IntroductionSyria (Al-Jumhuriya al-`Arabiya as-Suriya), the Syrian Arab Republic is one of the larger states of the Middle East and has its capital in Damascus.
GeographyAlthough Syria is mainly a large dry area, consisting of deserts or desertlike landscapes, the country has some other areas that are remarkably fertile, especially along a small coastal zone in the northwest. Here, citrusfruits are grown. The coastal area is also the highest part of the country with a moutainrange as a backbone from north to south. The highest areas are along the border with Lebanon with the highest point over 2800 meters.
The agricultural heart lies between this coastal zone and the deserts more in the east and southeast of the country. In this agricultural zone are most cities, like Aleppo and Damascus. The Euphrates river is one of the most important rivers in Syria and a main supplier of irrigation water, compensating the lack of rain most of the year. The deserts in the (south)east are dry, flat and stony and apart from a few oasis, nothing really grows here and settlements are few and far between.
Syria has a population of 17.8 million people (UN, 2003), of which 6 million are concentrated in the capital Damascus. A moderately large country (185,180 sq km or 72,150 sq miles), and is bordered to the north by Turkey, to the east by Iraq, by Jordan and Israel to the south, and by Lebanon to the south-west. In addition, the country has a short coastline on the east Mediterranean Sea.
Climate / Weather Summermonths in Syria are hot at most days and in most parts of the country. It is not comfortable visiting for example Palmyra when temperatures reach 45 degrees Celcius. Therefore, the months of June until early September are best avoided. All other months are comfortable enough for a visit and because of the dry air even a warmer day is bearable. Wintermonths can get a bit cold on the other hand and even snow occurs in the higher parts but also in Damascus and surroundings. Although freezing temperatures are not the norm for weeks in a row, it can be very cold sometimes at night. Also, in winter most rain falls although this is not much and won't give any problems while travelling around the country.
Only the coastal zone has a more temperate climate with warm but relatively humid summers and mild and relatively wet winters.
Religion and EthnicityThe population of Syria is predominately Arab (90%), with large minorities from other ethnic groups: Kurds, Armenians, Circassians and Turks. The official language is Arabic, but other tongues that are occasionally understood include Kurdish, Armenian, Turkish, French and English. The Syrian Republic is officially secular, but in nonetheless greatly influenced by the majority religion of Islam (90% of the population, split between 74% Sunni Muslim and 16% other Muslim). There is a large Christian minority that amounts to about 10% of the population.
PoliticsPolitics of Syria takes place in a framework of a parliamentary republic, whereby the power is in the hands of the President of Syria and the ruling Ba'ath Party. Officially, Syria is a parliamentary republic. Since 1963 Emergency Law has been in effect, suspending most constitutional protections for Syrians
The President of Syria is Bashar al-Assad, who replaced his father Hafez al-Assad soon after his death on 10 June 2000. Assad's regime and the Baath Party own or control the vast majority of Syria's media. Criticism of the president and his family is not permitted and the press (both foreign and domestic) are heavily censored for material deemed threatening or embarrassing to the government.
More details are available by clicking the below links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Syriahttp://countrystudies.us/syria/58.htmhttp://tharwacommunity.typepad.com/amarji/the_assads/Although, Syria has been listed by U.S. intelligence agencies as a drug trafficking, terrorist supporting country after September 11, this one-sided view of Syrians belies their friendliness, warmth and remarkable hospitality. Nonetheless, this anti-Western (or, rather, anti-American) sentiment is pretty heartfelt by some
HistoryHistory is at the core of Syria's attractions. Damascus, one of the world's oldest cities and Syria's largest, might be remembered by some Sunday-school attenders as one of the places Jesus visited. These days, it's a city whose main architectural influence is Islam and whose vibrancy is owing to a lively collection of bazaars and markets. Ruins and ancient castles dot the landscape, with Palmyra one of the finest sites in the Middle East (and it has some pretty formidable competition).
Popular Tourist Destinations- Crac des Chevaliers - The archetypal Crusader castle, magnificently preserved and not to be missed
- Palmyra - Magnificent ruins of a Roman city, in the middle of the desert. It can be considered the main attraction in Syria.
- Apamea – A former Roman city which once housed about half a million people. Apamea was hit by an earthquake in the 12th century and much of it was destroyed but it still boasts a long street lined with columns, some of which have twisted fluting.
- Saladin's Castle - A quiet gem in a valley with pine trees about 37 kms inland from Lattakia.
- The Dead Cities – A series of towns which once formed part of Antioch. They have long since been abandoned but make an interesting stop for tourists. Al Bara boasts pyramidal tombs and formerly grand archways set on modern farm land. Serjilla is another famous dead city.
- Der Mar Musa - not a tourist site, but an active christian monastery actively promoting Islamic/Christian dialog. Welcomes Christians and followers of other religious traditions
Weather / ClimateWomen Travelling in SyriaMen as well as women dress with careful modesty. You will never see anyone in shorts, even in the heat of summer. As a woman visiting this country, covering your head with a scarf is an option, but it isn't necessary (unless you're visiting a mosque). Take with you a few dark-colored, ankle-length cotton skirts, and knit blouses with collars and quarter-length sleeves, which were surprisingly cool and comfortable in the summer heat. Slacks for women are also fine. Most woman travellers wear sandals under their skirts which they feel is appropriate, although most Syrian women keep their feet completely covered with heavy stockings and closed-toe shoes.
Being a Muslim country, most woman travellers tend to dress conservatively, for example wearing long-sleeved, loose shirts which button to the collar and baggy pants. Some of them keep their hair tied back and use a scarf to cover their heads when they visit mosques or religious ceremonies. But none of them go for flashy colours or jewelry. However, women in the cities are in tune with the latest fashions and the teenage Syrian girls opt for tight jeans and latest in platform shoes. So a conservative approach is the best option, although most mosques have cloaks for women to wear if they don't have a headscarf.
Another problem is that prostitutes wear pants, so as a traveller you are likely to be treated better if you wear loose skirts. Whatever may be the situation, please avoid wearing shorts and exposing your bare shoulders in public places. Try to see that sleeves come down at least to the elbow. Just remember that most Syrian men tend to give that extra bit of respect towards women dressing modestly.
Visa/ Passport Requirements
For visa requirements, please visit below link
http://syria.visahq.com/requirementsContactTourist Information Offices; Damascus: 2323953, Damascus Int'l Airport: 2248473, Aleppo: 2121228, Daraa (Jordanian-Syrian border gate): 239023, Lattakia: 216924, Palmyra (Tadmur): 910636, Deir-az-Zur: 358990
The international dialling code for Syria is +963.
Oher Helpful LinksMore details about Syria are found in the below links..
http://wikitravel.org/en/Syriahttp://www.travellerspoint.com/guide/Syria/http://www.travellerspoint.com/forum.cfm http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Syria/http://www.travellerspoint.com/search.cfm?q=Syria&area=forumshttp://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g294010-Syria.html
