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Where Is Syria ?
Syria is located in Western part of Asia. It is officially known as the Syrian Arab Republic. The neighbors of Syria are Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, and Israel. It lies on coast of the Mediterranean Sea, which borders the country on the west. |
The capital of Syria is Damascus, which was also the capital for the ancient Umayyad dynasty. In fact, according to archaeologists, Damascus is regarded to be the oldest city in the world, which has been inhabited continuously since its inception.
Present day Syria was part of the Turkish Empire until World War I. Thereafter, it was taken over by the French. The country received its in independence in 1946. After gaining its independence, the country faced many attempted coups right from 1949 until 1970. However, the government has put Syria under emergency from 1962. This means that constitutional rights of the people are no longer valid. This is the reason that the international community feels that the government of Syria is undemocratic.
The country has been governed since 1963 by the Baath Party. The present president of Syria is Bashar Al-Assad.
Syria has had a major role to play in the regional politics. It was at the helm of the conflict waged against Israel, and has been occupying Golan Heights from 1967. Also, Syria plays an active role in all matters pertaining to Palestine and Lebanon.
According to the Syrian Constitution, the country considers itself to be a secular country where Muslims, Christians and Jews are given rights. However, the population is mostly Sunni Muslims of Arab descent. But it is the Alawi sect of Islam that has political clout in the country.
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