Wildlife in Syria

Wildlife in the Levant refers to the various types of plants and animals that inhabit the region known historically as the Levant or Greater Syria, which includes today's countries: Jordan, Palestine, Syria (including the Sanjak of Alexandretta), Lebanon, and a part of southeastern Turkey, known as the Syrian Hatay. Some people also include Cyprus and parts of Sinai.

The Levantine wildlife is characterized by its great diversity, due to the region's varied climate and its location in the middle of the three ancient continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. This has made it a crossing point for many species migrating from north to south and vice versa, as well as having different and sometimes conflicting climatic patterns, which have allowed a large number of diverse organisms to inhabit it.

Many large animal species in the Levant or parts of it have become extinct due to human settlement and exploitation, or overhunting since ancient times. Since the late 20th century, several natural reserves have been established throughout the Levant, with local and international efforts to preserve what remains of wild animal species and their habitats.

Importance of the Levant in biodiversity and agricultural development

The Levant and Iraq (the Fertile Crescent) are considered the cradle of origin for many plant species that were domesticated and became important crops such as wheat (two types), barley, lentils, chickpeas, sesame, broad beans, cotton, and others. These eight crops are known as the foundation crops of civilization. In addition to these, fruit trees such as almonds, olives, figs, and medicinal, fragrant, and ornamental plants have also originated in this region.

According to botanist George Post, no place on earth with a similar area is as important as the Levant, not only due to its significant human events but also because of its unique geological structure, diverse terrain, climate, animals, and plants.

Geographical location and topography

The Levant occupies the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea and extends eastward to the borders of Mesopotamia. The Levant stretches from the Toros Mountains in the north to the Sinai Peninsula in the south. This land is characterized by two parallel mountain ranges (western and eastern) that run from north to south, parallel to the coastline.

The western coastal range begins at the junction of the Toros Mountains with the Amanus Mountains in the region of the Euphrates River near Marash. It continues along the Amanus Range to the mouth of the Orontes River in the Gulf of Issus, and its highest point is 2240 m. The range then extends from the mouth of the Orontes to the southern Kizil River and is known as the Nussairi Mountains. The Akkar Plain separates the Nussairi Mountains from their southern extension in Mount Lebanon, where the roof of the Levant and its highest peaks are located, with a height of 3088 m at Qurnat al-Sawda.

Heading south, the mountains move away from the sea and gradually decrease in elevation. The highest peak in the Galilee is 1208 m (Mount Harim). The Nablus Mountains begin at Mount Carmel in Haifa and connect to the Hebron Mountains in the south, with areas of hills and mountains continuing until Ras Muhammad in southern Sinai.