Syria is situated in the western part of Asia, east of the Mediterranean, between 32-37 north latitude, and 35-42 east longitude. Its location is very important for international commerce. It joins Asia, Europe and Africa. Syria is to the south of Turkey, north of Jordan, and faces Palestine at the southwest. To its west are Lebanon and the Mediterranean, with Iraq to its east.

The surface area of Syria is 185,180 km2, and the sea line is about 183 km. The weather in Syria is that of the Mediterranean area, rainy winters and dry summers.  Based upon data compiled in 2004, the population of Syria is 19,936,573. The Syrian constitution stipulates that Syria is part of the Arab nation and is a republic whose laws originate from Islamic tenet. The Country's official language is Arabic and its capital is Damascus.

Syria has 14 provinces, which consist of counties, towns and villages, with the village being the basic administrative unit. The provinces are Damascus, Damascus Countryside, Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Lattakia, Deir Ez Zour, Idleb, Hasaka, Rakka, Sweida, Darra, Tartous, and Konaitra.

The major national areas of production are petroleum, textile, food, and cotton. For more information, please visit the following websites:
Ministry of Industry 
Ministry of Agriculture 
Ministry of Economy  
Ministry of petroleum & Mineral 

Education in Syria:  
In pre-university education, there are two types of schools: foundational (9 grades) and secondary (3 grades). As per the laws regulating the Syrian educational system, schooling is mandatory up to the 9th grade. Furthermore all levels of public schools are free of charge. In 2005-2006, the total number of new students enrolled in foundational schools was 4,207,040 and in secondary schools 434,488.

The Ministry of Higher Education was first established in 1966 to supervise scientific and educational institutions linked to the Ministry, such as universities, academic councils, higher institutes, the Arabic Language Academy and educational hospitals. It also aims to disseminate higher education and link it to development plans. 

The mission of the Ministry of Higher Education focuses on building a national, educational and research system that can provide a foundation for transferring, localizing, generating and disseminating knowledge, with the overall aim of providing equal opportunities to individuals and helping them develop their skills in order to build a knowledge economy.