syria
Ancient Syria also included Lebanon, most of present-day Israel and Jordan, and part of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. [1]
This article is about the modern state of Syria. [2]
The Ommayad Mosque, Damascus, Syria, October 20, 2005. [3]
WARNING: Travel to Syria is not recommended at this time due to a state of severe political crisis. [4]
COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: Given the uncertainty and volatility of the current domestic situation, in the wake of the most significant civil unrest in Syria in 30 years, the Department of State has issued a Travel Warning advising U.S. citizens to defer all travel to Syria at this time and has ordered all eligible family members of U.S. government employees as well as certain non-emergency personnel to depart Syria. [...] Since March 2011, anti-government demonstrations throughout Syria have been violently suppressed by Syrian security forces, resulting in over 1,000 deaths with many thousands wounded and over 10,000 displaced persons. [5]
Damascus is the capital and Aleppo the largest city. [1]
Pro-government enforcers appeared to be out in full force, cracking down on potential troublemakers in areas in and around Damascus that have witnessed protests, including in the neighborhood of Medan, where what appears to be a uniformed officer with a large wooden stick is seen beating a man and hauling him away in the video posted below, filmed from a passing car. [6]
Like the revolutionary movements in Tunisia and Egypt, it has taken the form of protests of various types, including marches and hunger strikes, as well as vandalism of government property and rioting of shops, in a sustained campaign of civil resistance. [7]
In 1958 it merged with Egypt to form the United Arab Republic, which disintegrated in 1961. [1]
In the Islamic era, its capital city, Damascus, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, was the seat of the Umayyad Caliphate and a provincial capital of the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt. [...] Syria was under Emergency Law from 1962′2011, effectively suspending most constitutional protections for citizens, and its system of government is considered non-democratic. [2]
Work force (5.5 million, 2008 est.): Services (including government) 26%, agriculture 19%, industry 14%, commerce 16%, construction 15%, transportation 7%, and finance 3%. [...] Type: Republic, under authoritarian military-dominated Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party regimes since March 1963. [3]
Protests began on 26 January 2011, and escalated to an uprising by 15 March 2011. [7]
Sources:
[1] Syria: Map, History from Answers.com
[2] Syria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[3] Syria
[4] Syria travel guide - Wikitravel - Free Worldwide Travel Guides …
[5] Syria - Welcome to Travel.State.Gov
[6] SYRIA: Video shows armed pro-regime enforcers …
[7] 2011 Syrian uprising - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia