Abstract
Ancient Syria, a region encompassing modern Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan, was home to some of the world’s earliest civilizations. From the city of Ebla, founded around 3000 BC, the Semitic empire developed. This was succeeded around 2260 BC by the Akkadian empire, then by the Amorites whose cities fell to the Hittites in the mid-2nd millennium BC. During the next 500 years Canaanites, Phoenicians, Aryans, Aramaeans and Hebrews settled different parts of the region. From the 9th-7th centuries BC the Assyrian empire dominated until, weakened by Cimmerian and Scythian immigration, it gave way to Babylonian rule.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Further Reading
Choueiri, Y., State and Society in Syria and Lebanon. 1994
George, Alan, Syria: Neither Bread nor Freedom. 2003
Goodarzi, Jubin, Syria and Iran: Diplomatic Alliance and Power Politics in the Middle East. 2006
Guo, Luc, Understanding Syria: History, Geography, Economy. 2011
Hinnebusch, Raymond, Syria: Revolution From Above. 2002
Hitti, Philip K., History of Syria Including Lebanon and Palestine. 2002
Kienle, Eberhard, Contemporary Syria: Liberalization Between Cold War and Peace. 1997
Lesch, David W., The New Lion of Damascus: Bashar Al Asad and Modern Syria. 2005
Moubayed, Sami, Steel and Silk: Men and Women Who Shaped Syria 1900–2000. 2005
Perthes, Volker, Syria Under Bashar Al-Asad: Modernisation and the Limits of Change. 2005
Van Dam, Nikolaos, The Struggle for Power in Syria: Politics and Society Under Asad and the Ba’th Party. 2011
National Statistical Office: Central Bureau of Statistics, Nizar Kabbani St., Abu Romanneh, Damascus.
Website: http://www.cbssyr.org
Editor information
Copyright information
© 2012 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Turner, B. (2012). Syria. In: Turner, B. (eds) The Statesman’s Yearbook. The Statesman’s Yearbook. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-59541-9_328
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-59541-9_328
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-230-36009-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-59541-9
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)