Rif Dimashq Governorate (Arabic: محافظة ريف دمشق, romanized: Moḥaafaẓat Reef Demashq, lit. "Damascus Countryside Governorate" or "Damascus Suburb") 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.
Rif Dimashq Governorate
مُحافظة ريف دمشق | |
|---|---|
 Map of Syria with Rif-dimashq highlighted | |
| Coordinates (Damascus): 33°30′N 37°00′E / 33.5°N 37°E | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Control | Syrian transitional government |
| Capital | Douma |
| Manatiq (Districts) | 10 |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Amer al-Sheikh |
| Area | |
• Total | 18,032 km2 (6,962 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 2,836,000 |
| • Density | 160/km2 (410/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | SY-RD |
| Main language(s) | Arabic |
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).[1]
The Governorate was a major site of fighting in the Syrian Civil War in the Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign.
Districts
editThe 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.
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*a newly-created district since 2009, formerly belonging to Markaz Rif Dimashq District and parts of Al-Zabadani District
Demographics
editAt the end of 2011, the population of Rif Dimashq reached 2,836,000, accounting for 13% of Syria’s population. Sunni Muslims made up 87% of the governorate, while Christians made up 5%, Alawite Muslims made up 4%, Druze made up 4%, Twelver Shia Muslims made up 0.9%, and Ismaili Muslims made up 0.1%.
References
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