Syria, a country study Federal Research Division Syria, a country study Table of Contents Syria, a country study...............................................................................................................................................1 Federal Research Division.............................................................................................................................2 Foreword........................................................................................................................................................5 Preface............................................................................................................................................................6 GEOGRAPHY...............................................................................................................................................7 TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS....................................................................................8 NATIONAL SECURITY..............................................................................................................................9 MUSLIM EMPIRES....................................................................................................................................10 Succeeding Caliphates and Kingdoms.........................................................................................................11 Syria.............................................................................................................................................................12 Foreword......................................................................................................................................................13 Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................................14 Preface..........................................................................................................................................................15 Country Profile.............................................................................................................................................16 GEOGRAPHY.............................................................................................................................................17 ECONOMY.................................................................................................................................................18 TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS..................................................................................19 GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS.............................................................................................................20 NATIONAL SECURITY............................................................................................................................21 Introduction..................................................................................................................................................22 Chapter 1. Historical Setting........................................................................................................................25 ANCIENT SYRIA.......................................................................................................................................27 MUSLIM EMPIRES....................................................................................................................................30 Umayyad Caliphate......................................................................................................................................31 Succeeding Caliphates and Kingdoms.........................................................................................................32 Ottoman Empire...........................................................................................................................................33 WORLD WAR I AND ARAB NATIONALISM........................................................................................35 THE FRENCH MANDATE........................................................................................................................37 WORLD WAR II AND INDEPENDENCE................................................................................................40 AFTER INDEPENDENCE..........................................................................................................................41 Shishakli Dictatorship..................................................................................................................................42 Radical Political Influence...........................................................................................................................43 United Arab Republic..................................................................................................................................44 Coups and Countercoups, 1961−70.............................................................................................................45 Neo−Baath Dominance, 1963−66................................................................................................................47 The Baath Redirections of 1966 and 1970...................................................................................................49 THE ASSAD ERA.......................................................................................................................................51 Chapter 2. The Society and Its Environment...............................................................................................55 GEOGRAPHY AND POPULATION.........................................................................................................57 Land, Water, and Climate............................................................................................................................58 Population....................................................................................................................................................60 Density, Distribution, and Settlement..........................................................................................................61 Vital Statistics..............................................................................................................................................62 THE PEOPLES............................................................................................................................................63 Arabs............................................................................................................................................................65 Kurds............................................................................................................................................................66 Armenians....................................................................................................................................................67 Others...........................................................................................................................................................68 i Syria, a country study Table of Contents Syria, a country study STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY......................................................................................................................69 Towns...........................................................................................................................................................72 Villages........................................................................................................................................................74 Tribes...........................................................................................................................................................76 THE INDIVIDUAL, THE FAMILY, AND THE SEXES..........................................................................78 RELIGIOUS LIFE.......................................................................................................................................81 Islam.............................................................................................................................................................83 Sunnis...........................................................................................................................................................86 Shia...............................................................................................................................................................87 Ismailis.........................................................................................................................................................89 Alawis..........................................................................................................................................................90 Druzes..........................................................................................................................................................91 Christianity...................................................................................................................................................92 OTHER MINORITIES................................................................................................................................93 Yazidis.........................................................................................................................................................94