Geography of Syria

Syrian Desert

This is a desert in southeastern Syria that extends into Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest deserts in the world, and is a very rocky, flat, area.

Anti-Lebanon Mountains

This is a mountain range in southwestern Syria that contains the country's highest point, Mount Hermon. It lies on the border with Lebanon, and is named for its position opposite another mountain range in Lebanon across the Beqaa Valley from it.

Euphrates River

This is a river in northern and eastern Syria that extends into Iraq and Turkey and forms one of the two major rivers of Mesopotamia. It is the longer and more southwestern major Mesopotamian river, the other which it meets in southeastern Iraq to create the Shatt-al-Arab.

Orontes River

This is a river in western Syria that flows through the city of Homs. Unlike other rivers in the region, it flows south to north, from its source in Lebanon through Syria to the Mediterranean Sea in Turkey.

Mediterranean Sea

This is a sea located to the west of Syria. It is surrounded on almost all sides by land with its only outlet to the ocean being the Strait of Gibraltar, and it has been a crucial route for merchants of ancient times.

Mesopotamia

This is an area in northeastern Syria between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers that is thought to have been one of the cradles of civilization. Its name translates literally from ancient Greek to "the land between the rivers".

Damascus

This is the capital and probable largest city in Syria, located in the southwestern part of the country in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. It is located on the Barada River, and the old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Syrian pound

This is the currency of Syria.

Mount Hermon

This is the highest point in Syria, at 9,232 feet. It is located in the Anti-Lebanon Range in southwest Lebanon, and is on the border with Lebanon. It is one of the great geographic resources of the region; due to its height, it captures a large amount of precipitation in an otherwise dry area.

Aleppo

This is the second largest city in Syria, located in the northwest part of the country on the Queiq River. It was once the largest city in the country and one of the largest in the region, before the Syrian Civil War devastated it and its people.