Facts about Syria

Syria is in southwest Asia in the heart of the Middle East. The Mediterranean coastal plain is backed by a low range of hills, followed by a vast interior desert plateau. Most people live near the coast or near the Euphrates River—which brings life to the desert plateau. Damascus, capital of this desert country, was built on an oasis and is said to be the world's oldest continuously inhabited settlement.

In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held occasional peace talks over its return. Following the death of President al-Asad, his son, Bashar al-Asad, was approved as president by popular referendum in July 2000. Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April 2005.

Syria's City of Aleppo, famous for its citadel, is said to be five thousand years old. Satellite images of Syria and northern Iraq show evidence of major roads used over four thousand years ago. These ancient roads connected civilisations such as those in Aleppo (Syria) and Ninevah (Iraq).

Most Syrians are Sunni Muslims, and most of the country is Muslim. Christians also have a strong presence in Syria and several Orthodox churches, including Greek, Syrian, and Armenian play a prominent role in the social makeup. Syria isn't as strict with its religious interpretations as some of the other countries in the region, particularly those of the Gulf, though religion is taken very seriously and is an important part of everyday life in the country.

Syria gained independence from French control, on 17th April 1946.In the past, Damascus served as the seat of the Umayyad Empire and a provincial capital of the Mamluk Empire.Since 1963, Syria has been governed by the Baath Party and since 1970; a member of the Assad family has served as the head of the state.The ancient city of Ebla was the venue of the excavation in which Clay tablets inscribed with cuneiform script, an early form of writing, were found.The ancient city of Ugarit (Ras Shamra) was discovered in 1929, while that of Mari was excavated in 1932.

Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April of 2005. Over the past decade, Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan Heights.

Eating in Syria is an exciting and rich experience. Food in Syria has many different styles with thousands of great restaurants in all the major cities and towns of Syria. All of them seem to boast about one chef or another, which is good, but for most of us we want to get down to eating. In addition, food in Damascus and other Syrian tourist resorts is not restricted to traditional Syrian delights. Cuisine from all over the world can be found in Syria, including Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, and other international tastes. Fast food chains are rising in popularity due to convenience and their family oriented style.