The Geography of Syria features various types of landscapes from deserts, coasts, plains to mountains. Syria is located in Southwest Asia and the capital city of Syria is Damascus. The country is surrounded by Iraq to the east and Turkey to the north. The country of Israel is to the southwest, Jordan to the south, Lebanon, the Mediterranean Sea and the island of Cyprus is to the west. Because of the excellent Geography of Syria, the country has become an important transit trade route among many countries of the Middle East.
The Geography of Syria includes an area of about 185,180 square kilometers of deserts, plains, and mountains. The country is divided into a coastal zone which has a narrow, double mountain belt enclosing a depression in the west. There is also a larger eastern plateau. The Climate of Syria is predominantly dry. Rainfall in Syria is less than 25 centimeters of rain a year as only three-fifths of the country receives it.
The Coastal Plain of Syria is along the Mediterranean which stretches south from the Turkish border to Lebanon. This region is covered with sand dunes and is broken only by lateral promontories which run down from the mountains to the sea. Another feature of the Geography of Syria is the Jabal an Nusayriyah mountains. This feature of Syrian Geography runs parallel along the coastal plain at an average elevation of just over 1,212 meters.
The highest peak of this mountain is the Nabi Yunis which is about 1,575 meters. Another important feature of Syria Geography is that the western slopes catch moisture-laden western sea winds. This has helped in more fertile land which is heavily populated than the eastern slopes. The eastern slopes experiences hot, dry winds from the desert. The Jabal an Nusayriyah mountains terminates before reaching the Lebanese border and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. Here it leaves a corridor which is known as the Homs Gap. Through this gap runs the highway and railroad from Homs to the Lebanese port of Tripoli.
Another feature of the Geography of Syria is the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. It is in the inland and south of the country. As for the height of the mountain peaks they are over 2,700 meters on the Syrian-Lebanese frontier. The eastern part has little rainfall and vegetation and leads to the desert. The entire eastern plateau region features a low chain of mountains, the Jabal Abu Rujmayn , the Jabal ar Ruwaq and the Jabal Bishri. These extend from the Jabal Al Arab to the Euphrates River. Knowing about the geography is a good thing if you are planning a Syria Tour.
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