| Damascus Governorate | |
| Native Name: | مُحافظة دمشق |
| Native Name Lang: | ar |
| Settlement Type: | Governorate |
| Coordinates: | 33.513°N 36.292°W |
| Coor Pinpoint: | Damascus |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Syria |
| Parts Type: | Manatiq (Districts) |
| Parts Style: | para |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Damascus |
| Leader Title: | Governor |
| Leader Name: | Mohammad Tariq Kreishati[1] |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Population Total: | 2,503,000 |
| Population As Of: | 2022 est. |
| 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-DI |
Damascus Governorate (Arabic: مُحافظة دمشق ) is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. Completely surrounded by the Rif Dimashq Governorate, it consists only of the city of Damascus, the capital of Syria.
The governorate's area is around 107 km2, encompassing the area of the city of Damascus, while the population is around 2,503,000.
See main article: Municipalities of Damascus.
Damascus occupies a strategic location on a plateau which rises 680 m (2,230 ft) above sea level and about 80 km (50 mi) inland from the Mediterranean, sheltered by the Anti-Lebanon mountains, supplied with water by the Barada River. The Anti-Lebanon mountains which mark the border between Syria and Lebanon, block precipitation from the Mediterranean sea, so that the region of Damascus is sometimes subject to droughts. However, in ancient times this was mitigated by the Barada River, which originates from mountain streams fed by melting snow. Damascus is surrounded by the Ghouta, an irrigated farmland where many vegetables, cereals, and fruits have been farmed since ancient times.
The governorate occupies an area of 107 km2, 79 km2 of which is urban while the rest is occupied by Mount Qasioun which overlooks the city.
Damascus has a cold desert climate (BWk) in Köppen-Geiger system,[2] due to the rain shadow effect of the Anti-Lebanon mountains[3] and the prevailing ocean currents. Summers are dry and hot with less humidity. Winters are cool and somewhat rainy; snowfall is infrequent. Annual rainfall is around 130mm, occurring from October to May.
