the Syria Embassy Website in Beijing

GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES

SITE AND EXTENT

The Syrian Arab Republic lies on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, bounded by Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Palestine and Jordan from the south and by Lebanon and the Mediterranean sea to the West.

The total area of the Syrian Arab Republic is 18,517,971, hectares of which 6 million hectares are cultivated land and the rest is desert and rocky mountains. The Syrian desert is suitable for grass growing and is used as pastures during sufficient rainfall.

Geographically, Syria may be divided into four regions:

1. The coastal region lies between the mountains and the sea.
2. The mountainous region runs from the north down to the south of the country and includes all mountains and hills which are parallel to the Mediterranean Sea.
3. The interior plains region comprises the plains of Damascus, Homs, Hama, Aleppo, Hassakeh, and Dar` a. It is situated to the east of the mountainous region.
4. The desert region consists of the desert plains situated in the southeastern part of the country extending to the Jordanian and Iraqi borders.