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 | Syrian Arab Republic
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| Location: |
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
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| Area: |
185,180 sq km
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| 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
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| Terrain: |
primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
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| Population: |
17,213,871 (July 1999 est.)
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| Religions: |
Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
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| Languages: |
Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
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| Capital: |
Damascus |
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