The Syria you never knew

Syria on the Map Bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Turkey to the north. 185,180 km2

History and Facts  Syria is one of the oldest inhabited regions in the world. Since before 2000 BC, Syria has been an integral part of, or the seat of government for, powerful empires  The name Syria is accepted by majority mainstream academic opinion as having derived from Greek name of the Assyrian colony (formed from the Semitic word “Sirion”)  The Capital of Syria is Damascus. Damascus is one of the Oldest Cities in the world and the oldest acting capital  In 2011, the Syrian population was estimated at roughly 23 million permanent inhabitants

Ethnic Diversity  Syria is an area populated by people from wide diversity of ethnic and religious backgrounds throughout centuries  While most are considered Arabs, this is only based on the spoken language (Arabic) and not ethnicity  9-10% Kurdish (close to 2 million)  Turkmen, Assyrian, Circassian and Armenian, Bedouin  In addition there are small communities: Greeks, Persian, Albanian, Bosniacs, Russians, Chechens and Ossetians Many have been Arabcized, and may not maintain ethnic affiliation

Religion  Syrians categorization according to religious affiliation – Muslims, Christian, Druze or otherwise does not mean a person is devout or active practitioner  Muslims represent around 85% of population  Christians – 12% - Could be Arab and non-Arab (Syriac, Aramaic and Armenian).  Druze – 3%  Small Yezidi population (mostly Kurds), & another very small Jewish population

Language  Arabic is the official language of Syria  Kurdish is widely spoken in the Kurdish regions of Syria  Armenian and Syrian Turkmen (Azeri) are spoken among the Armenian and Turkmen minorities.  Aramaic was the Language of the region back in history, and is still spoken among Assyrians, most remarkably, Eastern Aramaic dialects is still spoken in the village of Ma‘loula as well as two neighboring villages.

Food  Syrian cuisine is mainly Mediterranean: lots of olive oil, olives, cooked vegetables and variety of cheeses;  Syrians love fresh vegetables and wheat is the main crop and one of the staple foods;  Fruits and dairy products are eaten widely, as is hummus, pita bread and tahini;  Syrian Muslims do not eat pork, but halal meats: Chicken beef, lamb and all kinds of Seafood  Tea is the main hot drink of choice.  Food is an important part of many celebrations.

Socialization  Children are highly valued as a blessing from God and treated with a great deal of affection  Syrians identify strongly with their families: immediate and extended  Literacy rate in Syria is : 84.1% - (male: 90.3%,female: 77.7% est.)  Primary education is mandatory and free for 9 years, middle school marks the end of mixed-sex education;  Syria has vocational and teacher-training education as well as22 universities in different parts of the country  Over 200,000 university students (40% women) are enrolled

Etiquette  Syrians are affectionate people  Greetings hold great social significance, lengthy and can include questions about one’s health state  Greetings often are accompanied by handshakes (though unless the female extends her hand to an unknown male, males do not extend their hands first), and sometimes a hug and a kiss on each cheek  Placing the right hand on the heart when meeting someone is a signal of affection

Refugees in Syria Prior to conflict, Syrians hosted large numbers of refugees;  Over half million Iraqis  Over 200,000 Lebanese during the 2006 war on Lebanon  Smaller groups from: Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia and others  30,000 registered with UNHCR within Syria;  Half million Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA in Syria who are placed with limited options as they are barred from entering neighbouring countries – Lebanon and Jordan  Armenians around

Refugees and IDP in Syria

 Decrease in food assistance especially to the WFO e-card reduction from $30 to $19 per person per month;  Inability to generate additional income because Hosting governments policies prohibit refugees from working;  Children sent to work to earn additional income to cover food and shelter costs;  Support from humanitarian organizations is lacking and often perceived to be biased;  Host Communities are becoming increasingly aggressive towards refugees;  High rents and exploitation by landowners; accusations of wrong doings by local authorities and disrespectful treatment by aid workers Results

Syrian Success Stories

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