Golan HeightsThe Golan Heights, or simply the Golan, is a basaltic plateau at the southwest corner of Syria, the majority of which has been occupied and administered by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War. It is bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon Mountains with Mount Hermon in the north and Wadi Raqqad (Ruqqad) in the east, with an alternative definition having it stretch further east, up to Wadi 'Allan.Al-Shajara, SyriaAl-Shajara (Arabic: الشجرة, also spelled ash-Shajarah) is a town in southern Syria, administratively part of the Daraa Governorate, located west of Daraa, in between the Israel Golan Heights and Jordan. Nearby localities include Saham al-Jawlan to the east, Nafia to the north, Jamla to the northwest and Beit Ara to the southwest. The village center has an elevation of 410 meters (1,350 ft) above sea level.
NafiaNafia (Arabic: نافعة, romanized: Nāfiʾa, also transliterated Nafi'ya) is a village in southern Syria, administratively part of the Daraa Governorate, located west of Daraa. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, Nafia had a population of 2,673 in the 2004 census. HistoryIn 1884 American archaeologist Gottlieb Schumacher described Nafia as a village of about 160 Muslims living in thirty-five huts made of stone and mud.
RuqqadThe Ruqqad, also known as Wadi Raqqad, is a wadi flowing in south-west Syria. It flows into the Yarmouk River, of which it is one of the main tributaries, and forms the topographical eastern boundary of the Golan Heights. It marks the south-west part of the ceasefire line between the Israel-occupied part of the Golan Heights and the Syrian-held part of the region. The Syrian controlled side was occupied by Israel in the 2024 Israeli invasion of Syria.
SyriaSyria, 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 the north and northwest, Iraq to the east and southeast, Jordan to the south, and Israel and Lebanon to the southwest. It is a republic under a provisional government and comprises 14 governorates. Damascus is Syria's capital and largest city.Ayn ZakarAyn Zakar (عين ذكر; also transliterated Ain Dakar, Ain Dakkar, Ein Thakar) is a village in southern Syria, administratively part of the Daraa Governorate. According to the Syrian Central Bureau of Statistics, it had a population of 2,041 in the 2004 census. HistoryIn the 1880s Gottlieb Schumacher said that Ayn Zakar was "a miserable-looking village ... situated on a stony hill", consisting of thirty stone and mud-built huts.Saida, SyriaSaida, also spelled Seida or Sayda (Arabic: صَيْدَا, romanized: Ṣaydā), is a village in southern Syria, administratively part of the Daraa Governorate, located east of Daraa. Nearby localities include al-Naimah to the west, Al-Ghariyah al-Gharbiyah to the north, Kahil and al-Musayfirah to the east and al-Taybah and Umm al-Mayazen to the south. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Saida had a population of 11,215 in the 2004 census.
Israeli-occupied territoriesOverview of territories occupied by IsraelMap showing the status of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories as of 2018Israel has occupied the Palestinian territories and the Golan Heights of Syria since the Six-Day War of 1967. It has previously occupied the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt and southern Lebanon as well. Prior to 1967, control of the Palestinian territories was split between Egypt and Jordan, which administered the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, respectively.Central Bureau of Statistics (Syria)The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) (Arabic: المكتب المركزي للإحصاء) was the statistical agency responsible for the gathering of "information relating to economic, social and general activities and conditions" in Syria. The office was answerable to the office of the Prime Minister and had its main offices in Damascus.
Daraa GovernorateDaraa Governorate (Arabic: مُحافظة درعا, romanized: Muḥāfaẓat Darʿā) is one of the fourteen 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 Governorate and Golan Heights to the west, Rif Dimashq Governorate to the north and Suwayda Governorate to the east. The capital is the city of Daraa.
BasaltBasalt (UK: BAH-salt); US: buh-SALT) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90% of all volcanic rock on Earth is basalt. Rapid-cooling, fine-grained basalt has the same chemical composition and mineralogy as slow-cooling, coarse-grained gabbro.Abdin, Daraa GovernorateAbdin (Arabic: عابدين, romanized: ʿAbdīn, also transliterated Abdeen or Abidin) is a village in southern Syria, administratively part of the Daraa Governorate, located west of Daraa. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, Abdin had a population of 1,454 in the 2004 census. The village was listed in 16th-century Ottoman tax records.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.