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Syria: Damascus University
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The Catholics of the Latin Rite in Syria are not very numerous, and are under the jurisdiction of the Apostolic Delegate of Syria, whose residence is at Beirut (formerly at Aleppo). They number about 7000, scattered all over the large towns of Syria, and are either of Italian or French descent, having settled in Syria mainly for commercial or educational purposes. The so-called Latin Patriarchate of Antioch owes its origins to the times of the Crusades of the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries, in connection with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, both of which nowadays are simply titular, without any jurisdiction, and their titulars reside in Rome. The Latin Patriarch of Antioch has under his titular jurisdiction the following titular archbishoprics: Apamea, Adana, Tarsus, Anazarbe, Seleucia, Irenopolis, Cyr, Hierapolis, Edessa, Amida, Nisibis, Emesa, Heliopolis, Palmyra, Damascus, Philadelphia, Bostra, Almire, Derbe, Epiphania, Gabala, and Rosea. For Amenians (Catholic or schismatic), see ARMENIA; for Chaldeans (Catholic) see CHALDEAN CHRISTIANS. The last group of Christians in Syria, and perhaps the most important one, consists of the Maronites of Mt. Lebannon.
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A republic of southwestern Asia, Syria is on the Mediterranean Sea. Area: 185,180 sq km (71,498 sq mi). Pop. (1995 est.): 14,313,000. Cap.: Damascus. Monetary unit: Syrian pound, with (Oct. 6, 1995) a par value (official rate) of LS 11.22 to U.S. $1 (LS 17.74 = £1 sterling) and a "primary trade" rate of LS 41.95 to U.S. $1 (LS 66.32 = £1 sterling).
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W[H]ether you're looking for gold or spices, silk or icons, Syria has something for you. Furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl, silver, jewelry, hand-blown glass, rugs, hookahs, damask table linens and candied fruit (a specialty). For those who love bargain hunting the Damascus antique dealers in Sakiyyé and Hamra street and the craftsmen around the Takieh es Sulaymanieh mosque are good quality. Among the best addresses for quality silk brocades and damask fabrics in the Khahl Daye Bab Charki house at nº28 Hanania street. The Aleppo souks must not be missed. If you love embroidered dresses, you'll find the most beautiful ones at Hashem Moushalah in the Al Haraj souk in Aleppo.
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Syria has one of the world's longest recorded histories. Excavations at Ebla indicate there was a large state in the region in the 3rd millennium BC. Damascus boasts of being the world's oldest continuously settled city.
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West of the Jabal an Nuşayrīyah, Syria has a Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Yearly rainfall ranges from about 510 to 1,020 mm (about 20 to 40 in) in the coastal area, from about 255 to 510 mm (about 10 to 20 in) between Ḩalab (Aleppo) and Damascus, and from 127 mm (5 in) to less than 25 mm (1 in) in the desert area in the southeast. Regional variations in temperature are comparatively slight. At Ḩalab, in the northwest, the average August temperature is 30°C (86°F) and the average January temperature is 4°C (40°F). At Tudmur, in the central region at the edge of the Syrian Desert, the corresponding temperatures are 31°C (88°F) and 7°C (44°F).
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Syria consists of thirteen provinces, each administered by a governor. Each governor is advised by a provincial council, one-fourth of whose members are appointed and the remainder of whom are elected by popular balloting. Since 1970, these councils have exercised little decision-making autonomy. Municipal councils provide public services, license businesses, and supervise the collection of local taxes. Each municipal council is headed by a mayor. Damascus city constituted a separate governorate until 1987, when it merged with the surrounding province of Damascus to form a single administrative unit.
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