Facts about Syria You Might Not Know

• Syria has 14 governorates (like provinces or counties). They are Aleppo, Raqqa, As-Suwayda, Damascus, Daraa, Deir ez-Zor, Hama, Hasaka, Homs, Idlib, Latakia, Quneitra, Rif Dimashq, and Tartus.

• Syria's capital, Damascus, is known as the "City of Jasmine."

Jasmine flowers

• American celebrities with Syrian roots include Paula Abdul, Steve Jobs, and Jerry Seinfeld.

• One of the oldest, most famous, and holiest mosques in the Muslim world is the Umayyad Mosque, located in Damascus.

Umayyad Mosque, Damascus, Syria

• Aleppo, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, is known for its spices and tasty cuisine.

Aleppo, Syria

• Damascus is the oldest continually inhabited city in the world.

• While Syria's official name is "Syrian Arab Republic," in reality, it is home to a whole host of different races, including Armenians and Kurds.

• Syria is known among Middle Eastern countries for having exceptionally delicious food.

• Syria borders Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, and the Mediterranean Sea.

• The main language spoken in Syria is Arabic, however, there are numerous other languages spoken in Syria too, including Kurdish, Turkish, Neo-Aramaic, Circassian, Chechen, Armenian, and Greek.