Rif Dimashq

Rif Dimashq Governorate (Arabic: محافظة ريف دمشق‎ / ALA-LC: Muḥāfaẓat Rīf Dimashq; literally, "Governorate of the Countryside of Damascus") is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in the southwestern part of the country. It borders the governorates of Quneitra, Daraa and al-Suwayda (comprising the historic Hauran region) in the southwest, Homs in the north, Lebanon in the west and Jordan in the south. The Governorate completely surrounds the separate Governorate of Damascus, which also contains the administrative headquarters of Rif Dimashq. It has an area of 18,032 km² and a population of 2,744,000 (estimated at the end of 2010). The governorate is divided into nine districts (manatiq): These are further divided into 36...