Syria

Syria is located on the continent of Asia, where it has a coastal position and is bordered by Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and the Mediterranean Sea. There are seven continents in the world: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Antarctica, Australia (Oceania). Asia is the world's largest continent, spanning a total area of 43,820,000 km2. Asia has 48 countries, with some countries belonging to both Asia and Europe, and forms 29.5% of the world's landmass. Syria is a coastal country that occupies a total area of approximately 185,180 km2. It is a small to medium sized country when compared to other countries on the mainland of Asia.

The following information provides a guideline to the approximate border lengths of Syria:
Coastline 193 km, Iraq 599 km, Israel 83 km, Jordan 379 km, Lebanon 403 km, Turkey 899 km.

Syria has a mainly arid, desert climate with hot summers and mild winters. The hottest months usually occur from June to August. The winters in Syria are typically mild and rainy. The geography of Syria is composed majorly of semiarid desert regions, mountains and coastal plain. The lowest point of Syria is the unnamed location near Lake Tiberias at -208m, and the highest point of elevation is Mount Hermon at 2,814m.

The official language of Syria is Arabic, which is spoken by the majority of the population. Other languages that are used as a primary form of communication but on a smaller scale include Kurdish, Aramaic, Armenian, Circassian, French and English.

The primary religion of Syria is Muslim at approximately 87% of the population. The majority are Sunni Muslims, and less than 13% are Shia Muslims. Sunni and Shia are two main branches of Islam. People belonging to the Islamic religion worship Allah. In the English language, the word Allah refers to God in Islam. Those belonging to the religion of Islam believe in one god. Most of Syria’s population are Muslim and follow the practices of Islam. Around 10% are Christian and 3% Druze. The rest of the population either belongs to other religions or no religion at all.

Natural resources can be defined as materials and substances that occur naturally on Earth. Natural resources are very important across the world, and can be exploited for economic gain. The level of natural resources present in an individual country depends on varying factors which are influenced by the geography, climate and location of that country. Some countries, such as Russia, The United States, Saudi Arabia and Canada, have many natural resources, where as some other countries have limited to none. Food, construction and transport are three primary examples of uses of natural resources. The following information provides examples of these uses: fish occurs naturally in streams, rivers, lakes and oceans, and can be caught for food consumption. Wood/timber can be extracted from forests for construction purposes, i.e. to build homes and furniture. Crude oils can be refined into different kinds of fuels in order to power vehicles/cars. The natural resources of Syria include petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum and hydropower (water power).

Each country across the world has its own unique culture, history and identity. Flags, emblems, symbols, colors, mottos, anthems and songs are used to symbolize the pride and individuality of a nation. These national symbols are formed through the unique history of a nation and are symbolic of both hardship and prosperity, embodying freedom, strength and unity. Flags, emblems, colors, songs and mottos reflect the past, present and future aspirations of a country, and create an important image to the rest of the world. National symbols can represent a combination of things that are important to a country such as birds, animals, plants, geographical features, tools of agriculture, crops, and tools of war. Here are some important facts on the symbols, songs and colors of Syria: