Latakia Governorate

Latakia Governorate, also transliterated as Ladhakia Governorate (Arabic: مُحافظة اللاذقية / ALA-LC: Muḥāfaẓat al-Lādhiqīyah), is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in northwestern Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay Province to the north, Idlib and Hama Governorates to the east, Tartus Governorate to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Its reported area varies in different sources from 2,297 km² (887 sq mi)^[1] to 2,437 km² (941 sq mi).^[2] The governorate has a population of 1,008,000 (2011 estimate).

Quick Facts مُحافظة اللاذقية, Country ...

Latakia Governorate مُحافظة اللاذقية
Governorate
Map of Syria with Latakia highlighted
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Country	Syria
Capital	Latakia
Manatiq (Districts)	4
Government
• Governor	Hassan Soufan
Area
• Total	2,297 km2 (887 sq mi)
	Estimates range between 2,297 km2 and 2,437 km2
Population  (2011)
• Total	1,008,000
• Density	440/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
ISO 3166 code	SY-LA

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The governorate was historically part of the Alawite State, which existed from 1920 to 1936.^[3]

Tartus Governorate was formerly included as part of Latakia, before being split off circa 1972.^[2]

The region has been relatively peaceful during the Syrian civil war, being a generally pro-Assad region that had largely remained under government control. The Free Syrian Army attacked Al-Haffah in 2012, and unsuccessfully attempted to wrest control of the province in 2014,^[4] 2015^[5] and 2016.^[6] In 2016 the Islamic State conducted a bomb attack on Jableh, resulting in many deaths.^[7]

The Latakia Governorate comprises about half of Syria's Mediterranean coastline. The western part of the governorate consists mainly of coastal plains, with the inland eastern parts being mountainous, with the Syrian Coastal Mountain Range (Nusayriyah Mountains) running north to south.^[8] Its highest peak, Nabi Yunis, is 1,562 meters (5,125 ft) tall with the average elevation only about 1,200 meters.^[8] The western areas of the governorate catch moisture-laden winds from the Mediterranean Sea and are thus more fertile and more heavily populated than the eastern slopes.

The Orontes River flows north alongside the range on its eastern verge in the Al-Ghab Plain, a 64 kilometres (40 mi) longitudinal trench,^[9] and then around the northern edge of the range to flow into the Mediterranean. Another important river is Nahr al-Kabir al-Shamali, a river running from the Turkish border and to the southwest to flow in the Mediterranean, with the 16 Tishreen dam, one of the most important in the region, being constructed for power generation, storage of rain and river water, and the creation of Mashqita Lake.^[10]

Districts

Latakia

Jableh

Qardaha

Al-Haffah

The governorate is divided into four districts (manatiq). The districts are further divided into 22 sub-districts (nawahi):^{[citation needed]}

Latakia District (7 sub-districts) Latakia Subdistrict Al-Bahluliyah Subdistrict Rabia Subdistrict Ayn al-Baydah Subdistrict Qastal Ma'af Subdistrict Kessab Subdistrict Hanadi Subdistrict Al-Haffah District (5 sub-districts) Al-Haffah Subdistrict Slinfah Subdistrict Ayn al-Tineh Subdistrict Kinsabba Subdistrict Muzayraa Subdistrict

Jableh District (6 sub-districts) Jableh Subdistrict Ayn al-Sharqiyah Subdistrict Al-Qutailibiyah Subdistrict Ayn Shiqaq Subdistrict Daliyah Subdistrict Beit Yashout Subdistrict Qardaha District (4 sub-districts) Qardaha Subdistrict Harf al-Musaytirah Subdistrict Al-Fakhurah Subdistrict Jawbat Burghal Subdistrict

The governorate is located on the Mediterranean Sea, which gave it great economic importance, with the capital of the governorate, Latakia serving as Syria's main port. Its port was established on 12 February 1950.^[15]

Its imported cargo includes clothing, construction materials, vehicles, furniture, minerals, tobacco, cotton, and food supplies such as lintels, onions, wheat, barley, dates, grains and figs; in 2008, the port handled about 8 million tons of cargo.^{[citation needed]}

The governorate is also a popular domestic tourist destination, with the Cote d'Azur B=beach of Latakia being Syria's premier coastal resort, offering water skiing, jet skiing, and windsurfing.^[16] The city contains eight hotels, two of which have five-star ratings; both the Cote d'Azur de Cham Hotel and Lé Meridien Lattiquie Hotel are located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of the city, at Cote d'Azur.^{[citation needed]} The latter hotel has 274 rooms and is the only international hotel in the city.^{[citation needed]} Latakia is also host to numerous designer-label stores, notably on 8 Azar Street, and the heart of the city's shopping area is the series of blocks enclosed by 8 Azar Street, Yarmouk Street, and Saad Zaghloul Street in the city centre.^{[citation needed]} Cinemas in Latakia include Ugarit Cinema, al-Kindi, and a smaller theater off al-Moutanabbi Street.^{[citation needed]}

As per the 2004 Syrian census the population was 879,550.^[2] A 2011 UNOCHA estimate put the population at 1,008,000, though this has likely changed since the start of the war.^[17]

At the end of 2011, Latakia’s population reached 1,008,000, accounting for 5% of Syria’s total population. The majority at 58% are Alawite Muslims, followed by 37% Sunni Muslims, 5% Christians, 0.2% Twelver Shia Muslims and 0.2% Ismaili Muslims.^[18]

• 
  Map of Latakia governorate
• 
  Mountains near Beit Yashout
• 
  Ruins of Ugarit
• 
  Armenian church in Kessab
• 
  Countryside near Mushayrafet al-Samouk
• 
  Sunbathers on the Latakian Cote d'Azur

• Alawite State