alphabet in the 14th century B.C. The Greeks began to use it as well, but they also added vowels (not present in the Semitic script). 7 Profile SYRIA FACTS ABOUT SYRIA Geography A fertile, 10-20 km wide lowland, is located to the West, along the entire Syrian Mediterranean shore. It is the most important agricultural area in the country where the largest part of the population lives. The two most important Syrian ports – Tartus and Al Ladikia (Lattakia) are also located here. Lava plateaus and the vast, rocky and sandy Syrian dessert spread eastward from the inland mountain ridges, covering more than half of the country’s terri- tory. To the North, the desert borders the fertile valley of Efrat – the largest river in the country. The dam built on the river produces almost 35% of the electric- ity of Syria. Economy Syria’s main earnings come from the oil industry (40%), the agriculture sector (20%) and the textile in- dustry (20%). Since the beginning of the civil war, the economy has shrank by 35%, and the country increas- ingly relies on loans from Iran, Russia and China. The economy is highly regulated by the government, which has increased subsidies and tightened control over trading and restrictions on international trade. Private banking operations have been permitted since 2001, and two years later three non-government banking institutions were created.