Sy·ri·a (sîr  - ) A country of southwest Asia on the eastern Mediterranean coast. Ancient Syria also included Lebanon, most of present-day Israel and Jordan, and part of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Settled c. 2100 b.c. by Amorites, the region was later conquered by Hittites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. Islam was introduced in the seventh century by Muslim Arab conquerers. Syria was a province of the Ottoman Empire from 1516 until 1918, and the part comprising present-day Syria and Lebanon became a French League of Nations mandate in 1920. Separated from Lebanon by the French, Syria achieved full independence in 1946. In 1958 it merged with Egypt to form the United Arab Republic, which disintegrated in 1961. Damascus is the capital and Aleppo the largest city. Population: 19,300,000. Syr i·an adj. & n. |   |
Syria [ˈsɪrɪə]
n
1. (Placename) a republic in W Asia, on the Mediterranean: ruled by the Ottoman Turks (1516-1918); made a French mandate in 1920; became independent in 1944; joined Egypt in the United Arab Republic (1958-61). Official language: Arabic. Religion: Muslim majority. Currency: Syrian pound. Capital: Damascus. Pop.: 16 729 000 (2001 est.). Area: 185 180 sq. km (71 498 sq. miles)
2. (Placename) (formerly) the region between the Mediterranean, the Euphrates, the Taurus, and the Arabian Desert
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Syria - an Asian republic in the Middle East at the east end of the Mediterranean; site of some of the world's most ancient centers of civilizationPopular Struggle Front, PSF - a terrorist group of radical Palestinians who split with al-Fatah in 1967 but now have close relations with al-Fatah; staged terrorist attacks against Israel across the Lebanese border Arab League - an international organization of independent Arab states formed in 1945 to promote cultural and economic and military and political and social cooperation Middle East, Mideast, Near East - the area around the eastern Mediterranean; from Turkey to northern Africa and eastward to Iran; the site of such ancient civilizations as Phoenicia and Babylon and Egypt and the birthplace of Judaism and Christianity and Islam; had continuous economic and political turmoil in the 20th century; "the Middle East is the cradle of Western civilization" capital of Syria, Damascus, Dimash - an ancient city (widely regarded as the world's oldest) and present capital and largest city of Syria; according to the New Testament, the Apostle Paul (then known as Saul) underwent a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus Al Ladhiqiyah, Latakia - a seaport on the western coast of Syria Kurdistan - an extensive geographical region in the Middle East to the south of the Caucasus Syrian Desert - a desert of northern Arabia occupying western Iraq, southern Syria, eastern Jordan, and northern Saudi Arabia Asia - the largest continent with 60% of the earth's population; it is joined to Europe on the west to form Eurasia; it is the site of some of the world's earliest civilizations Euphrates, Euphrates River - a river in southwestern Asia; flows into the Persian Gulf; was important in the development of several great civilizations in ancient Mesopotamia Tigris, Tigris River - an Asian river; a tributary of the Euphrates River Syrian - a native or inhabitant of Syria |
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