Aram

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Aramaean Republic
ܩܘܛܢܝܘܬܐ ܐܪܡܝܐ (Aramaic)
Flag of Aram
Flag
Syria (orthographic projection).svg
CapitalDarmsuq
Official languagesAramaic
Demonym(s)Aramaean(s)
GovernmentUnitary parliamentary republic
• President
Patrus Sheyada
Sami bar Avira
Lazar Hiram
Rabshaqe Pirtuk
LegislatureMotwa
Independence 
from France
• French Mandate
1 December 1924
• Mandatory republic
14 May 1930
• De jure independence
24 October 1945
• De facto independence
12 April 1946
Area
• 
185,180 km2 (71,500 sq mi)
• Water (%)
1.1
Population
• 2020 estimate
25,000,000
• 2010 census
21,018,834
• Density
118.3/km2 (306.4/sq mi)
Currencypound (or lira) (AAP)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)
UTC+3 (EEST)
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy
Driving sideright
Calling code+963
ISO 3166 codeAA
Internet TLD.aa

Aram (/ˈæɹæm/; Syriac script: ܐܪܡ; pronounced /ʔɑrɑm/), officially the Aramaean Republic (Aramaic: ܩܘܛܢܝܘܬܐ ܐܪܡܝܐ; romanized: Qūthnāyutā Arāmāyā), is a country in Western Asia, bordering Israel and Lebanon to the south-west, the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, and Jordan to the south. A country of fertile plains, deserts and high mountains (from which the country takes its name), Aram is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, including Aramaeans (who constitute the largest ethnic group), Arabs, Kurds, Turks, Assyrians, Armenians, Circassians, Mandeans and Greeks. Religious groups include Christians (who constitute the largest religious group), Muslims, Jews, as well as others.

The name "Aram" historically referred to a wider region, broadly stretching from Mount Lebanon in the west to the Euphrates in the east. The modern state encompasses the sites of several ancient kingdoms and empires, with Aleppo (Aramaic: ܚܳܠܳܒ Halab) and the capital city Damascus (ܕܰܪܡܣܽܘܩ Darmsuq) being among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

The modern Aram was established in the mid-20th century after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and a brief period of French mandatory rule. Originally intended as another post-Ottoman Arab state, a mass campaign for a "Christian homeland in the Middle East" by a mix of Middle Eastern and European Christians, coupled with political pressure from the United States, the United Kingdom and several other European countries, led to the foundation of a formally Christian state. Consequently, Aram is one of only two Christian majority countries in the Middle East, alongside Cyprus. It nominally gained independence from France on 24 October 1945 ("Independence Day") when it became a founding member of the United Nations, though French troops did not formally withdraw until 12 April 1946 ("Evacuation Day").

Post-independence, Aram is a liberal democracy (one of only two in the Middle East, alongside Israel), with a parliamentary system, proportional representation, and universal suffrage. The prime minister is head of government and the Motwa is the legislature. With an estimated population of around 25 million as of 2020, Aram is a developed country and an OECD member. It has the world's 35th-largest economy by nominal GDP.