Syria is a country in Asia, in Middle East, with about 25.6 million people (2025) and an area of 185,180 square kilometres. Its capital is Damascus, and it shares land borders with 5 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of SyriaSyria in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Syria's 6, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 6
A crossroads between five civilizations
Syria occupies 185,180 square kilometers at the junction of the Mediterranean, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Arabia, and the Levant. The Euphrates River crosses its northeast, the Mediterranean coast lines its west, and the Syrian Desert stretches south toward Jordan and Iraq. This position made Syria one of the most continuously inhabited and contested landscapes in human history, from ancient Ugarit and Palmyra to the present day.
More on Euphrates River
The Euphrates enters Syria from Turkey and flows southeast toward Iraq, providing water for agriculture in the Jazira region. Control of the river and its dams has been a strategic factor in both the civil war and in Turkey-Syria relations.
5 more lenses on Syria in the app
STORY A mosaic held together by force
NOW The civil war that redrew the Middle East
STORY Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth
THREAD Every regional power has a stake in Syria
NOW Sanctions written into law came off slowest
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
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Common questions
What is the capital of Syria?
The capital of Syria is Damascus. Damascus lies at about 33.5 degrees north and 36.3 degrees east. Syria is in Asia, in the region often called Middle East. It is home to about 25.6 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Syria?
About 25.6 million people live in Syria, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 57th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 185,180 square kilometres, that is about 138 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Syria?
Syria shares land borders with 5 countries: Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Türkiye. The map on this page outlines each of them around Syria. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake. Borders here follow Natural Earth at the 1:50 million scale, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine and Western Sahara as a separate territory.
How big is Syria?
Syria covers 185,180 square kilometres, or about 71,498 square miles. That makes it the 87th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 25.6 million gives a density of 138 people per square kilometre.
Syria is a country in Asia, in Middle East, with about 25.6 million people (2025) and an area of 185,180 square kilometres. Its capital is Damascus, and it shares land borders with 5 countries.
Capital
Damascus
Continent
Asia
Region
Middle East
Population
25,620,427 2025, World Bank. 57th of 195.
Area
185,180 km² (71,498 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 87th largest of 195.
Population density
138 people per km²
Land neighbours
5: Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Türkiye
Official name
Syrian Arab Republic
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
A crossroads between five civilizations
Syria occupies 185,180 square kilometers at the junction of the Mediterranean, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Arabia, and the Levant. The Euphrates River crosses its northeast, the Mediterranean coast lines its west, and the Syrian Desert stretches south toward Jordan and Iraq. This position made Syria one of the most continuously inhabited and contested landscapes in human history, from ancient Ugarit and Palmyra to the present day.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/syria/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Syria
NameDate
Draw the flag
Colour Syria on the map, then fill in what you find.
Capital
Continent
Population
Area
Languages
Currency
Neighbours
Landmarks
Rivers or mountains
Three things I learned
1
2
3
One question I still have
?
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/syria/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
