Syria
From IBWiki
|
 
|
|
| |
| Cities: | |
| Capital: | Damascus (دمشق) |
| Largest: | Damascus |
| Other: | Allepo (حلب ), Homs (حمص) |
| Languages: | |
| Official: | Arabic |
| Others: | Kurdish, Armenian, Judajca, Circassian |
| President: | … |
| Prime minister: | ... |
| Area: | 116 465 sq.miles |
| Population: | 19 million Syrians |
| Established: | 1920, from Ottoman Empire |
| Currency: | 1 Syrian Pound = 96 piastres = 3840 para |
| Organizations: | League of Nations, Arab Community |
Syria is the largest country of the Middle East sub-region of the Levant.
Contents |
Administration
Government
Republic with president elected by parliament for five year mandates.
History
Modern History
On the wake of First Great War Pasha al-Atrash, a member of the Hashemite royal house from Hijaaz, declared the independence of the Sultanate of Syria in July of 1920. Faisal I, king of Hijaaz and Iraaq, wanted to merge his realms to Syria to create the Hashemite Caliphate in a context of monarchic Pan-Arabism. Al-Atrash recognized Faisal I’s pretensions but kept Syria independent until further decision and gave Hijaaz support against an attempt of conquest by Saudi wahabbis.
In 1932 the sultan was deposed by Hashim al-Atassi, who proclaimed the republic. Al-Atassi was elected president and had the support of the Syrian National Block, a nationalist political party. He resigned from presidency in 1939 and the parliament elected the unpopular Abd al-Rahman Shahbandar, close to french interests. Lots of objections followed to this new president and his situation was going to be unsustainable as the Syrian National Block made a strong campaign against external influences among the population. Abd al-Rahman Shahbandar was forced to resign after his party lost parliamentary elections of 1943 leaving him without support at Parliament. With the support of the Syrian National Block and other smaller nationalist parties Shukri al-Kuwatli was easily elected new president
Al-Kuwatli started nationalist policies and granted the total neutrality of Syria at the Second Great War. For him this was once again a war strange to Arabs. In 1944 he invited the Lebanese to merger with Syria to form a new political entity called the Levantine Arab Republic, but Lebanese president simply refused because he was afraid that much smaller and Druze ruled Lebanon would be absorbed and aniquilated by much bigger and Moslem Syria. Although this failure al-Kuwatli didn’t give up his pan-arabist dream. To protect the arab interests in a world at war he contacted all governments of the independent Arab states thinking in creating an organisation where common interests could be discussed and protected. Also he organised several conferences in Damascus where nationalist intellectuals, politicians and people in general interested in pan-arabist policies could gather thinking in a possible future organisation which should unite all Arab independent states for common purposes. Parliament re-elect him in 1948. On the 22nd March 1949 he joined with the rulers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Hijaaz, Iraaq and the Bedouin Free State to sign the Treaty of Alexandria which established the Arab Community. But he wasn’t able to return Syria as a military coup d’etat deposed him on the 30th March 1949 leaving him no option beside the exile.
For the next years he stayed in Egypt hoping to return to his country and for a chance to regain his lost position. He followed with much interest the rise of Gamal Abdel Nasser and his policies which influenced his political opinions. In Syria a series of coups turned its political life paralysed.
Finally in 1955 al-Kuwatli was able to return for free presidential elections. He was once again candidate and won. Again as president he started reforms much influenced by Nasser’s policies: land reform to grant support from common people, nationalisations of foreign companies which were took by Syrian bourgeoisies to grant support from higher classes, lots of public works to fight unemployment among many others.
Following common pan-arabist policies al-Kuwatli and Nasser started to discuss the merger of their countries. On February 1st 1958 both countries finally united in some kind of marriage of convenience with Nasser as president and al-Kuwatli as vice-president. The United Arab Rebublic was born by the merger of both countries which abolished Syrian and Egyptian citizenships. From now on they would be Arabs and this should be the first step for the unification of all Arab countries. Egyptians needed Syrian help to avoid bankruptcy after the Suez Crisis and Syrians wanted an Egyptian open market (the biggest in the Middle East).
However the United Arab Republic wasn’t as successful as expected and problems started. In Syria local opposition movements started to be persecuted and the local bourgeoisie didn’t reach the Egyptian market as they expected. There was also a growing feeling Egyptians were colonizing Syria and using their resources more to Egyptian interests than to common ones. Discontentment grew all over the United Arab Republic.
In 1961 nationalist militaries made a coup in Syria. They promptly declared the independence of the country so as its withdraw from the United Arab Republic. Democratic normality was only achieved once again during the 1970’s.
Syria participated actively in the Gulf War (1990-91) being one of the leading Arab countries which released Kuwayt from iraaqi occupation.
Geography
Primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west.
Borders
West: Judea, Lebanon, Mediterranean Sea
South: Bedouin Free State
East: Iraaq
Economy
Medium oil producing country, agriculture and some industries in main cities. Also extraction of phosphates.
Religion
Islam (mostly Sunni), minorities of Druze, Alawites, Orthodox Christians and Jews.
