Middle East > Syria > Syria Geography Profile 2011

Syria: Syria Geography Profile 2011

2010/07/08

Location:

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey

Geographic coordinates:

35 00 N, 38 00 E

Map references:

Middle East

Area

Total:

185,180 sq km

Comparison to the world:

Land:

183,630 sq km

Water:

1,550 sq km

Note:

includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory

Area comparative:

slightly larger than North Dakota

Land boundaries Total:

2,253 km

Land boundaries Note:

Border countries

Countries:

Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km

Coastline

Value:

193 km

Note:

Maritime claims

Territorial sea:

12 nm

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

Terrain:

primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west

Elevation extremes

Lowest point:

unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m

Highest point:

Mount Hermon 2,814 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower

Land use

Kind:

arable land

Percentage:

24,80%

Year:

2005

Kind:

permanent crops

Percentage:

4,47%

Kind:

other

Percentage:

70,73%

Irrigated land

Value:

13,330 sq km

Year:

2003

Total renewable water resources

Value:

46.1 cu km

Year:

1997

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

Total:

19.95 cu km/yr (3%/2%/95%)

Per capital:

1,048 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

dust storms, sandstorms

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water

Environment - international agreements

Party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

Signed but not ratified:

Environmental Modification

Geography note:

there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 2005 est.)

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