Syria essay
A Snapshot of Syria
Syria is located in Southeast Asia. It borders Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon. Damascus is the capital. Damascus is one of the oldest inhabited communities in the Middle East. It was established in the third period B.C. and was the center of handcraft goods. Syria occupies about 185,180 square kilometers (71,498 square miles). It’s industry includes petroleum, textiles, food processing, and farming. Syria’s climate is semi-arid but it differs between east and west. The terrain is largely desert with mountains found in the east. “South of the Coastal Mountain Range is a narrow corridor called the Homs Gap, which allows easy passage from the coast to Syria’s interior. The Homs Gap has been a pathway for traders and invading armies for centuries” (Yomtov 17). The country has long, hot summers and short, mild winters. Rainfall in the west varies between 29-39 inches each year and inland 4-10 inches. Most of the fertile land is near the coastline, making it a more agricultural part of Syria. Syria supplies almost all of its own food needs due to its productive soil.
The agriculture includes wheat, barely, cotton, and lentils. Wheat is their main crop. The fertile soil has a big impact on their exported goods such as fruits, vegetables, and cotton fiber, cotton fiber being a very important product. Cotton is so vital to Syria that every year they have a festival to celebrate current and future harvests. During the festival people even make loud noises pretending to keep the locust away. These festivals are held at the end of the growing season.
Syria’s population is about 22 million. Arabic is the official language and is spoken by 75% of the population. Other languages include: Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, and a little French and English. Another form of communication is exaggerated gestures toward others. If you are meeting an elder, or talking to a friend many hand motions are used. It’s a cultural way of communicating.
Syria is located in Southeast Asia. It borders Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon. Damascus is the capital. Damascus is one of the oldest inhabited communities in the Middle East. It was established in the third period B.C. and was the center of handcraft goods. Syria occupies about 185,180 square kilometers (71,498 square miles). It’s industry includes petroleum, textiles, food processing, and farming. Syria’s climate is semi-arid but it differs between east and west. The terrain is largely desert with mountains found in the east. “South of the Coastal Mountain Range is a narrow corridor called the Homs Gap, which allows easy passage from the coast to Syria’s interior. The Homs Gap has been a pathway for traders and invading armies for centuries” (Yomtov 17). The country has long, hot summers and short, mild winters. Rainfall in the west varies between 29-39 inches each year and inland 4-10 inches. Most of the fertile land is near the coastline, making it a more agricultural part of Syria. Syria supplies almost all of its own food needs due to its productive soil.
The agriculture includes wheat, barely, cotton, and lentils. Wheat is their main crop. The fertile soil has a big impact on their exported goods such as fruits, vegetables, and cotton fiber, cotton fiber being a very important product. Cotton is so vital to Syria that every year they have a festival to celebrate current and future harvests. During the festival people even make loud noises pretending to keep the locust away. These festivals are held at the end of the growing season.
Syria’s population is about 22 million. Arabic is the official language and is spoken by 75% of the population. Other languages include: Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, and a little French and English. Another form of communication is exaggerated gestures toward others. If you are meeting an elder, or talking to a friend many hand motions are used. It’s a cultural way of communicating.