Syria: An E'c b n o m i c Survey 



Bureau founded in Jerusalem in 1912 by Nathan Straus.) Besides 

 these diseases there are the so-called Aleppo-plague and Jericho- 

 plague, confined to certain localities, and directly attributable to 

 the poor water supply. Other epidemics have occurred from time 

 to time, chiefly bubonic plague and cholera brought by ships or 

 by the pilgrims to Mecca. 



Administrative Divisions. Syria is composed of the following 

 administrative provinces : 



Vilayet of Aleppo (consisting of the Mutessarifliks 



of Aleppo and Aintab) 35,397* sq. mi. 



Vilayet of Syria or Damascus** (consisting of the 

 Mutessarifliks of Damascus, Kama, Hauran, 

 and Kerak) 55,890 " 



Vilayet of Beirut (consisting of the Mutessarifliks 



of Beirut, Tripoli, Latakia, Acre, and Nablus) 18,941 " " 



Mutessariflik of Lebanon 2,111 " " 



Mutessariflik of Jerusalem , 12,420 " " 



The head of a Vilayet is called a Vali, the head of a Mutessari- 

 flik (Sanjak, Liva) is called a Mutessarif. The Mutessarifs of 

 Jerusalem and the Lebanon are directly subordinated to the Min- 

 ister of the Interior. Each Mutessariflik is divided into a number 

 of Cazas or Kaimakamliks, with a Kaimakam at their head. 



Population. No reliable census has ever been taken in Turkey. 

 Since 1902 there is a law compelling all Ottomans to record their 

 names in the official register, from which source the following 

 information was obtained: 



POPULATION OF SYRIA IN MARCH, 1915 



Estimated Nomadic 

 Men Women Population Total 

 (not registered) 



Vilayet of Aleppo 336,384 320,555 212,463 869,402 



Vilayet of Damascus 456,031 468,774 924,805 



Vilayet of Beirut 408,628 414,679 823,307 



Mutessariflik of Lebanon 225,580 182,170 407,750 



Mutessariflik of Jerusalem 343,362 55,000f 398,362 



3,423,626 



* These figures are only an approximation. 



** We shall call it Damascus to avoid confusion. 



t Caza Beersheba. 



