reads the Torah to the worshippers.
There may be a stand where the rabbi,
or leader of the synagogue, talks to the
worshippers as well.
Worshippers sit in long rows of seats
called pews. In the past, most synagogues
had separate places for men and
women to sit. In the branch of Judaism
called Orthodox, men and women still
sit separately in the synagogue.
The main part of synagogue worship is
the reading of the Torah.Worship services
usually take place on Friday nights
and Saturday mornings and on holy
days and festivals.
#More to explore
Judaism • Temple • Torah
A cabinet called the ark is a part of every
synagogue. But many other features vary
from place to place. A synagogue in
Uzbekistan features central Asian carpets.
222 Synagogue BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Syria
Syria is a country in the Middle East.
The capital is Damascus, one of the
oldest cities in the world.
Geography
Syria lies on the eastern end of the
Mediterranean Sea. Syria shares borders
with Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, and
Lebanon. Syria and Israel do not agree
on the location of their border.
A narrow plain runs along Syria’s western
coast. Mountains lie east of the plain
and in the southwest. The highest point
in Syria is Mount Hermon. It is 9,232
feet (2,814 meters) tall. East of the
mountains is the Syrian Desert. Rock
and gravel, not sand, cover the desert.
Syria has two major rivers: the Orontes
and the Euphrates.
Most of Syria has a dry climate with
cold winters and very hot summers. The
coast receives more rain and has milder
temperatures.
Plants and Animals
There are some forests of yew, lime,
pine, and fir trees in Syria’s mountains.
Date palms grow near the Euphrates
River. The Syrian Desert does not have
many plants.
Syria is home to deer, bears, squirrels,
wolves, hyenas, and foxes. Animals in
the desert include snakes, lizards,
gazelles, and jumping rodents called
jerboas.
People
Arabs make up most of Syria’s population.
A small group of Syria’s Arabs are
Bedouins, people who herd animals in
the deserts of the Middle East. After
Arabs, the next largest group is the
Kurds. Small groups of Armenians,
Turks, and others also live in Syria. Arabic
is the main language. Most people
live near the coast or in the Euphrates
River valley.
Most Syrians practice Islam. Christians
make up a small part of the population.
A small number of Syrians follow Druze,
a religion that combines Islam, Christianity,
Judaism, and other faiths.
Economy
The government controls the economy
in Syria. The largest sections of the
economy are agriculture, mining, and
manufacturing. Farmers grow wheat,
sugar beets, cotton, olives, grapes, and
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Syria 223
other crops. Many people raise sheep,
goats, and cattle. Syria’s mines provide
asphalt, salt, marble, and phosphates,
which are used to make fertilizer. Manufacturers
make cloth, cement, cooking
oil, and other goods. Petroleum (oil) is
the main product that Syria sells to
other countries.
History
Humans have lived in what is now Syria
for more than 4,500 years. Some of the
earliest peoples wrote on clay tablets that
still exist. The tablets tell about life in
Syria at that time. Many other
peoples—including Egyptians, Hittites,
and Assyrians—invaded Syria in its early
history. Syria later was controlled by the
Babylonian, Persian, and Greek empires.
In 64 BC the Romans conquered Syria.
Muslim Empires
In the AD 600s Muslim Arab armies
invaded Syria. Muslim empires ruled
Syria for most of the next 1,300 years.
However, Christian Crusaders controlled
some areas between about 1100
and 1300. The last of the Muslim
empires to rule Syria was the Ottoman
Empire. It took control in 1516.
Independence
The Ottoman Empire lost power after
WorldWar I (1914–18). In 1920 France
gained control of Syria. Syria won independence
from France in 1946. Military
leaders then ruled the country.
In 1948 part of the land to the south of
Syria became the country of Israel. Syria
and other Arab countries soon fought
several wars with Israel. In 1967 Israel
took a piece of land called the Golan
Heights from Syria.
In the 1970s Syria sent soldiers into
Lebanon during a civil war there. Syrian
forces stayed in Lebanon until early
2005. In 1991 Syria fought against Iraq
in the Persian GulfWar.
..More to explore
Arabs • Damascus • Middle East
The fortress called the Krak des Chevaliers
is in southwestern Syria. Christian Crusaders
held the fortress for a time in about the
1100s and 1200s.
Two Syrian men sell bunches of dates.
Facts About
SYRIA
Population
(2008 estimate)
19,639,000
Area
71,498 sq mi
(185,180 sq km)
Capital
Damascus
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Aleppo, Damascus,
Homs
(Hims), Latakia,
Hamah
224 Syria BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
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