Syria is a country located in the Middle East. The official name of Syria is the Syrian Arab Republic. Syria is bordered by Lebanon to the southwest, Israel to the southwest, Jordan to the south, Iraq to the east, and Turkey to the north. Syria has a Mediterranean Sea coastline.
The geography of Syria is diverse, with desert landscapes in the south and west, mountains in the west, and a fertile plains region in the center and east. The capital of Syria is Damascus. Other major cities include Aleppo, Homs, Hama, and Latakia.
Syria covers an area of 185180 square kilometers (71196 square miles). As of 2019, Syria had a population of 18 million people. Arabic is the official language of Syria. Islam is practiced by Sunni Muslims who make up 74% of the population while Christians make up 10%. There are also small Druze and Alawite communities present in Syria.
The economy of Syria was greatly impacted by years of conflict which began in 2011. Before 2011, agriculture accounted for 24% of GDP while industry accounted for 32%. Services sector made up 44%. However, as a result of conflict agricultural production has declined significantly while industrial output has also decreased due to damage sustained during fighting as well as loss off access to markets and inputs . The service sector has been relatively resilient but overall GDP growth remains negative . Inflation increased from 5 percent in 2010 tot 27 percent 2016 . Unemployment increased from 8 percent 2007to over 50 percent 2016 , although this figure does not take into account underemployment which would likely push unemployment levels even higher
Most Syrians live in poverty with over 60% living below national poverty line 2014 , up from just over 50% pre-conflict While conditions have improved slightly since 2017 due largely international aid efforts , millions remain displaced both within and outside Syrian borders