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@Syria
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Map
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Location: 35 00 N, 38 00 E -- Middle East, bordering the
Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey

Flag
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Description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and
black with two small green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line
centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has
a plain white band and of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an
Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band;
also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a symbolic eagle
centered in the white band

Geography
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Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
Lebanon and Turkey

Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N, 38 00 E

Map references: Middle East

Area:
total area: 185,180 sq km
land area: 184,050 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than North Dakota
note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory

Land boundaries:
total: 2,253 km
border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon
375 km, Turkey 822 km

Coastline: 193 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 41 nm
territorial sea: 35 nm

International disputes: Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Hatay
question with Turkey; dispute over Turkey's water development plans
for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; Syrian troops in northern,
central, and eastern Lebanon since October 1976

Climate: mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August)
and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold
weather with snow or sleet periodically hitting Damascus

Terrain: primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal
plain; mountains in west
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m
highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m

Natural resources: petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese
ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum

Land use:
arable land: 28%
permanent crops: 3%
meadows and pastures: 46%
forest and woodland: 3%
other: 20%

Irrigated land: 10,000 sq km (1992)

Environment:
current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification; water pollution from dumping of raw sewage and
wastes from petroleum refining; inadequate supplies of potable water
natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms
international agreements: party to - Hazardous Wastes, N