Syria, officially known as the Syrian Arab Republic, is a Middle Eastern country sharing a border with Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey.

Capital: Damascus
Continent: Asia
Currency: Syrian pound
Area: 185,180 sq km, slightly larger than North Dakota
Population: 18,028,549 (July 2017 estimate)
Ethnic Groups: Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians and other 9.7%
Religion: Muslim 87%, Christian 10% and Druze 3%

Syria is a founding member of the United Nations.

Syria gained independence as a parliamentary republic on 24 October 1945 when Syria became a founding member of the United Nations, an act which legally ended the former French Mandate – although French troops did not leave the country until April 1946.

Syria borders Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest.

The largest lake in Syria, Lake Assad, is actually man made and has only existed since 1968 (maximum capacity of 11.7 cubic kilometres, maximum surface area of 610 square kilometres.)