Syria
Syria is a country in ruins. The place is full of them: wall-to-wall walls, cast-aside castles, teetering teatros and fallen-down fortresses. Syria has squirmed under the thumb of empire builders from Rome, Persia, Egypt, Turkey and Babylon, and every last one of them has left their architectural tag on the place. The vestiges of Roman Palmyra are one of the Middle East's top sites, and Syria also lays claim to the longest-occupied city, the spunkiest Crusader castle, the best preserved Roman theatre and the monument to the silliest martyr.

Admittedly, Syria is still on the US State Department's list of the seven countries sponsoring terrorism, but don't let that put you off. The Syrian government may not be among the world's most benevolent, but the Syrian people are renowned for their friendliness and hospitality. Once you get used to the general weirdness of being in another culture, you'll probably feel safer in Syria than you do at home as long as you keep abreast of world events that may increase tensions and avoid demonstrations and political gatherings.

Full country name: Syrian Arab Republic
Area: 185,180 sq km (72,150 sq mi)
Population: 17 million
Capital city: Damascus (pop 6 million)
People: Arabs (90%), Kurds, Armenians, Circassians, Turks
Language: Arabic, Kurdish, Armenian, Turkish, English
Religion: 74% Sunni Muslim, 16% other Muslim, 10% Christian
Government: Military republic
President: Bashar al-Assad

GDP: US$41.7 billion
GDP per head: US$2500
Annual growth: 2%
Inflation: 15-20%
Major industries: Oil, agriculture, textiles
Major trading partners: Ukraine, EU, Turkey, Lebanon, Japan