INDEPTH: SYRIA
Introduction
CBC News Online | July 28, 2004
As one of the oldest nations in the world, Syria has a 4,500-year history of evolution, occupation and division.
Ancient Syria covered land that is today inhabited by Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The land was frequently used as a clashing point for East and West. Arab and Christian armies made Syria a battleground in their many wars over the years.
Indeed it is the East-West clash that has come to define Syria's course in modern times.
In 1916, Britain and France – then two of the world's great powers – signed the Sykes-Picot agreement in an attempt to divide the entire Middle East into two spheres of influence.
France took Syria and occupied it until 1946 when Syrian nationalists rose and demanded independence. Two years later, Syria got an unwanted neighbour when Israel was established to the west and thousands of people were displaced. Arab nationalism became more fervent in Syria, and calls were made for Arab unity.
At the same time, and with the establishment of Israel, the Middle East became a crucial front in the emerging Cold War between the Soviet Union and United States. With Iran and Iraq aligned with the U.S. under the Baghdad Pact (1955), other Middle East nations had to decide where their loyalties lay. Once again Syria was caught between East and West.
Like Egypt, Syria aligned with the Soviets.
Now in the 21st century, Syria remains at odds with the United States. During the 2003 war in Iraq, Syria made clear its support of Baghdad. In April 2003, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer accused Syria of possessing weapons of mass destruction – a charge denied by the Syrian government.
Sources:
Library of Congress
Lapidus, Ira M. A History of Islamic Societies (1988).
CIA World Factbook
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Population: 17,155,814 (Jul 2002 est.)
Area: 185,180 sq km
Borders: Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey
Languages: Arabic is the official language, while Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic and Circassian are widely used. French and English are used to a lesser extent.
Religion: 74 per cent Sunni Muslim, 16 per cent Alawite, Druze and other Muslim sects. 10 per cent Christian.
Government: Republic under military regime.
Source: CIA World Factbook 2002 – Syria
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