GENERAL
Official name of the state
Syrian Arab Republic.
Capital
Damascus.
Geography
According to areacodesexplorer, Syria borders the Mediterranean Sea and Lebanon to the west, Israel and Jordan to the south, Iraq to the east and Turkey to the north. Geographically, Syria can be divided into four main areas: the fertile coastal plains in the west, a plateau and the Jebel an-Nusariyah mountain range, plains in the center of the country and the desert and savannah in the southeast. The 2330 km long Euphrates comes from Turkey and flows through the north of the country to Iraq. The river crosses the country for about 600 km, which makes it the longest river in Syria. In the northeast, the Kabur flows through the Al-Kabur basin.
Government
Presidential republic since 1973. Constitution of 2012. Unicameral parliament (people’s assembly) with 250 members. Independent since 1946. Civil war since 2011. Transitional government since June 2012.
Head of state
Bashar al-Assad, since 2000.
Head of government
Imad Khamis, since June 2016.
Electricity
220 V, 50 Hz.
Time zone
Eastern European Time: CET +3 (CET +4 from March 30 to October 26, 2017)
LANGUAGE
Overview
The official language is Arabic. The minority languages, Kurdish (3%) and Armenian (2%), are also spoken. English and French are sometimes understood.
DUTY-FREE SHOPPING
Overview
The following articles can be imported into Syria duty-free (no age limit):
200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 50 cigarillos or 250 grams of tobacco;
570 ml of alcoholic beverages;
30 g perfume, 500 ml cream / lotion and 500 ml eau de toilette for personal use;
Gifts up to a value of S £ 250.
Ban on imports of
firearms and ammunition. Live, frozen and stuffed birds and all products containing ingredients from birds.
Prohibited imports
Firearms and ammunition. Live, frozen and stuffed birds and all products containing ingredients from birds.
ACCOMMODATION
Hotels
Accommodation can be difficult to find, so you should insist on a booking confirmation. There are no seasonal price differences. 15% for service will be added to the bill.
Categories: Hotels are awarded 1-5 stars. The best hotels are in Damascus. However, Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Lattakia, and Palmyra also offer luxury hotels. Further information is available from the Tourist Office (see addresses).
Camping
There are some designated campsites, e.g. B. in Damascus, Aleppo, Lattakia and Tartus. You can also camp outside of numerous vacation spots.
CULTURE
Religion
Mostly Muslims (90%), Christian and other minorities.
Social rules of conduct
Etiquette: Hospitality is a deeply rooted and millennia-old Arab tradition, every guest is received extremely politely. Shake hands to greet and say goodbye. A souvenir from home or the company is gladly accepted.
Clothing: Low-key everyday clothing is appropriate. Shorts and swimwear belong on the beach or swimming pool.
Non-smoking areas are signposted. Smoking is prohibited in all public facilities, offices and restaurants with closed roofs. During the fasting month of Ramadan, it is forbidden to smoke or drink in public before dark.
Taking photos:Any facilities that could even be remotely military may not be photographed. This also applies to the vicinity of military installations and even to the antennas of the radio stations. You should look very carefully at the background before taking a photo. Caution when choosing a motif is generally advisable; permission should be asked before people are photographed.
Tip: The bills usually include 10% for service, an additional 10% is common. A small tip is expected for all services.
CLIMATE
Best travel time
Dry, hot summers and relatively cold winters. Temperatures drop sharply at night.
COUNTRY DATA
Area code +963 Area (square km) 185 180 Population 17064854 Population density (per square km) 92 Population in 2014 Member of the EU No main emergency number 110