The tragedy currently occurring in Syria is the focus of some degree of coverage in the media these days. However, most people know very little about the country, so I would like to provide some information about the country which might help those interested understand Syria and recent events a little better.
This is an annex to the second post in the series. I did not include this information in that post because it would have made it too long.
The first post can be read here.
The second post can be read here.
I hope to write one more post in the next few days with some additional information about Syria.
In it I hope to include background information relevant to recent developments regarding the possible establishment of an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria, and about the involvement of the EU in Syria before 2011.
There are 13 major cities in Syria. They are small, in terms of area, and densely populated.
The cities’ being small in area and densely populated are two of the major reasons why military clashes which occur in these cities are not only very disruptive for their citizens, for their economies and for their public services; they are also almost always very destructive and deadly.
The total estimated population of these 13 cities was more than 9,077,000 at the end of 2011, approximately 44% of the total population of Syria.
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- • Metropolitan Damascus • -
Coordinates: 33°30'49.62"N 36°16'35.71"E
Metropolitan Damascus is the capital of Syria and its biggest metropolitan area. It had an estimated population of about 3,500,000 at the end of 2011, but some estimate that the metropolitan area has a population of up to 5,000,000.
The inhabited areas of Metropolitan Damascus are roughly in a triangle shaped area which is about 30 km (18.6 miles) long on its upper northeastern side, and about 18 km (11.2 miles) long on both its eastern and southern sides.
The Ghouta Oasis is east and south of Damascus and is historically the reason Damascus was able to become one of the Middle East’s major cities.
The Lebanese-Syrian border is 18 km (11.2 miles) west of Metropolitan Damascus.
For scale the line in the bottom left corner indicates a length of 9 km (5.6 miles).
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- • Aleppo • -
Coordinates: 36°11'56.83"N 37° 9'45.77"E
Aleppo is the biggest city in Syria, but it is the second biggest metropolitan area, after Metropolitan Damascus. It is the capital of the Aleppo Governorate and had an estimated population of about 2,552,000 at the end of 2011.
Aleppo is reported to have an area of 190 sq. km (73.3 sq. miles). Its main urban area is roughly a rectangle which is about 8 km (5 miles) north to south and 12 km (7.5 miles) west to east.
Areas along the roads which lead out of the city to the southwest, northwest and northeast are also inhabited, as are some areas near the airport, which is southeast of the central urban area. There are also a few inhabited areas just to the south of the city’s central urban area.
The Turkish-Syrian border is 35 km (21.7 miles) west of and 41 km (25.5 miles) north of Aleppo.
For scale the line in the bottom left corner indicates a length of 6 km (3.7 miles).
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- • Homs • -
Coordinates: 34°43'24.53"N 36°42'51.91"E
Homs is located in the fertile northwest corner of the Homs Governorate and is its capital. It had an estimated population of about 762,000 at the end of 2011.
Homs is about 8 km (5 miles) north to south and about 6 km (3.7 miles) west to east, and the Lebanese-Syrian border is 21 km (13 miles) southwest of the city.
For scale the line in the bottom left corner indicates a length of 3 km (1.86 miles).
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- • Latakia • -
Coordinates: 35°31'0.16"N 35°47'12.06"E
Latakia is located on the Mediterranean coast and is the capital of the Latakia Governorate. It had an estimated population of about 438,000 at the end of 2011.
Latakia is irregularly shaped and occupies about half of the area of a 7 km (4.3 miles) high, north to south, and 10 km (6.2 miles) wide, west to east, rectangle.
Syria’s largest port is in Latakia, and the city is 42 km (26 miles) south of the Turkish-Syrian border.
For scale the line in the bottom left corner indicates a length of 3 km (1.86 miles).
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- • Hama • -
Coordinates: 35° 7'54.94"N 36°45'24.83"E
Hama is located on Orontes River and is the capital of the Hama Governorate. It had an estimated population of about 364,000 at the end of 2011.
Hama is irregularly shaped and occupies about two-thirds of the area of a 7 km (4.3 miles) high, north to south, and 7 km (4.3 miles) wide, west to east, square.
For scale the line in the bottom left corner indicates a length of 3 km (1.86 miles).
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- • Ar-Raqqah • -
Coordinates: 35°56'59.82"N 39° 0'34.45"E
Ar-Raqqah is located where the Balikh River joins the Euphrates and is the capital of the Ar-Raqqah Governorate. It had an estimated population of about 262,000 at the end of 2011.
The city is irregularly shaped and occupies most of the area of a 4 km (2.5 miles) high, north to south, and 8 km (5 miles) wide, west to east, rectangle.
For scale the line in the bottom left corner indicates a length of 3 km (1.86 miles).
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- • Deir ez-Zor • -
Coordinates: 35°19'57.35"N 40° 8'26.83"E
Deir ez-Zor is located on the banks of the Euphrates and is the capital of the Deir ez-Zor Governorate. It had an estimated population of about 256,000 at the end of 2011.
The city is about 6 km (3.7 miles) northwest to southeast and about 2 km (1.25 miles) southwest to northeast.
One of the two main roads from Syria to Iraq passes through Deir ez-Zor, and the Iraqi-Syrian border is 125 km (78 miles) southeast of the city.
For scale the line in the bottom left corner indicates a length of 3 km (1.86 miles).
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- • Al-Hasakah • -
Coordinates: 36°29'42.12"N 40°44'41.79"E
Al-Hasakah is located on the Khabur River and is the capital of the Al-Hasakah Governorate. It had an estimated population of about 249,000 at the end of 2011.
Al-Hasakah is irregularly shaped and is on both banks of the Khabur River. The inhabited areas north of the river occupy about two-thirds of the area of a 6 km (3.7 miles) high, north to south, and 4.3 km (2.7 miles) wide, west to east, rectangle.
The inhabited areas south of the river occupy most of the area of a 1.6 km (1 mile) high, north to south, and 4 km (2.5 miles) wide, west to east, rectangle.
The Iraqi-Syrian border is 48 km (30 miles) east-southeast of Al-Hasakah and the Turkish-Syrian border is 63 km (39.1 miles) north of the city.
For scale the line in the bottom left corner indicates a length of 3 km (1.86 miles).
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- • Qamishli • -
Coordinates: 37° 3'0.44"N 41°13'12.52"E
Qamishli is also a major city in the Al-Hasakah Governorate and is considered to be the unofficial capital of the Kurdish people in Syria. It had an estimated population of about 244,000 at the end of 2011.
Qamishli is roughly the shape of an inverted triangle which is 6.8 km (4.2 miles) long on its northern side, 4.5 km (2.8 miles) long on its southwestern side, and 5.2 km (3.2 miles) long on its southeastern side. Some areas along the road which lead out of the city to east are also inhabited.
It is located just south of the Turkish-Syrian border. The Turkish city Nusaybin is directly across the border from Qamishli.
For scale the line in the bottom left corner indicates a length of 3 km (1.86 miles).
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- • Daraa • -
Coordinates: 32°37'7.67"N 36° 6'6.12"E
Daraa is the capital of the Daraa Governorate and had an estimated population of about 118,000 at the end of 2011.
Daraa is about 4.7 km (2.9 miles) north to south and about 3.2 km (2 miles) west to east, and the Jordanian-Syrian border is 3.75 km (2.3 miles) southwest of Daraa.
For scale the line in the bottom right corner indicates a length of 3 km (1.86 miles).
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- • Idlib • -
Coordinates: 35°55'58.53"N 36°38'26.97"E
Idlib is the capital of the Idlib Governorate and had an estimated population of about 117,000 at the end of 2011.
Idlib is roughly circular shaped and is 2.75 km (1.7 miles) both north to south and east to west.
The Turkish-Syrian border is 23 km (14.3 miles) east-northeast of Idlib.
For scale the line in the bottom left corner indicates a length of 3 km (1.86 miles).
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- • Tartus • -
Coordinates: 34°53'35.39"N 35°52'54.99"E
Tartus is located on the Mediterranean coast and is the capital of the Tartus Governorate. It had an estimated population of about 129,000 at the end of 2011.
The city is about 8 km (5 miles) north to south and about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) west to east and is 24 km (15 miles) north of the Lebanese-Syrian border.
Syria’s second largest port, which has a support facility for the Russian Navy, is in Tartus, and the island Arwad is 2.3 km (1.4 miles) off the coast just south of the city.
For scale the line in the bottom left corner indicates a length of 3 km (1.86 miles).
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- • As-Suwayda • -
Coordinates: 32°42'46.19"N 36°33'58.35"E
As-Suwayda is the capital of the As-Suwayda Governorate and had an estimated population of about 86,000 at the end of 2011.
As-Suwayda is about 5 km (3.1 miles) north to south and about 3.5 km (2.2 miles) west to east, and the Jordanian-Syrian border is 37 km (23 miles) south of the city.
For scale the line in the bottom left corner indicates a length of 3 km (1.86 miles).
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