Tartus Governorate

The present day Tartus Governorate was part of the Alawite State, which existed from 1920 to 1936. In 1972, the Ba'athist administration had established Tartus Governorate, effectively detaching it from Latakia Governorate. == Archeological sites ==

• Al-Kahf Castle – Isma'ili castle • Hosn Sulaiman • Aleika Castle – Isma'ili castle • Amrit – Phoenician city • Chastel Rouge (Qal’at Yahmur) – Crusader castle • Hosn Suleiman • Margat – Crusader castle • Citadel of Arwad • Tell Kazel – Bronze age site (possibly the ancient city of Sumur) • Carne – Phoenician city • Chastel Blanc • Citadel of Tartus • == Geography ==

Tartus comprises roughly half of Syria's Mediterranean coastline; offshore lie five small islands, the largest of which is Arwad. Inland the terrain is mountainous, comprising a section of the Syrian Coastal Mountain Range (Nusayriyah Mountains). The Nahr al-Kabir river forms the border with Lebanon to the south. Settlements Tartus is the regional capital; other major settlements include Al-Hamidiyah, Al Qadmus, Al-Sawda, Ayn ash Shams, Baniyas, Qusaybah and Safita. Districts The governorate is divided into five districts (manatiq). The districts are further divided into 27 sub-districts (nawahi): • Tartus District (7 sub-districts) • Tartus Subdistrict • Arwad Subdistrict • Al-Hamidiyah Subdistrict • Khirbet al-Maazah Subdistrict • Al-Sawda Subdistrict • Al-Karimah Subdistrict • Al-Safsafah Subdistrict • Baniyas District (7 sub-districts) • Baniyas Subdistrict • Al-Rawda Subdistrict • Al-Annazah Subdistrict • Al-Qadmus Subdistrict • Hammam Wasel Subdistrict • Al-Tawahin Subdistrict • Talin Subdistrict • Duraykish District (4 sub-districts) • Duraykish Subdistrict • Junaynet Ruslan Subdistrict • Hamin Subdistrict • Dweir Ruslan Subdistrict • Safita District (6 sub-districts) • Safita Subdistrict • Mashta al-Helu Subdistrict • Al-Bariqiyah Subdistrict • Sebei Subdistrict • Al-Sisiniyah Subdistrict • Ras al-Khashufah Subdistrict • Al-Shaykh Badr District (3 sub-districts) • Al-Shaykh Badr Subdistrict • Brummanet al-Mashayekh Subdistrict • Al-Qamsiyah Subdistrict == Demographics ==

As per the 2004 Syrian census the population was 701,400. The estimated population of 797,000 represented roughly 4% of Syria's population at the time. The population was almost entirely ethnic Arabs; these were Alawites at 69%, 18% Sunni Muslims, 7% Ismaili Muslims, and 6% were Christians (mostly Greek Orthodox). There was a small Cretan Greek community concentrated in Al-Hamidiyah, the descendants of refugees who fled the Greco-Turkish War of 1897. ==Gallery==

File:Tartus_governorate_-_physical_map.png|Map of Tartus governorate File:Safita overview.jpg|Safita File:Kaf Aljaa.jpg|Mountains near Kaff al-Jaa File:Marqab2.jpg|Margat Castle File:Al-Kafroun (Arabic الكفرون).jpg|Al Kafrun File:Arwad Castle 阿瓦德古堡 - panoramio.jpg|Arwad Castle ==See also==