Aleppo Governorate

Coordinates: 36°12′N 37°36′E / 36.2°N 37.6°E / 36.2; 37.6
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Aleppo Governorate
مُحافظة حلب
Arabic
Syriac
Kurdish
Turkish
Armenian
WebsiteAleppo Governorate

Aleppo Governorate (

ALA-LC: Muḥāfaẓat Ḥalab / [muˈħaːfaðˤat ˈħalab]) is one of the fourteen governorates of Syria. It is the most populous governorate in Syria with a population of more than 4,867,000 (2011 Est.), almost 23% of the total population of Syria. The governorate is the fifth in area with an area of 18,482 km2 (7,136 sq mi),[2] or 18,498 km2,[3] about 10% of the total area of Syria. The capital is the city of Aleppo
.

History

Ancient

In Classical Antiquity, the region was made up of three regions: Chalybonitis (with its centre at Chalybon or Aleppo), Chalcidice (with its center at

Coele Syria or Magna Syria, which was ruled from Antioch. The province of Euphratensis was established in the 4th century CE in the east, its centre was Hierapolis Bambyce (Manbij).[4]

Under the

Vilayet of Aleppo.[6]

Modern history

During the

Tanzimat era of Ottoman governance in Aleppo, the authorities established the 1858 land reform law along with schemes to introduce new Bedouin settlers to northern Syria. These programs led to a stronger integration of Aleppo with the economy of the Ottoman heartland in Anatolia. It also paved the way for European capitalists to exploit agricultural resources of the region and caused internal trade to shift into the hands of European merchants.[7]

In the early 20th century, during the

French Mandate the region was part of the short-lived State of Aleppo.[8]

Aleppo Governorate formerly included Idlib Governorate, until the latter was split off circa 1960.[3]

Syrian Civil War (2011-present)

The governorate has been the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in the

Rojava/Syrian Democratic Forces.[citation needed] After fierce fighting, the Syrian Arab Army with Russian air support managed to take control of the capital of the Governorate, Aleppo, in December 2016 from Fatah Halab coalition.[citation needed
]

In August 2016, the

Southern Raqqa Offensive.[citation needed
]

In January 2018, the Turkish army backed by the Free Syrian Army launched the

YPG, which resulted in the capture of the city of Afrin and the entire Afrin District.[11]

Geography

The governorate has a 221-kilometre (137 mi) long[citation needed] northern boundary with the Kilis, Gaziantep, and Şanlıurfa provinces of Turkey. To the east lies Raqqa Governorate, to the south Ḥamā Governorate, and to the west Idlib Governorate and Turkey's Hatay Province.

The governorate lies on a plateau known as the

Jazīrah plateau. The southeastern end of the governorate is continuous with the arid steppe of the northern Syrian Desert. To the south lie the eastern plains of Hama, and to the southwest lie the northern plains of Idlib.[citation needed
]

The average elevation of the terrain is 379 metres (1,243 ft). The surface gradually slopes down in north–south and west–east directions, undulating gently with an amplitude of 10–30 m for each wave. The lowlands are covered with combined Paleozoic and Mesozoic sediments that average 4–5 km in thickness over the whole surface.[12]

Geographic features of northwestern Syria

Starting from the valley of the Euphrates, the terrain rises forming the Manbij plain, and then sinks again at the

Mount Ḥārim to the south.[citation needed
]

The governorate is generally deforested except for a dispersed forest of about 50 square kilometres (19 sq mi) on the eastern slope of Mount Kurd where it faces the plain of

Aleppo Pine and oak.[citation needed
]

Arable land makes up 66% of the total area in the governorate. The main crops are olives, figs, plums, pomegranates, vegetables, grains, rice, and pistachios. Pistachio is called in Syria fustuq Ḥalabī (Aleppo pistachio). Rivers traditionally supported agriculture; the main rivers in Aleppo are the Quwēq, ʻIfrīn, Sājūr, Dhahab, Aswad, and Euphrates. However, all of these rivers arise in Turkey, and due to irrigation projects on the Turkish side of the border, the flow of these rivers dropped so much that most of them could no longer support agriculture. The Quwēq, for example, dried up completely in the 1950s. The vanishing of the rivers forced farmers to depend largely on rainfall and on water diverted from the Euphrates. A pumping station at Maskanah (95 km east of Aleppo) provides drinking water for Aleppo from the Euphrates. Recently Euphrates water has been diverted to revive the dead Qwēq river, and thus revive agriculture in the plains south of Aleppo. Urban areas, highlands, swamps, forests, and grazing land make up 34% of the total area of the governorate. The remaining 14% is a desert area in the southeast that is continuous with the Syrian Desert and known as the Aleppo Desert (Arabic: بادية حلب).[citation needed]

The largest lake in the governorate is

Lake Jabboul, a Ramsar salt lake located 40 kilometres (25 mi) southeast of Aleppo. Lake Assad
(the largest lake in Syria) separates Aleppo Governorate from Raqqa Governorate. Other artificial lakes include the Lake of 17 April on the River ʻIfrīn and the revived Shabāʼ Lake on River Quwēq.

Archaeological sites are abundant in the governorate, especially at Mount Simeon in the west and the plains that extend beyond towards Antioch and Idlib. This region, known as the Limestone Massif, has the largest concentration of Late Antiquity churches in the world, with a unique Syrian architectural style.[14] It also has the famous Dead Cities of Syria.[15]

Cities

Aleppo city hall, the seat of the governorate and the city council

The following cities are the administrative centres of the districts in Aleppo Governorate (Population based on 2004 official census):

City Population
Aleppo 2,132,100[16]
Manbij 99,497[17]
As Safirah
 63,708[18]
Al-Bab 63,069[19]
Ayn Al-Arab
 44,821[20]
Afrin 36,562[21]
A'zaz
 31,623[22]
Dayr Hafir 18,948[23]
Jarabulus 11,570[24]
Atarib 10,657[25]

Districts

The governorate is divided into ten

nawahi):[citation needed
]

* - includes Aleppo City
** - a newly created district since 2008, formerly belonging to Mount Simeon District
*** - a newly created district since 2009, formerly belonging to Al-Bab District

Climate

Aleppo Governorate has a semi-arid climate. The mountain series that runs along the Mediterranean coast, namely Mount Alawites and Mount Amanus, largely block the effects of the

Mediterranean on climate (rain shadow effect).[citation needed
] The average temperature in the governorate is 15–20 °C (59–68 °F). The average precipitation ranges from 500 mm (20 in) in the western parts of the governorate to 200 mm (8 in) in the easternmost parts and 150 mm (6 in) in the southeastern desert. 80% of precipitation occurs between October and March. Snow is usually in winter. The average humidity is 60% in the west and 55% in the east.

Climate data for Aleppo (1946-2004)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17
(63) 		21
(70) 		31
(88) 		34
(93) 		41
(106) 		47
(117) 		46
(115) 		43
(109) 		41
(106) 		37
(99) 		30
(86) 		18
(64) 		47
(117)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 10.3
(50.5) 		12.6
(54.7) 		16.9
(62.4) 		22.6
(72.7) 		28.7
(83.7) 		33.6
(92.5) 		36.2
(97.2) 		36.1
(97.0) 		33.2
(91.8) 		27.0
(80.6) 		16.8
(62.2) 		11.9
(53.4) 		23.8
(74.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 5.6
(42.1) 		7.4
(45.3) 		11.0
(51.8) 		15.8
(60.4) 		21.1
(70.0) 		25.8
(78.4) 		28.3
(82.9) 		28.1
(82.6) 		25.2
(77.4) 		19.4
(66.9) 		12.3
(54.1) 		7.3
(45.1) 		17.3
(63.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.7
(35.1) 		2.4
(36.3) 		5.0
(41.0) 		8.9
(48.0) 		13.5
(56.3) 		18.1
(64.6) 		20.9
(69.6) 		20.9
(69.6) 		17.3
(63.1) 		12.4
(54.3) 		6.4
(43.5) 		3.3
(37.9) 		10.9
(51.6)
Record low °C (°F) −13
(9) 		−10
(14) 		−7
(19) 		−2
(28) 		0
(32) 		9
(48) 		16
(61) 		15
(59) 		7
(45) 		5
(41) 		−3
(27) 		−8
(18) 		−13
(9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 60.3
(2.37) 		52.0
(2.05) 		46.1
(1.81) 		33.6
(1.32) 		17.9
(0.70) 		2.3
(0.09) 		0.1
(0.00) 		0.3
(0.01) 		2.2
(0.09) 		19.2
(0.76) 		35.2
(1.39) 		59.6
(2.35) 		328.8
(12.94)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 13 14 10 7 4 1 0 0 1 4 7 11 72
Mean monthly sunshine hours 120.9 140.0 198.4 243.0 319.3 366.0 387.5 365.8 303.0 244.9 186.0 127.1 3,001.9
Source 1: World Meteorological Organization,[26] Hong Kong Observatory (sun 1961–1990)[27]
Source 2: BBC Weather (record highs and lows)[28]

Economy

Agricultural output from Aleppo mainly focuses on cereal and cotton production. However, since the

war in Ukraine and reductions in the Euphrates' river water levels are expected to cause a major impact on water and electricity access as well as food security within the region.[30]

Population

As per the 2004 Syrian census the population was 4,045,200.

UNOCHA estimate put the population at 4,867,900, though this has likely changed since the start of the war.[31]

References

  1. ^ "Aleppo governor, Indonesian delegation discuss cooperation in reconstruction field". SANA. 2017-09-21. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
  2. ^ "History of Aleppo" تاريخ حلب. الموقع الرسمي لمجلس مدينة حلب (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2013-07-23. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  3. ^ a b c "Syria Provinces". www.statoids.com.
  4. ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6
    .
  5. OCLC 1004386
    .
  6. ISBN 978-1-107-03363-4
    . Retrieved 2013-06-08.
  7. JSTOR 25651220
    .
  8. ^ Syria: French Levant States 1920-1936
  9. ^ Stein, Aaron; Abouzahr, Hossam; Komar, Rao (20 July 2017). "How Turkey Is Governing in Northern Aleppo". Syria Deeply. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  10. ^ Sirwan Kajjo (2 March 2017). "Skirmishes Mar Fight Against IS in Northern Syria". Voice of America. Turkish occupation "is an existential threat to the Assad government's ability to reclaim the entirety of its territory, which is a key argument that regime loyalists make in their support of Bashar al-Assad's government," Heras said.
  11. ^ "Turkey takes full control of Syria's Afrin region, reports say". Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  12. ^ Abd as-Salam, Adil (1991) General Geography of Syria (Arabic)
  13. ^ "SY006: Sabkhat al-Jabbul" BirdLife IBA Factsheet
  14. ^ "FindArticles.com - CBSi". Archived from the original on 2012-07-09.
  15. ^ Darke, Diana (2006) Syria p.132
  16. ^ "Aleppo city population". Archived from the original on 2012-05-20.
  17. ^ "Manbij city population". Archived from the original on 2012-07-29.
  18. ^ "As Safirah city population". Archived from the original on 2012-07-23.
  19. ^ "al-Bab city population". Archived from the original on 2012-12-03.
  20. ^ "Ayn Al-Arab city population". Archived from the original on 2012-12-03.
  21. ^ "Afrin city population". Archived from the original on 2012-07-30.
  22. ^ "A'zaz city population". Archived from the original on 2012-07-29.
  23. ^ "Dayr-Hafir city population". Archived from the original on 2012-07-29.
  24. ^ "Jarabulus city population". Archived from the original on 2012-12-03.
  25. ^ "Atarib city population". Archived from the original on 2012-07-23.
  26. ^ "World Weather Information Service – Aleppo". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  27. ^ "Climatological Information for Aleppo, Syria". Hong Kong Observatory. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  28. ^ "Average Conditions Aleppo, Syria". BBC Weather. November 2010. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  29. ^ Butter, David (2015). "Syria's Economy: Picking up the Pieces" (PDF). Chatham House. pp. 9, 14. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  30. ^ "Informal Site and Settlement Profiles: Aleppo Governorate, Syria (February 2022) - Syrian Arab Republic | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  31. ^ Syrian Arab Republic - Governorates profile (PDF), UNOCHA, June 2014, retrieved 20 March 2020
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