Syrian governorates, found on the map
Learn all fourteen governorates. Zoom in to separate Damascus from Rif Dimashq. These reference areas do not show current control or front lines.
14 to find, 8 a run.
2 rounds, 6 of 8 to pass each. Pass one and its places are yours.
Every one on the map
Every place listed below can be asked in this game. Places you find in a passed round drop out of your remaining pool.
- Al-Hasakah
- Aleppo
- As-Suwayda
- Damascus
- Daraa
- Deir ez-Zor
- Hama
- Homs
- Idlib
- Latakia
- Quneitra
- Raqqa
- Rif Dimashq
- Tartus
What the map tells you about each one
The paragraph the game shows when you find each one. Reading them first is not cheating.
- Damascus
- Damascus is a separate governorate from the surrounding Rif Dimashq. Zoom in to distinguish its compact area.
- Aleppo
- Aleppo’s trading history connects inland routes with northern Syria. The modern governorate includes towns well beyond the old city.
- Rif Dimashq
- The name refers to the countryside of Damascus. The governorate contains mountain towns, the Ghouta area and dry interior landscapes.
- Homs
- Homs links western routes, while Palmyra lies much farther east within the same governorate.
- Hama
- Hama is associated with wooden waterwheels. The governorate extends well east of its main river corridor.
- Latakia
- Latakia is a port city. The coastal governorate includes mountain landscapes and Ugarit at Ras Shamra.
- Idlib
- Idlib includes limestone uplands and sites belonging to the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria World Heritage property.
- Al-Hasakah
- Al-Hasakah and Qamishli are important cities. The governorate includes parts of the Khabur basin.
- Deir ez-Zor
- The Euphrates connects Deir ez-Zor with Mayadin and Abu Kamal. Mari and Dura-Europos lie near this river corridor.
- Tartus
- Tartus faces the Mediterranean. Arwad is an inhabited island just offshore.
- Raqqa
- Raqqa city stands near the Euphrates. The reservoir is an artificial waterbody with changing water levels.
- Daraa
- Daraa governorate includes Bosra and fertile parts of the Hauran. Bosra’s theatre is built from dark basalt.
- As-Suwayda
- Jabal al-Arab is a volcanic upland landscape associated with the As-Suwayda area.
- Quneitra
- Quneitra is a governorate, not a map of present control. The Golan Heights are occupied Syrian territory. Boundaries are generalised reference data.
How this one works
How many governorates are on the map?
14. Every one of them is on the map, and a run asks 8 of them. Pass a round and the places you found in it drop out of the pool, so the next run is what you have left.
What is a round?
A run of 8 questions, and 6 right passes it. 2 rounds cover the whole map, and the counter at the top of the Syria page counts the ones behind you. Passing is what banks a round's finds: miss the mark and nothing is taken off the map, so every place that round asked about is still there to be asked again. A round is always the places you have not found yet, and when fewer than five are left it is topped up with a few you have found as review, so the last round is never one or two questions. Three quarters of it passes it.
Can I start the map over?
Yes. "Reset this map" under the counter puts all 14 back in the pool and sets the rounds to zero the moment you press it, so the whole map is there to be found again from nothing. It clears this map only; the other maps of Syria keep their progress.
Do I need an account?
No. The game plays in the page, and a guest's progress is kept in their own browser. Signing in carries it between devices and earns XP for a run.
What happens when I get one wrong?
The map names what you actually hit, then lights up the right answer in green and tells you something about the place. Missing one is how most of this map gets learned.
The other maps of Syria
Egypt has the same map in Egyptian governorates. Iraq has the same map in Governorates of Iraq. Jordan has the same map in Governorates of Jordan. Lebanon has the same map in Governorates of Lebanon. Oman has the same map in Governorates of Oman. Palestine has the same map in Governorates of Palestine. Tunisia has the same map in Tunisian governorates. Yemen has the same map in Governorates and capital of Yemen. All three together on the Syria atlas page, the country itself on the Syria guide, and the other two hundred on the world map.