Syrian flag
Syria's climate varies from the humid Mediterranean coast, through a semi-arid steppe zone, to arid desert in the east. The country consists mostly of arid plateau, although the northwest part bordering the Mediterranean is fairly green. Al -Jaizara in the northeast and Hawran in the south are important agricultural areas. The Euphrates, Syria's most important river, crosses the country in the east.
The ongoing civil war have left a negative impact on Syria's economy. However, Syria's economy began changing much before the beginning of the war. Syria's share in global exports has eroded gradually since 2001. The real per capita GDP growth was just 2.5% per year in the 2000–2008 period. Poverty rates increased from 11% in 2004 to 12.3% in 2007. In 2007, main exports included crude oil, refined products, raw cotton, clothing, fruits, and grains. The bulk of imports are raw materials essential for industry, vehicles, agricultural equipment, and heavy machinery. Earnings from oil exports as well as remittances from Syrian workers are the government's most important sources of foreign exchange.
The ongoing civil war have left a negative impact on Syria's economy. However, Syria's economy began changing much before the beginning of the war. Syria's share in global exports has eroded gradually since 2001. The real per capita GDP growth was just 2.5% per year in the 2000–2008 period. Poverty rates increased from 11% in 2004 to 12.3% in 2007. In 2007, main exports included crude oil, refined products, raw cotton, clothing, fruits, and grains. The bulk of imports are raw materials essential for industry, vehicles, agricultural equipment, and heavy machinery. Earnings from oil exports as well as remittances from Syrian workers are the government's most important sources of foreign exchange.
Islam is the largest and predominant religion in Syria, comprising 87% of the population. Sunni Muslims make up around 74% of the population and Sunni Arabs account for 59–60%. Most Kurds (8.5%) and most Turkmens (3%) are Sunni, while 3% of Syrians are Shia Muslims (particularly Ismalis, and Twelvers but there are also Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens), 10% are Alawhites, 10% are Christans (the majority are Antiochian Greek Orthodox, the rest are Syriac Orthodox, Greek Catholic and other Catholic Rites, Armenian Orthodox, Assyrian Church of the East, Protestants and other denominations), and 3% Druzes. Druzes number around 500,000 and concentrate mainly in the southern area of Jabaal al-Druzes . According to the ARDA, 94.17% of Syrians are Muslims–79.19% are Sunnis and 14.10% are Shias (including Alawites)–and 3.84% of Syrians are Christians as of 2020.
Syria has a diverse fauna with 125 species of mammal, 394 of birds, 127 of reptile, 16 amphibian and 157 of freshwater fishes recorded in the country. Human activities have affected the biodiversity of the fauna. The Asiatic lion and cheetah, Caspian tiger and leopard used to be present, but they have died out in the country, and so the brown bear and the gray wolf are the largest carnivores remaining. Also present are the red fox, striped heyena, golden jakal, Egyptian moongoose, least weasel, mabled polecat, Caucasian badge and honey badger. The cat family are represented by the caracal, jungle cat, snad cat and wild cat. Grazing animals include the mountain gazelle and the goitred gazelle, the roe deer, wild goar, nubian ibex and Arabian oryx.
Ten species of whale have been recorded off the coast as well as the endangered Meditarnian monk seal. Four species of turtle are sometimes seen, the most common being the logger head sea turtle, and about 295 species of marine fish have been recorded in Syria.
Of the nearly four hundred species of bird recorded in the country, many are migrants, particularly visiting the coastal mountain range, the Euphrates valley and seasonal salt lakes that form in arid regions. Sabkhat al-Jabul is a nature reserve at one of these salt lakes and is visited by migrating greater flamingoes. Endangered breeding birds include a few pairs of northern bald ibis in the north of the country, the lesser kestrl and the great bustard. Rare visiting species include the corn crake, Dalamation pelican, white headed duck and eastern imperial eagle.