Syria (Cherry, Plum, and Chrysanthemum)

Syria (Arabic: سوريا‎ or سورية, Sūriyā or Sūrīyah), officially the Syrian Republic (Arabic: الجمهورية السورية‎ Al-Jumhūriyyah Al-Sūriyyah), is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, Israel and Palestine to the southwest. Its capital Damascus is among the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world. The modern Syrian state was established after World War I as a French mandate, and represented the largest Arab state to emerge from the formerly Ottoman-ruled Arab Levant. It gained independence in April 17, 1946, as a parliamentary republic. A country of fertile plains, high mountains, and deserts, it is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, including the majority Arab population.