Tartus Governorate Explained

Tartus Governorate
Native Name:مُحافظة طرطوس
Native Name Lang:ar
Settlement Type:Governorate
Coordinates:35°N 36°W
Coor Pinpoint:Tartus
Subdivision Type:Country
Parts Type:Manatiq (Districts)
Parts Style:para
P1:5
Seat Type:Capital
Seat:Tartus
Leader Title:Governor
Leader Name:Firas Ahmed Al-Hamid[1]
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Total Km2:1892
Area Note:Estimates range between 1,890 km2 and 1,892 km2
Population Total:797,000
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:auto
Blank Name Sec1:Main language(s)
Blank Info Sec1:Arabic
Timezone1:EET
Utc Offset1:+2
Timezone1 Dst:EEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+3
Iso Code:SY-TA

Tartus Governorate, also transliterated as Tartous Governorate, (Arabic: مُحافظة طرطوس / ALA-LC: Muḥāfaẓat Ṭarṭūs) is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in western Syria, bordering Latakia Governorate to the north, Homs and Hama Governorates to the east, Lebanon to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. It is one of the few governorates in Syria that has an Alawite majority. Sources list the area as 1,890 km2[2] or 1,892 km2,[3] with its capital being Tartus.

Archeological sites

Geography

Tartus comprises roughly half of Syria's Mediterranean coastline; offshore lie five small islands, the largest of which is Arwad.[4] Inland the terrain is mountainous, comprising a section of the Syrian Coastal Mountain Range (Nusayriyah Mountains).[5] The Nahr al-Kabir river forms the border with Lebanon to the south.[6]

Settlements

Tartus is the regional capital; other major settlements include Al-Hamidiyah, Al Qadmus, Al-Sawda, Ayn ash Shams, Baniyas, Qusaybah and Safita.

Districts

The governorate is divided into five districts (manatiq). The districts are further divided into 27 sub-districts (nawahi):

Demographics

As per the 2004 Syrian census the population was 701,400.[2] A 2011 UNOCHA estimate put the population at 797,000, though this has likely changed since the start of the war.

The majority at 72% are Alawites, 7% Sunni Muslim, 8% Ismaili, and 13% Christian. There is a small Cretan Greek community concentrated in Al-Hamidiyah, the descendants of refugees who fled the Greco-Turkish War of 1897.[7]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: President al-Assad issues decrees on appointing new governors for eight Syrian provinces. Syrian Arab News Agency. 20 July 2022. 15 August 2022.
  2. Web site: Syria Provinces. www.statoids.com.
  3. Web site: Syria: Governorates, Major Cities & Localities – Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information. www.citypopulation.de.
  4. Web site: Arwad, Fortress at Sea . Aramco World . 3 November 2018.
  5. Federal Research Division, Library of Congress (2005) "Country Profile: Syria" page 5
  6. [United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia]
  7. http://webs.uvigo.es/ssl/actas2002/05/08.%20Roula%20Tsokalidou.pdf Greek-Speaking Enclaves of Lebanon and Syria