Syria’s civil war: key facts, important players
What’s at stake in an increasingly bloody and dangerous conflict
CBC News
Last Updated: Sept. 24, 2013
Syria's turmoil began with protests against President Bashar al-Assad's regime in March 2011. It crossed an important threshold a year and a half later, when the international Red Cross formally declared it a civil war. The international community has also expressed deep concern over accusations of chemical weapons use.
The casualty tallies continue to climb higher as fighting rages across the country. Hundreds of thousands are fleeing Syria, seeking sanctuary in refugee camps in neighbouring countries. The death toll now exceeds 100,000. See how the conflict has escalated and who the key participants are in this troubled country.
International refugee crisis
Note: Figures current as of Sept. 20. There are also 14,000 Syrian refugees in North Africa.
Source: UNCHR Syrian Regional Refugee Response
Human toll of the conflict
100,000+ have been killed
This is a United Nations estimate. The UN believes the actual toll may be much higher as many deaths are not reported.
2 million have fled Syria
These are the 1.93 million refugees who have registered — and another 174,000 who are waiting to register — with the office of the UN High Commissoner on Refugees. The actual number is feared to be much higher.
3/4 of refugees are women and children
Almost half of the refugees are girls and women, while another quarter are boys under 18.
Another 4 million+ are displaced inside Syria
Aid agencies continue to increase their estimates of internally displaced people as the fighting rages through the country.
Photo: A Free Syrian Army fighter runs in Aleppo on Sept. 18. (Molhem Barakat/Reuters)
Important players in the conflict
Suspected chemical weapons sites
Syria: Key facts
| Population | 22,457,336 (July 2013 estimate) |
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| Religion | 74% Sunni Muslim, 16% other Muslim (includes Alawite and Druze), 10% Christian |
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| Age | 22.7 median age. One-third of the population is under 15, while 3.9% is over 65. |
Photo: A man wears face paint and carries the Syrian flag in 2011. (Mohammad Hannon/AP)
Military buildup around Syria
Click the icons on the map below to find out about the buildup of military assets near Syria, the locations of air bases that could be used for possible air strikes and the political stances of surrounding nations.
Use the legend menu on the left to toggle category layers and to customize the look of the base map.
Sources: CBC stories, Associated Press and Reuters reports, UN Refugee Agency