Rif Dimashq Governorate ( ar, محافظة ريف دمشق, ', literally, the "Governorate of the Countryside of Damascus", Damascus Suburb) is one of the fourteen

governorates A governorate is an administrative division of a state. It is headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either states or provinces, the term ''governorate'' is often used in translation from ...

(provinces) of Syria. It is situated in the southwestern part of the country. It borders the governorates of

Quneitra Quneitra (also Al Qunaytirah, Qunaitira, or Kuneitra; ar, ٱلْقُنَيْطِرَة or ٱلْقُنَيطْرَة, ''al-Qunayṭrah'' or ''al-Qunayṭirah'' ) is the largely destroyed and abandoned capital of the Quneitra Governorate in sout ...

Daraa Daraa ( ar, دَرْعَا, Darʿā, Levantine Arabic: , also Darʿā, Dara’a, Deraa, Dera'a, Dera, Derʿā and Edrei; means "''fortress''", compare Dura-Europos) is a city in southwestern Syria, located about north of the border with Jord ...

and

al-Suwayda As-Suwayda ( ar, ٱلسُّوَيْدَاء / ALA-LC romanization: ''as-Suwaydāʾ''), also spelled ''Sweida'' or ''Swaida'', is a mainly Druze city located in southwestern Syria, close to the border with Jordan. It is the capital of As-Suwayda ...

(comprising the historic Hauran region) in the southwest, Homs in the north,

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

in the west and

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

in the south. The Governorate completely surrounds the city- governorate of Damascus and it has an area of 18,032 km² and a population of 2,273,074 (2004 census).Rif Dimashq total population as of 2004 official census
The Governorate was a major site of fighting in the Syrian Civil War - see

Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign Part of the Syrian Civil War, the Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign consisted of several battles and offensives across the governorate including the Syrian capital of Damascus: Offensives * Rif Dimashq clashes (November 2011–March 2012): Da ...

Districts

The governorate is divided into ten districts (

manatiq Minṭaqah ( ; plural ''manāṭiq'' ) is a first-level administrative division in Saudi Arabia and Chad and for a second-level administrative division in several other Arab countries. It is often translated as ''region'' or ''district'', but th ...

). The districts are further divided into 37 sub-districts ( nawahi). There were nine districts until February 2009, when Qudsaya District was created from parts of Markaz Rif Dimashq and Al-Zabadani districts. There is a small village belonging to the Damascus countryside (Ghouta) called Aqraba, which is characterized by its fields and agricultural orchards. ( nawahi). The governorate's total population (as of the 2004 census) is 2,273,074. *

Markaz Rif Dimashq District Markaz Rif Dimashq District ( ar-at, منطقة مركز ريف دمشق, manṭiqat Markaz Rif Dimašq) or Damascus Central Countryside District is a district of the Rif Dimashq Governorate Rif Dimashq Governorate ( ar, محافظة ريف د� ...

(6 sub-districts; population: 837,804) ** Al-Kiswah Subdistrict ** Babbila Subdistrict ** Jaramana Subdistrict **

Al-Malihah Subdistrict Malihah Subdistrict ( ar, ناحية المليحة, Nāḥiyah al-Mulayḥa) is a subdistrict of Markaz Rif Dimashq District in the Rif Dimashq Governorate of Syria. The administrative centre is the town of al-Malihah. Neighbouring subdistrict ...

** Kafr Batna Subdistrict ** Arbin Subdistrict *

Darayya District Darayya District ( ar-at, منطقة داريا, manṭiqat Dārayyā) is a district of the Rif Dimashq Governorate in southern Syria. The administrative centre is the city of Darayya Darayya ( ar, دَارَيَّا, Dārayyā) is a suburb o ...

(3 sub-districts; population: 260,961) ** Darayya Subdistrict ** Sahnaya Subdistrict ** al-Hajar al-Aswad Subdistrict * Douma District (7 sub-districts; population: 433,719) ** Douma Subdistrict ** Harasta Subdistrict ** Al-Sabe' Biyar Subdistrict ** Al-Dumayr Subdistrict ** Al-Nashabiyah Subdistrict ** Al-Ghizlaniyah Subdistrict ** Harran al-Awamid Subdistrict *

An-Nabek District an-Nabek District ( ar-at, منطقة النبك, manṭiqat an-Nabek) is a district of the Rif Dimashq Governorate in southern Syria. Administrative centre is the city of an-Nabek An-Nabek or Al-Nabek ( ar, ٱلنَّبْك, an-Nabk) is a Syr ...

(3 sub-districts; population: 80,001) ** An-Nabek Subdistrict ** Deir Atiyah Subdistrict ** Qara Subdistrict * Qatana District (3 sub-districts; population: 207,245) ** Qatana Subdistrict ** Beit Jen Subdistrict ** Sa'sa' Subdistrict *

Qudsaya District Qudsaya District ( ar-at, منطقة قدسيا, manṭiqat Qudsaya) is a district of the Rif Dimashq Governorate in southern Syria. Qudsaya District is located to the northwest of the Damascus Governorate and Mount Qasioun, covering the northw ...

(3 sub-districts; population: 105,974)^* ** Qudsaya Subdistrict ** Al-Dimas Subdistrict ** Ain al-Fijah Subdistrict * Al-Qutayfah District (4 sub-districts; population: 119,283) ** Al-Qutayfah Subdistrict ** Jayroud Subdistrict ** Maaloula Subdistrict ** Ar-Ruhaybah Subdistrict *

Al-Tall District al-Tall District ( ar-at, منطقة التل, manṭiqat al-Tall) is a district of the Rif Dimashq Governorate in southern Syria. The administrative centre An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, ...

(3 sub-districts; population: 115,937) ** al-Tall Subdistrict ** Saidnaya Subdistrict ** Rankous Subdistrict *

Yabroud District Yabroud District ( ar-at, منطقة يبرود, manṭiqat Yabrūd) is a district of the Rif Dimashq Governorate in southern Syria. Administrative centre is the city of Yabroud Yabroud or Yabrud ( ar, يَبْرُود, Yabrūd) is a city in ...

(2 sub-districts; population: 48,370) ** Yabroud Subdistrict ** Assal al-Ward Subdistrict *

Al-Zabadani District al-Zabadani District ( ar-at, منطقة الزبداني, manṭiqat al-Zabadani) is a district of the Rif Dimashq Governorate in southern Syria. Administrative centre is the city of al-Zabadani. At the 2004 census, the district had a populati ...

(3 sub-districts; population: 63,780) ** Al-Zabadani Subdistrict ** Madaya Subdistrict ** Serghaya Subdistrict ^* - a newly-created district since 2009, formerly belonging to Markaz Rif Dimashq District and parts of Al-Zabadani District

References

Governorates of Syria {{RifDimashqSY-geo-stub