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SyriaGeography
| CIA World Factbook 2005 | Download this dictionary |
Syria: Geography
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Location: |
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey |
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Geographic coordinates: |
35 00 N, 38 00 E |
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Map references: |
Middle East |
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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 |
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Area - comparative: |
slightly larger than North Dakota |
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Land boundaries: |
total: 2,253 km border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km |
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Coastline: |
193 km |
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 41 nm |
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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 in Damascus |
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Terrain: |
primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m |
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Natural resources: |
petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower |
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Land use: |
arable land: 25.22% permanent crops: 4.43% other: 70.35% (2001) |
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Irrigated land: |
12,130 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards: |
dust storms, sandstorms |
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Environment - current issues: |
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water |
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Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
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Geography - note: |
there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.) |
More about Syria:
The World Factbook 2005, by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
