Facts for Kids

Syria is a country in West Asia that sits by the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It is sometimes called the Syrian Arab Republic. The country has a long history and many kinds of people who speak different languages and follow different traditions. Its capital city is Damascus, a place that has been important for thousands of years.

Syria today has about 26 million people and is divided into 14 governorates, which are like states or regions. The modern country we call Syria became independent in the mid-1900s, and since then it has seen many changes in how it is governed.

Damascus is Syria’s capital and one of its oldest cities. Syria sits between sea and desert: the Mediterranean Sea is to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Lebanon and Israel to the southwest. Because of this location, Syria has been a crossroads where trade and ideas moved between regions for a very long time.

About 26 million people live in Syria across cities, towns, and villages. The country covers about 185,180 square kilometres (71,500 square miles). Some areas are coastal and green, some are mountainous, and some are dry plains or desert. People live in many different kinds of places, from busy cities to quiet countryside.

Kingdom of Syria briefly appeared in 1920 when Syrian leaders tried to make a new, independent country after the Ottoman Empire fell apart. Outside powers drew new lines on the map, and the League of Nations gave France a mandate to run Syria for a time. The French army defeated Syrian forces at the Battle of Maysalun, so the short-lived kingdom ended and French rule began.

Syria kept arguing for more control of its own affairs. In 1936 Syrians and the French made a treaty that would have led to independence, but it was not approved in France. After World War II the country faced political ups and downs, including several coups, as people worked to build stable government.

Ottoman Empire rule began in 1516 when the Ottomans took control of the region. Under Ottoman rule, Damascus was an important stop for Muslim pilgrims walking to Mecca. The empire allowed different religious communities to run some of their own schools and courts in a system called the millet, so many groups lived side by side.

In the 1800s the Ottoman government made reforms that changed how provinces were organized. After the Ottoman Empire ended in World War I, France governed Syria for a time under a League of Nations mandate. That French period helped shape the borders and governments that later led to Syria becoming an independent country.

Alexander the Great changed this part of the world around 330 BC when his armies conquered large lands, including what is now Syria. Before him, the area was part of the Neo-Babylonian and then the Achaemenid Persian Empire. The Persian rulers used a common language called Aramaic for government and letters, and the region was managed as a province.

After Alexander died, one of his generals set up the Seleucid Kingdom. The Seleucids called the region Syria and built big cities such as Antioch. Over the centuries, pieces of the land were ruled by different groups, including local rulers and, later, the Roman Empire, which made Syria a Roman province.

Golan Heights is one of several places whose ownership has been disputed between Syria and its neighbors. Other contested areas include Hatay (also called the Sanjak of Alexandretta), the Shebaa Farms area, and places near Lebanon and Turkey. Because these border disagreements sometimes involved outside forces or UN peace efforts, they have affected people's lives and made solving problems harder.

Syria's land is very mixed: dry steppes, Mediterranean forests on the coast, mountain forests in the north, and desert areas near the east. Scientists say Syria's forests have been hurt over time, with a low forest-health score (about 3.6 out of 10). People, farming, and conflict have changed the land, and fixing it will take time and careful work.

Ba'ath Party leaders took power in 1963 and Syria was run under strict rules for many years. More changes came in the 1960s and 1970s, and Hafez al‑Assad became the strong leader. Later his son kept leading the country, so the same family stayed in charge for decades.

In 2011 many people across the region asked for change in what is called the Arab Spring. In Syria that led to a long, complicated civil war with many groups involved and a large refugee crisis—people had to leave their homes for safety. By late 2024, fighting had changed control of the capital, and the war left the economy in very poor shape. Aid groups and other countries have tried to help people affected by the conflict.