Syria: History and Civil War Overview

Syria

• Syria is an Arab country, ruled by a powerful family, recently experiencing civil war.
• Damascus is the capital, considered the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.
• Syria was part of the Ottoman Empire in the 1500s.
• Syria was under French control after World War I, gaining independence in the 1940s.
• From 1971 to 2000, the Syrian government was led by a dictator (Hafiz al-Assad).
• Bashar al-Assad, Hafiz al-Assad's son, became president in 2000, aiming to improve Syria's economy.
• In 2011, anti-government protests started, met with brutal force.
• The protests evolved into a civil war, divided by the Syrian government and rebel groups.
• The civil war expanded to include the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
• Syria has a diverse population, 90% Arab, 10% Kurd and Armenian.
• Religious groups including Sunni (74%), Druze & Alawite (13%), and Christians.
• The civil war led to the deaths of approximately 368,000 people by March 2017.
• Over 11 million Syrians lost their homes, and about 5 million refugees left the country.

Lebanon

• Lebanon is a small, mountainous country on the Mediterranean coast, home to various groups of people.
• Many religions and ethnic minorities settled in Lebanon during the Ottoman period.
• France controlled Lebanon and Syria after World War I.
• Lebanon gained independence in the 1940s, with French cultural influence.
• Lebanese population is primarily Arab, divided by religion into Muslims (Sunni & Shia) and Christians (Maronites).
• The Maronites are the largest Christian group, while Muslims have become the majority.
• Religious groups struggled for power in Lebanon after independence.
• The 1970s civil war pitted Christians against Muslims, including Palestinian refugees.
• The conflict involved other countries, severely damaging the capital, Beirut.
• Warfare lasted until 1990.