| Area Total | 187,437 sq km |
| 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 in Damascus |
| Natural Resources | petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower |
| Imports | Russia 32.4%, Turkey 16.7%, China 9.5% (2017) – machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Capital | Damascus |
| Population | 19,454,263 (July 2018 est.) |
| Ethnicity | Arab ~50%, Alawite ~15%, Kurd ~10%, Levantine ~10%, other ~15% (includes Druze, Ismaili, Imami, Nusairi, Assyrian, Turkoman, Armenian) |
| Language | Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French, English |
| Exports | Lebanon 31.5%, Iraq 10.3%, Jordan 8.8%, China 7.8%, Turkey 7.5%, Spain 7.3% (2017) – crude oil, minerals, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, textiles, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat |
News about Syria
- War costs reach $1 billion a day as Israel faces missile interceptor shortage
by Khadega Ali on March 15, 2026Washington, March 15 (SANA) The ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran is driving military spending to unprecedented levels, with daily war costs estimated at more than $1 billion, while Israel faces a growing shortage of interceptor missiles, analysts say. The rising expenses are placing increasing pressure on defense budgets and […]
- UNIFIL calls for halt to military escalation in Southern Lebanon
by Rafah Hassan Alalouni on March 15, 2026Beirut, March 15 (SANA) UNIFIL spokesman Danny Alghafari called for an end to the military escalation in southern Lebanon, warning that Israeli airstrikes are putting civilians and peacekeepers at risk. Alghafari said in a statement Sunday that military escalation in southern Lebanon has continued since March 2, with cross-border fire and a recent shooting […]
- Jordan, Egypt discuss impact of regional military escalation
by Nawal Jeles on March 15, 2026Amman, March 15 (SANA) Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty discussed the implications of the escalating military tensions in the region during a phone call, Jordan’s state news agency Petra reported Sunday. Safadi, and Abdelatty reviewed the latest developments and their potential impact on regional and […]
- Syria’s Interior Ministry graduates 320 internal security recruits in Idlib
by Mohammad Qassim Rawi on March 15, 2026Idlib, March 15 (SANA) Syria’s Interior Ministry held a graduation ceremony in Idlib province for 320 members of the Internal Security Forces, including personnel and guards, as part of training programs aimed at improving operational readiness and strengthening security institutions. During the ceremony, the graduates presented field demonstrations […]
- Drone attacks near Baghdad airport raise security concerns
by Khadega Ali on March 15, 2026Baghdad, March 15 (SANA) Iraqi authorities have raised concerns over a series of drone attacks near Baghdad International Airport in recent days, warning they could pose a threat to a nearby high-security prison. Ahmed Laibi, a spokesperson for Iraq’s Ministry of Justice, said some of the strikes came dangerously close to Karkh Central Prison, which
- Israeli occupation forces conduct incursions into villages in northern Quneitra
by Rama Hammoud on March 15, 2026Quneitra, March 15 (SANA) Israeli forces carried out several incursions Sunday into villages in northern Quneitra in southern Syria. SANA’s correspondent in Quneitra said a convoy of 14 Israeli military vehicles entered the villages of Jabata al-Khashab and Tranja, patrolling the surrounding areas. Another force of six vehicles advanced from Abu […]
- UAE, Saudi Arabia intercept Iranian missiles and drones
by Nawal Jeles on March 15, 2026Capitals, March 15 (SANA) The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia said on Sunday that their air defense systems intercepted several Iranian missiles and drones over their airspace amid escalating regional tensions. In a statement posted on the social media platform X, the UAE Ministry of Defense said its air defense systems had intercepted missiles
- Remnants of war threaten civilians in Syria after multiple explosions
by Khadega Ali on March 15, 2026 - Syrian Hiking Association’s adventure in Latakia’s “Wadi al-Aja’ib” (Wonders Valley)
by Khadega Ali on March 15, 2026 - Three Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrike in central Gaza
by Nawal Jeles on March 15, 2026Occupied Jerusalem, March 15 (SANA) Three Palestinians were killed and several others wounded on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike west of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, Palestinian media reported. According to the reports, Israeli warplanes targeted a group of Palestinians in the al-Sawarha area west of Nuseirat. Two Palestinians were also killed […]
