Syrian civil war2011–2024 armed conflict in SyriaBelligerentsFull list of factionsCasualties and lossesTotal deaths656,493+Civilian deaths219,223–306,887+ Displaced people6.7 million internally6.6 million externally (refugees) (March 2021)See Casualties of the Syrian civil war for detailsThe Syrian civil war was an armed conflict that began with the Syrian revolution in March 2011, when popular discontent with the Ba'athist regime ruled by Bashar al-Assad triggered large-scale protests and pro-democracy rallies across Syria, as part of the wider Arab Spring.
Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East SyriaDe facto region in Syria (2012–2026)The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), also known as Rojava, was a de factoautonomous region in northeastern Syria from 2012 until its integration into the Syrian state in 2026. At various points during its existence, it consisted of the self-governing sub-regions of Afrin, Jazira, Euphrates, Raqqa, Tabqa, Manbij, and Deir ez-Zor.
Ba'athist SyriaSyrian state from 1963 to 2024Today part ofSyriaBa'athist Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, was the Syrian state between 1963 and 2024 under the one-party rule of the Syrian regional branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. From 1970 until its collapse in 2024, it was ruled by the Assad family, and is therefore commonly referred to as the Assad regime. Ba'athist Syria was also, until its downfall, the only state member of the "Axis of Resistance" beside Iran.
Syrian transitional governmentPersonalEarly lifeFamilyLatifa al-Droubi(wife)Hussein al-Sharaa(father)Widad al-Khaled(mother)Political officesPresident of Syria(2025–present)De factoleader of Syria(2024–2025)Emir of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham(2017–2025)Leader of the Syrian Salvation Government(2017–2024)Emir of al-Nusra Front(2012–2017)President of SyriaIncumbentGovernmentscaretakertransitionalPresidencyPresidential tripsUnited StatesOpinion pollingPolicies Constitutional DeclarationNational Commission for the…
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.
Hay'at Tahrir al-ShamHay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was a SunniIslamist political and paramilitary group and terrorist organization involved in the Syrian civil war. It was formed on 28January 2017 as a merger of several armed groups: Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (JFS), Ansar al-Din Front, Jaysh al-Sunna, Liwa al-Haqq and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement. The unification process was held under the initiative of Abu Jaber Sheikh, an Islamist militant commander who had been the second emir of Ahrar al-Sham.
Fall of the Assad regimeOn 8 December 2024, the Assad regime in Syria collapsed during a major offensive by opposition forces. The offensive was spearheaded by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Syrian National Army (SNA), and the Southern Operations Room (SOR), as part of the Syrian civil war that began with the Syrian revolution in 2011.Syrian opposition (2011–2024)The Syrian opposition was an umbrella term for the Syrian revolutionary organizations that opposed Bashar al-Assad's Ba'athist regime during the Syrian revolution and the Syrian civil war. The opposition factions in Syria became active as grassroots movements during the mass demonstrations against the Ba'athist regime. The Free Syrian Army (FSA) was the most prominent armed revolutionary group in the initial stages of the war; but it declined and became decentralized by 2015.
RussiaRussia, or the Russian Federation, is a country in Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the largest country in the world, spanning eleven time zones and sharing land borders with fourteen countries. With a population of over 140 million, Russia is the most populous country in Europe and the ninth-most populous in the world. It is a highly urbanised country, with three-fourths of its population living in urban areas.
Arab LeagueRegional organisation League of Arab Statesجامعة الدول العربية (Arabic)Jāmiʿat ad-Duwal al-ʿArabiyya Flag Emblem Member states shown in dark greenHeadquartersCairoOfficial languagesArabicTypeRegional organisationMembers Algeria Bahrain Comoros Djibouti Egypt Iraq Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Libya Mauritania Morocco Oman Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia Somalia Sudan Syria Tunisia United Arab Emirates YemenLeaders• Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy• Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Yamahi LegislatureArab ParliamentEstablishment• Alexandria Protocol 22 March 1945• Joint Defence and Economic Co-operation Treaty 18 June 1950• Casablanca Protocol 11 September 1965• Agreement for Judicial Cooperation 6 April 1983• Greater Free Trade Area 2 January 2005 Area • Total area13,132,327 km2 (5,070,420 sq mi) (2nd)Population• 2025 estimate481,233,000 (3rd)• Density36.64/km2 (94.9/sq mi)GDP (PPP)2025 estimate• Total$9.423 trillion• Per capita$19,581GDP (nominal)2025 estimate• Total$3.546 trillion (7th)• Per capita$7,369Currency Algerian dinar Bahraini dinar Comorian franc Djiboutian franc Egyptian pound Iraqi dinar Jordanian dinar Kuwaiti dinar Lebanese pound Libyan dinar Mauritanian ouguiya Moroccan dirham Omani rial Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Somali shilling Sudanese pound Syrian pound Tunisian dinar UAE dirham Yemeni rialTime zoneUTC+0 to +4Websiteleagueofarabstates.org Part of a series on theArab world Political Issues Arab Winter Syrian Civil War Somali Civil War Western Sahara conflict Arab–Israeli conflict Pan-Arabism Weapons of mass destruction Egypt Iraq Libya Syria Geography Middle East and North Africa Regions Maghreb Nile Valley Mashriq South Arabia Tihamah Yemen Hadhramaut Eastern Arabia Hijaz Najd Bab-el-Mandeb Deserts Sahara Arabian ad-Dahna Governance Founding Charter Human Rights Charter Secretary General (Ahmed Aboul Gheit) Institutions Council Summits Parliament Unity Arab leaders King Salman King Abdullah Fattah el-Sisi Ideology Arab nationalismNasserism Arab socialismBa'athism Third International Theory IslamismSunni Islam Anti-Iranian sentimentAnti-Shi'ism AntisemitismAnti-Zionism Attempts at political union Arab Federation Arab Islamic Republic Federation of Arab Republics Unified Political Command Union of Arab Republics United Arab Kingdom United Arab Republic United Arab States Organizational unions Cooperation Council for theArab States of the Gulf (GCC) Arab Maghreb Union Foreign relations Multilateral African Union ASEAN European Union Latin America Bilateral Brazil China Eritrea France India Eritrea Iran Israel Pakistan Turkey United States Uzbekistan Venezuela Military Expenditure Arab Revolt Joint defence Joint Defence Council United Arab Command Peninsula Shield Arab Organization forIndustrialization (AOI) Economy Economic and Social Council Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU) Arab Monetary Fund Arab Fund for Economic andSocial Development (AFESD) Union for the Mediterranean Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) Chambers of Commerce Arab Customs Union International Confederation ofArab Trade Unions (ICATU) Federation of Arab Trade Unionsand Labor Societies (FATULS) Qualifying Industrial Zone (QIZ) Transportation Aviation Railways Berlin–Baghdad Hejaz ONCF Palestine Bridges Dubai Smile Qatar–Bahrain Causeway King Fahd Causeway Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Crossing Saudi–Egypt Causeway Bridge of the Horns Culture Media Arab-SAT Nile-SAT Arab Media Group Arabian Television Network Arab International Media Services Al Arabiya Al Jazeera Arab Capital of Culture Algiers (2007) Jerusalem (2008) Damascus (2009) Doha (2010) Arabic language Cuisine Art Literature Mu'allaqat) Dress Sport Pan Arab Games Arab Champions League( Cup Winners' Cup) Arabian Gulf Cup Arab Cup Demographics Religion Muslims (majority) Christians Jews Yazidis Shabaks Mandaeans Hinduism Ethnicities Arabs (Arabization) Berbers Kurds Nubians Somalis other Arab diaspora Lifestyles Bedouin Marsh Arabs Language Arabic (majority) Afar Armenian Berber Hebrew Kurdish Nubian Persian Somali vte The Arab League, officially the League of Arab States, is a regional organisation in the Arab world.
Special Envoy of the Secretary-GeneralSpecial Envoy of the Secretary-General (SESG) is a title used by certain United Nations officials who are appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to deal with specific issues. Examples include the SESGs on HIV/AIDS in Africa, on LRA-affected areas, on indigenous people, to a specific country, et cetera. George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, was chosen by the UN to serve as the Special Envoy for South Asia in December 2005.
Western worldCountries with an originally European shared cultureFor other uses, see Western World (other) and Western Power (other).The Parthenon in AthensThe Roman Forum in RomeAncient Greco-Roman world forms the foundation of the modern Western worldThe Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to various nations and states in Europe, Northern America, and Australasia; with some debate as to whether those in the former Soviet Union and Latin America, even though its cultures are derived from Iberian cultures, also constitute the West.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.