Syria           Introduction        

Background:         Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Syria was administered by the French until independence in 1946. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. Since 1976, Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon, ostensibly in a peacekeeping capacity. In recent years, Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan Heights.

Syria           Geography  

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

Coastline:         193 km