Short facts about the geography of Syria
| 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: 185,180 sq km
land: 184,050 sq km
water:
1,130 sq km
note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied
territory |
| Area -
comparative: |
slightly larger than North
Dakota |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 2,253 km
border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km,
Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822
km |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous zone:
41 NM
territorial sea: 35
NM |
| 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 |
| Elevation
extremes: |
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,
hydropower |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 28%
permanent crops: 4%
permanent pastures:
43%
forests and woodland: 3%
other: 22% (1993
est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
9,060 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
dust storms,
sandstorms |
| 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 |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but
not ratified: Environmental
Modification |
| Geography -
note: |
there are 42 Israeli settlements and
civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 1999
est.) | Source: World Factbook |
