Rif Dimashq Governorate

Rif Dimashq Governorate (محافظة ريف دمشق, Moḥaafaẓat Reef Demashq, literally, the "Governorate of the Countryside of Damascus", Damascus Suburb) is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in the southwestern part of the country. It borders the governorates of Quneitra, Daraa and al-Suwayda in the southwest, Homs in the north, Lebanon in the west and Jordan in the south. The capital is the city of Douma.

The Governorate completely surrounds the city and governorate of Damascus and it has an area of 18,032 km² and a population of 2,273,074 (2004 census).

The Governorate was a major site of fighting in the Syrian Civil War in the Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign.

Districts
The governorate is divided into ten districts (manatiq). The districts are further divided into 37 sub-districts (nawahi). There were nine districts until February 2009, when Qudsaya District was created from parts of Markaz Rif Dimashq and Al-Zabadani districts. There is a small village belonging to the Damascus countryside (Ghouta) called Aqraba, which is characterized by its fields and agricultural orchards. (nawahi). The governorate's total population (as of the 2004 census) is 2,273,074.


 * Markaz Rif Dimashq District (6 sub-districts; population: 837,804)
 * Al-Kiswah Subdistrict
 * Babbila Subdistrict
 * Jaramana Subdistrict
 * Al-Malihah Subdistrict
 * Kafr Batna Subdistrict
 * Arbin Subdistrict
 * Darayya District (3 sub-districts; population: 260,961)
 * Darayya Subdistrict
 * Sahnaya Subdistrict
 * al-Hajar al-Aswad Subdistrict
 * Douma District (7 sub-districts; population: 433,719)
 * Douma Subdistrict
 * Harasta Subdistrict
 * Al-Sabe' Biyar Subdistrict
 * Al-Dumayr Subdistrict
 * Al-Nashabiyah Subdistrict
 * Al-Ghizlaniyah Subdistrict
 * Harran al-Awamid Subdistrict
 * An-Nabek District (3 sub-districts; population: 80,001)
 * An-Nabek Subdistrict
 * Deir Atiyah Subdistrict
 * Qara Subdistrict


 * Qatana District (3 sub-districts; population: 207,245)
 * Qatana Subdistrict
 * Beit Jen Subdistrict
 * Sa'sa' Subdistrict
 * Qudsaya District (3 sub-districts; population: 105,974)*
 * Qudsaya Subdistrict
 * Al-Dimas Subdistrict
 * Ain al-Fijah Subdistrict
 * Al-Qutayfah District (4 sub-districts; population: 119,283)
 * Al-Qutayfah Subdistrict
 * Jayroud Subdistrict
 * Maaloula Subdistrict
 * Ar-Ruhaybah Subdistrict
 * Al-Tall District (3 sub-districts; population: 115,937)
 * al-Tall Subdistrict
 * Saidnaya Subdistrict
 * Rankous Subdistrict
 * Yabroud District (2 sub-districts; population: 48,370)
 * Yabroud Subdistrict
 * Assal al-Ward Subdistrict
 * Al-Zabadani District (3 sub-districts; population: 63,780)
 * Al-Zabadani Subdistrict
 * Madaya Subdistrict
 * Serghaya Subdistrict


 * a newly-created district since 2009, formerly belonging to Markaz Rif Dimashq District and parts of Al-Zabadani District