Syria (in Arabic, Suriyah), officially al-Jumhuriyah al-Arabiyah as-Suriyah (Syrian Arab Republic), republic in the Middle East, bordered to the north by Turkey, to the east by Iraq, to the south by Jordan and Israel, and to the west by Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea. Syria has an area of about 185,050 sq km (71,498 sq mi). The capital and largest city is Damascus.