Rif Dimashq Governorate مُحافظة ريف دمشق
Governorate
Map of Syria with Rif-dimashq highlighted
Coordinates (Damascus): 33°30′N 37°00′E / 33.5°N 37°E / 33.5; 37
Country	Syria
Capital	Douma
Manatiq (Districts)	10
Government
• Governor	Ahmed Ibrahim Khalil[1][2]
Area
• Total	18,032 km2 (6,962 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	2,836,000
• Density	160/km2 (410/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
ISO 3166 code	SY-RD
Main language(s)	Arabic

Rif Dimashq Governorate (Arabic: 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).^[3]

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

Districts

Al-Qutayfah

Markaz
Rif Dimashq

Al-Nabk

Al-Tall

Darayya

Duma

Qatana

Yabrud

Zabadani

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.

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