الخصائص الجغرافية العامة لمحافظة ريف دمشق .. كتاب في ربوع سورية

General geographical characteristics of Rif Dimashq Governorate:

that . The natural geographical features vary significantly in the governorate, which is reflected in the distribution of the population and their lifestyles. . . And change

The discrepancy is clear in the terrain of the earth's surface, especially for those who try to cross it according to its longitudinal extension, where three units can be distinguished.

Terrain includes: A - High mountains in the north-west and west along the Lebanese border, with a width of approximately 75 km, extending over the greater part of the areas of al-Nabk, al-Qutayfah, al-Tal, al-Zabadani and Qatana, where the mountain ranges extend from northeast to southwest, represented by the eastern Lebanon mountains and its southwestern extension represented by Mount Sheikh, followed to the east by the Qalamoun mountain ranges, to the west by Mount Qasioun overlooking the city of Damascus, and then to the southeast, the southern Palmyra mountain ranges, represented in the province of Damascus countryside by Jabal Al-Dameer and Zubaydah. These mountains leave between them low plain basins or wide valleys, as in the Al-Zabadani basin in the East Lebanon Mountains, the Al-Majar Valley between the East Lebanon Mountains and the Qalamoun Mountains, the Jeroud Basin between the second and third Qalamoun ranges, and the Damascus Basin. expire

B - Damascus Basin The Damascus Basin represents a distinct terrain unit due to its large area (3,600 km2) and its vital activity. It is located in the middle of the southwestern part of the northwest of Rif Dimashq Governorate. It is surrounded by high mountains and hills on all sides. From its north and northwest are Mount Antar and Mount Qasioun, and its extension to the east is Jabal Abu al-Ata, to its east is Jabal al-Dameer, to its southeast are the high volcanic spurts in Deira al-Tulul and al-Safa, and to its south are the Kiswah Hills and its volcanic mountains, and to its west and southwest are extensions of the
South East Lebanon. Its average height is about 675 m, and its lowest point is located at an altitude of 598 m in the Al-Hayjana and Al-Otaiba depressions. The western part of the basin is bisected by the Barada and Al-Auj rivers, which end in the Otaiba and Al-Hayjana depressions. The governorate of Damascus occupies a small part of the basin, while most of it, including Ghouta, returns to the Rif Dimashq Governorate. A - Al-Hammad: The largest part of what is known as the Syrian Al-Hammad is located within the Damascus Countryside Governorate, which extends from the Damascus Basin Depression and the Seaqal Sea Depression to the Jordanian border, and occupies an area estimated at about half the area of ​​the Damascus Governorate countryside. It is more like a plateau, its average height is about 700, and its surface is east-southeast. It includes some such as the depression of Al-Jawf, and the depression of Al-Rahba. . . etc. m descend depressions;

Many volcanic hills stand out above the western Hammad from the Damascus countryside, as in Jabal Sis, Jabal Al-Mazzah, and Tal Akish...etc.

However, the climate of Rif Dimashq Governorate is more diverse and disparate than its topography, and it is generally dry to semi-arid, and its dryness is due to its location to the east of the high mountains that block a large part of the rain from it, as in eastern Lebanon. Its western mountainous parts provide much more rain than its low eastern parts; If the average annual amount of rainfall exceeds 400 mm in the western part of the governorate (Sargaya 579 mm, Zabadani (483 mm), then it decreases to about 100 mm in the far southeastern part of the governorate, 110 mm Zulf).

The average annual amount of precipitation is remarkably low east of the northern East Lebanon Mountains (Nebek (120 mm), Maaloula (225 mm), Rankous (250 mm). In general, more than 90% of the area of ​​Rural Damascus governorate is less than average
Of its annual rainfall is more than 200 mm, and thus it belongs to the arid climate, and there is only 10% of its area with a semi-arid climate, which is the western part of the governorate, and the mountains of this western governorate are the most receiving snow precipitation in Syria; The snow thickness in some years reaches more than a meter. And the high western parts of the Damascus countryside are the coldest, whether in summer or winter, so they provide important expenses in the Syrian Arab region - as is the case in the Zabadani region -; The average January temperature is less than 4 degrees Celsius in those parts (Nabek 2.9 degrees Celsius, Rankous 26 degrees Celsius, Zabadani 3.9 degrees Celsius), but it is more than that in the central and southeastern parts of the region (Kharabu 6.7 degrees Celsius). degrees Celsius, 8.3 degrees Celsius). As for the average temperature of July, it does not exceed 25 degrees Celsius in the high western parts (Nabek 22.3 degrees Celsius, Rankos 23.7 degrees Celsius, Zabadani 24.1 degrees Celsius), reaching about 28 degrees Celsius in the southeastern parts of Zulf (29, 3 degrees Celsius). And if the absolute minimum temperature drops below -10°C in the western parts, it does not fall below -7°C in the southeastern parts. The absolute maximum temperature rarely exceeds 38 degrees Celsius in the high western parts, but it reaches 45 degrees Celsius in the southeastern parts.

Rural Damascus is generally poor in terms of surface water. Among the permanent rivers, we can mention the Barada River, which originates from the western edge of the Al-Zabadani Plain and ends in the Al-Otaiba Depression in the Damascus Basin after having traveled a distance of 71 km. That low to exploit its water in its upper and middle sector. It is a water body