Syria

This article is about the current government of Syria. For the previous government, see Syrian Arab Republic (1963–2024).

Syria سُورِيَا
Flag
Capital and largest city	Damascus
Demonym(s)	Syrian
Dominant mode of production	Capitalism
Government	Transitional government
• President	Vacant
• Vice-President	Vacant
• Prime Minister	Mohammed al-Bashir
Area
• Total	185,180 km²
Population
• 2024 estimate	25,000,753
Currency	Syrian pound (SYP)

Syria is a country in western Asia located in the Levant with a western coast on the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered to the north by Turkey, to the east by Iraq, to the south by Jordan and to the southwest by Lebanon and "Israel". In December 2024, Western-backed terrorists overthrew its previous democratically elected government led by Bashar al-Assad in a civil war that began in 2011.

History

Ottoman rule (1516–1918)

In 1516 the Ottomans under Sultan Selim I invaded the Mamluk Sultanate and annexed Syria. The Ottomans ruled Syria until the First World War, with a brief interruption from 1832 to 1840 when Syria was under Egyptian occupation. In 1918 Syria came under Entente occupation with France being given a mandate over Syria.

French rule (1919–43)

Following the war, western Asia was divided up between imperialist powers with France being given Syria as part of its mandate. French colonial rule continued until the Second World War in which the Syrian people took advantage of a weakened France to hold elections in 1943 and abolish the French mandate.

Independent Syria (1943—1963)

Even after Syria's declaration of independence France and other imperialist powers continued to try and keep indirect control over Syria. Syria suffered countless coups in the unstable decades following independence before a coup by the Ba'ath Party brought the party to power in 1963.

Syrian Arab Republic (1963–2024)

See main article: Syrian Arab Republic (1963–2024)

Syrian Civil War

See main article: Syrian Civil War