| Rif Dimashq Governorate | |
| Native Name: | مُحافظة ريف دمشق |
| Native Name Lang: | ar |
| Settlement Type: | Governorate |
| Coordinates: | 33.5°N 37°W |
| Coor Pinpoint: | Damascus |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Parts Type: | Manatiq (Districts) |
| Parts Style: | para |
| P1: | 10 |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Douma |
| Leader Title: | Governor |
| Leader Name: | Ahmed Ibrahim Khalil[1] [2] |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 18032 |
| Population Total: | 2,836,000 |
| 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-RD |
Rif Dimashq Governorate (Arabic: محافظة ريف دمشق, , lit. "Damascus Countryside Governorate") is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in the southwestern part of the country. It borders the governorates of Quneitra, Daraa and al-Suwayda in the southwest, Homs in the north, Lebanon in the west and Jordan in the south. The capital is the city of Douma.
The Governorate completely surrounds the city and governorate of Damascus and it has an area of 18,032 km² and a population of 2,273,074 (2004 census).[3]
The Governorate was a major site of fighting in the Syrian Civil War in the Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign.
The governorate is divided into ten districts (manatiq). The districts are further divided into 37 sub-districts (nawahi). There were nine districts until February 2009, when Qudsaya District was created from parts of Markaz Rif Dimashq and Al-Zabadani districts. There is a small village belonging to the Damascus countryside (Ghouta) called Aqraba, which is characterized by its fields and agricultural orchards. (nawahi). The governorate's total population (as of the 2004 census) is 2,273,074.