Area
185, 180 sq km
 
Population
15. 000. 000 inhabitants (official estimate of 1995), with a density of 81.0 per sq km.

Capital
Damascus, with an estimated population of 4,500,000 (official estimate 1995)
Second City is Aleppo with about 2,000,000 inhabitants

Governmental Regime
Syria is a republic of which the President is elected for seven years by referendum. He appoints The Prime- minister and the Cabinet. The legislative Council consists of 250 deputies and is elected every four years by national elections.

Language
Arabic, French and English

Religion
Mainly Muslim and Christian

Time
GMT + 2 in winter and GMT + 3 from April 1, to September 30

Geography
Geographically, the country is divided into 4 main areas:
Fertile plains in the northeast, steppe and desert region in the central and southeastern areas, coastal and mountain areas in the west, and the region of the Euphrates, of which 600 km pass through Syria.

Climate
The coast and the western mountains have a Mediterranean climate with a long dry season from May to October. On the coast, summers are hot (daily maxima around 29° C) and winters are mild (daily minima: 10° C). Inland the climate becomes arid, with cold winters and hotter summers (max. in summer: 40° C - min. in winter 1° C). Snow may occur in winter away from the coast and frosts are common.

Currency
The national currency is the Syrian Pound, divided in 100 piastres. There are coins of 0,5
1, 5, 10,25 Syrian Pound and bank notes of 5, 10, 25, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 Syrian Pound. The actual exchange rate at the bank is 42 Syrian Pound for 1 USD. Export of local currency is not allowed.

Banking Hours
8 AM till 2 PM from Saturday till Thursday - closed on Fridays. Exchange is also possible in the 5* hotels

Credit cards
Visa and American Express are accepted in various hotels and shops. Also tickets can be bought with credit card

Current
220 Volts AC, 50 Hz - European-style 2-pin plugs

Clothing
In summer light, cotton cloths are advisable. Sunglasses, a hat and a good pair of walking shoes are recommendable. A woolen jacket for the evenings in the mountains or desert. In winter, cloths should be brought as temperatures may reach 0° C!

Health
No special vaccinations are requested.

Drinking water
It is recommended to drink bottled water, certainly outside the large cities.

Departure tax
An airport tax of 200 Syrian Pound is requested upon departure from the airports. Transit passengers are exempt.