As-Suwayda or Al-Suwayda Governorate () is one of the fourteen

governorates A governorate or governate is an administrative division headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either states or provinces, the term ''governorate'' is typically used to calque divisions o ...

(provinces) of

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. It is the southernmost governorate, covering an area of 5,550 km², and is part of the historic

Hawran The Hauran (; also spelled ''Hawran'' or ''Houran'') is a region that spans parts of southern Syria and northern Jordan. It is bound in the north by the Ghouta oasis, to the northeast by the al-Safa field, to the east and south by the Harrat ...

region. The capital and largest city of the governorate is

al-Suwayda Suwayda (), also spelled Sweida, is a mainly Druze city located in southern Syria, close to the border with Jordan. It is the capital of Suwayda Governorate, one of Syria's 14 governorates, bordering Jordan in the South, Daraa Governorate ...

. Geographically the governorate comprises almost all of

Jabal al-Druze Jabal al-Druze (), is an elevated volcanic region in the Suwayda Governorate of southern Syria. Most of the inhabitants of this region are Druze, and there are also significant Christian communities. Safaitic inscriptions were first found in ...

, the eastern part of

Lejah The Lajat (/ALA-LC: ''al-Lajāʾ''), also spelled ''Lejat'', ''Lajah'', ''el-Leja'' or ''Laja'', is the largest lava field in southern Syria, spanning some 900 square kilometers. Located about southeast of Damascus, the Lajat borders the Haura ...

, and a part of the arid eastern steppe of

Harrat al-Shamah The ''Ḥarrat al-Shām'' (), also known as the ''Harrat al-Harra'' or ''Harrat al-Shaba'', and sometimes the Black Desert in English, is a region of rocky, basaltic desert straddling southern Syrian region and the northern Arabian Peninsula. ...

. Most inhabitants of As-Suwayda are employed in agriculture, cultivating crops such as grapes, apples, olives, and wheat. Additionally, As-Suwayda is home to numerous archaeological sites. This governorate is unique in Syria as it has a

Druze The Druze ( ; , ' or ', , '), who Endonym and exonym, call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (), are an Arabs, Arab Eastern esotericism, esoteric Religious denomination, religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic ...

majority. Additionally, it has integrated

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

communities that have long coexisted harmoniously with the

in these mountains.

Demographics and population

The governorate has a population of about 375,000 inhabitants (est. 2011).Statistics from It is the only governorate in Syria that has a Druze majority. There is also a sizable

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

minority, and a small

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

refugee community from mainly

Daraa Governorate Daraa Governorate ( / ALA-LC: ') is one of the fourteen Governorates of Syria, governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in the south-west of the country and covers an area of 2594 km2. It is bordered by Jordan to the south, Quneitra G ...

as well as other parts of Syria. In the 1980s Druze made up 87.6% of the population, Christians (mostly

Greek Orthodox Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Greek Christianity, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christians or more broadly the rite used in the Eastern Rom ...

) 11% and Sunni Muslims 2%. In 2010, the As-Suwayda governorate has a population of about 375,000 inhabitants,

made up 90%,

s 7% and Sunni Muslims 3%. Due to low birth and high emigration rates, Christians proportion in As-Suwayda had declined. Most of the inhabitants live in the western parts of the governorate, especially on the western slopes of Jabal ad-Duruz. Only nomadic

Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu ( ; , singular ) are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia (Iraq). The Bedouin originated in the Sy ...

tribes live in the barren region of Harrat al-Shamah.

Districts

The governorate is divided into three

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

(

manatiq Minṭaqah ( ; plural ) is a term used for a first-level administrative division in Saudi Arabia and Chad and for a second-level administrative division in several other Arab countries. It is often translated as ''region'' or ''district'', but th ...

). The districts are further divided into 12 sub-districts ( nawahi): *

As-Suwayda District as-Suwayda District () is a district of the as-Suwayda Governorate in southern Syria. The administrative centre An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the centra ...

(3 sub-districts) ** As-Suwayda Subdistrict ** Al-Mazraa Subdistrict ** Al-Mushannaf Subdistrict *

Salkhad District Salkhad District () is a district of the Suwayda Governorate in southern Syria. Administrative centre is the city of Salkhad Salkhad () is a Syrian city in the As-Suwayda Governorate, southern Syria. It is the capital of Salkhad District, one ...

(5 sub-districts) ** Salkhad Subdistrict ** Al-Qrayya Subdistrict ** Al-Ghariyah Subdistrict ** Thaybin Subdistrict ** Malah Subdistrict *

Shahba District Shahba District () is a district of the Suwayda Governorate in southern Syria. The administrative centre is the city of Shahba Shahba ( / ALA-LC: ''Shahbā'') is a city located south of Damascus in the Jabal el Druze in As-Suwayda Governorate ...

(4 sub-districts) ** Shahba Subdistrict ** Shaqqa Subdistrict ** Al-Ariqah Subdistrict ** Al-Surah al-Saghirah Subdistrict

Cities, towns and villages

The governorate contains 3 cities, 124 towns/villages, and 36 hamlets.

Cities

Shahba Shahba ( / ALA-LC: ''Shahbā'') is a city located south of Damascus in the Jabal el Druze in As-Suwayda Governorate of Syria, but formerly in the Roman Empire, Roman province of Arabia Petraea. Known in Late Antiquity as Philippopolis (in Arabia ...

Al-Suwayda Suwayda (), also spelled Sweida, is a mainly Druze city located in southern Syria, close to the border with Jordan. It is the capital of Suwayda Governorate, one of Syria's 14 governorates, bordering Jordan in the South, Daraa Governorate ...

Salkhad Salkhad () is a Syrian city in the As-Suwayda Governorate, southern Syria. It is the capital of Salkhad District, one of the governorate's three districts. It has a population of 15,000 inhabitants. It is located at 1350 metres above sea level ...

Villages

Shaqqa Shaqqa or Shakka () is a Syrian town in As Suwayda Governorate in southern Syria. The town's inhabitants are predominantly Druze who migrated to the region from Mount Lebanon starting from the 18th century. In ancient times it was known as Sacc ...

* Al-Ajailat * Al-Ghariyah * Al-Kefr *

Al-Qurayya Al-Qurayya (; also spelled al-Qrayya or Kureiyeh) is a town in southern Syria, administratively part of the al-Suwayda Governorate, located south of al-Suwayda. Nearby localities include Bosra to the southwest, Hout, Syria, Hout to the south, Salk ...

* Ariqah * Ar-Raha * Braiki * Dair Allaban * Dama * Hobran * Kafr Alluhuf * Lahetha *

Msad MSAD may refer to: * Microsoft Active Directory, a component of Microsoft Windows that provides distributed user management and authentication * Maine School Administrative District are school districts in Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, s ...

* Murduk *

Qanawat Qanawat () is a village in Syria, located 7 km north-east of al-Suwayda. It stands at an elevation of about 1,200 m, near a river and surrounded by woods. Its inhabitants are entirely from the Druze community. According to the Central ...

* Rimet Alluhuf * Rimet Hazem * Samma Al-baradan * Samma Al-hanidat * Shaniri * Shbeki * Walgha

References