The Ancient Syri The Culture Of Syria

The world is comprised of many different countries. Within the borders of these countries live groups of people. Each group differs from one another in varying ways. In the Army, Soldiers can be deployed or stationed all around the world. In order to understand a host country and to be a better leader, one must first understand the people and their culture. A leader has to look at the history of the country, the traditions, and the customs. This can help an Army leader understand why people are the way they are. In addition, the geography, climate, and government are also important. Culture truly defines a society. If one is able to understand a society’s culture, it will aid in the understanding of its people. Culture is many things

Various powers ruled over Syria throughout its existence, and this was a factor in developing its culture. Family plays a big role in Syria’s culture. Numerous events are family oriented. It is not uncommon for frequent visits from family members, including holiday celebrations and daily meals (Scullard et al., 2017). Certain aspects of Syrian life are governed by religion, mainly Islam. Arab Muslims invaded Syria in 633 AD and brought their religion with them. Therefore, for a majority of its existence, Islam played a part in shaping the culture. This was evident in Syrian art. Islam forbids the artistic representation of human or animal life. Much of early artwork from Syria was geometrical in nature or simple plant or animal designs. After World War I, the French had occupied Syria, and in 1920, created the French Mandate (Scullard et al., 2017). This essentially “created” Syria, at least how we see it on a map. Shortly after this mandate, different art began to emerge from Syria. Drawing was being taught. Writing had changed. Cinema and theater were even transformed (Scullard et al., 2017). One might be able to conclude that the French certainly had an impact on the Syrian people. After Syria gained independence from France in 1946, several different powers ruled over the country. In 1963, the Ba’th party took over the government in a coup and has been ruling ever since. The Ba’ath party was

It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Jordan to the south, Iraq to the east, and Israel, Lebanon, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Syria is roughly one and a half the size of Pennsylvania in size (Central Intelligence Agency [CIA], 2017). Most of Syria is desert with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Over three quarters of its land is able to be used for agriculture; however, only about 17% of the labor force is in some sort of agricultural field. Additionally, only about 20% of the GDP is from agriculture. Most of the GDP comes from services. The capital is Damascus, and the country is divided into 14 provinces. A presidential republic governs the land with the Ba’ath party in control. As previously stated, Syria has been ruled by a number of different powers. Namely, the Ottoman Empire ruled for a majority of time. After gaining independence from France, and after several military coups, Syria partnered with Egypt to create the United Arab Republic. This was only short lived. In 1961, the two countries split and the Syrian Arab Republic was formed (CIA, 2017). Two conflicts adjusted and blurred Syrian national borders. After the Arab-Israeli War, or Six Day War, in 1967, Syria lost control of the Golan Heights, a mountainous region to the southwest. To this day, it is still controlled and inhabited by Israel, even though it is still officially part of Syria. During the 1970s, the Lebanon civil war