Physical Geography

Syria consists of two general regions—a narrow mountainous belt in the west and a large plateau area in the east.

The western region begins at a narrow coastal plain along the Mediterranean Sea and rises gradually in the Nusayriyah Mountains to elevations of some 4,000 to 5,000 feet (1,200 to 1,500 m). Between this range and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, which rise to the south, is a relatively flat region known as the Homs Gap. For centuries traders and invaders have crossed this region to penetrate Syria's interior. In the Anti-Lebanon Mountains is Mount Hermon. At 9,232 feet (2,814 m), it is Syria's highest peak.

The plateau region begins just east of the mountains and spans the rest of the country. In general it is a dry land, with extensive areas of level to rolling terrain. Grassy plains and sparsely covered steppes prevail along the northern and western margins; the rest is occupied by the virtually barren Syrian Desert. In several areas, particularly the central section and the southwest, are low mountain ranges, among them the Abu Rujmayn, Ruwaq, and Druze Mountains. There are also large lava flows, especially in and around the Druze Mountains in the southwest.

Syria is located in one of the drier parts of the world and has few rivers and no natural lakes. All of Syria's major streams, including the Euphrates, Syria's largest, originate in Turkey. Water diversion projects in Turkey involving these streams, especially the Euphrates, have caused tension between Syria and Turkey. In the extreme northeast, beyond a plains region known as Al Jazirah, the Tigris River forms a small section of Syria's border with Turkey. In the west the chief river is the Orontes, which follows a marshy, flat valley between Lebanon and Turkey, east of the Nusayriyah Mountains. Several other rivers, though short, are important because they carry water from the mountains to nearby plateau cities and oases, including Damascus and Aleppo—Syria's two largest cities. The Syrian Desert has only dry watercourses called wadis.

The Mediterranean coast has a mild climate, much like that of southern California. Inland, the climate is more varied. Summers there are hot, with temperatures sometimes reaching 100° F. (38° C.). Winters are moderately cold, with occasional frosts at night.

Rainfall is relatively abundant only along the coast and in the adjoining mountains. High elevations receive as much as 30 to 40 inches (760 to 1,020 mm) of precipitation, including some snow, annually. East of the mountains—throughout the plateau—rainfall is scant and declines from about 15 to 20 inches (380 to 510 mm) a year in the northern plains to less than 5 inches (130 mm) a year in the desert. Almost all of the rain falls during the winter months. The total amount varies greatly from year to year.