Syria has been the crossroads of nearly innumerable civilizations, each of which left an enduring mark (Damascus, among much else of interest, is probably the world's oldest continuously inhabited city). A feast for lovers of ruins and eventful history, it's a country once again at the center of a fascinating historical moment.

• TOTAL AREA: 185,180 sq km

• LAND AREA: 184,050 sq km

• WATER AREA: 1,130 sq km

• POPULATION: 18,881,361

• RELIGIONS: Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)

• LANGUAGES: Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood

• GOVERNMENT TYPE: republic under an authoritarian, military-dominated regime since March 1963

• CAPITAL CITY: Damascus

• OFFICIAL CURRENCY: Syrian pound (SYP)

• TIME ZONE: GMT/UTC +2