Syrian coast

Arabic Wikipedia gives the length of the coast as 180 km, but in the same sentence also mentions “about 35 nautical miles (65 km)”. Behind the shore lie forests, green mountains, springs, streams and rivers, and natural lakes as well as reservoirs behind dams. Several small uninhabited islands lie offshore, among them Bird Island, Umm al-Naml and Abbas Island, as well as the inhabited island of Arwad, about three nautical miles off Tartus.

Upland towns include Slinfah, about 50 km east of Latakia at around 1,200 m, and Kessab, about 65 km north of Latakia at around 800 m near Jebel Aqra. Ras al-Basit, about 40 km north of Latakia, is a wide bay surrounded by mountains and forest.[1][2]

According to Arabic Wikipedia, the term historically covered a much longer stretch of coast from Rafah to Mersin; the source attributes the present extent, limited to Latakia and Tartus, to the borders drawn after the First World War.

Latakia was founded by Seleucus I and named after his mother Laodice; surviving monuments include a Roman gateway from the time of Septimius Severus with four columns and an arch, and the Ottoman Khan al-Dukhan, now a museum. Tartus takes its name from Antaradus; the island of Arwad (Arados) off its shore was a Phoenician maritime kingdom. Jableh, 29 km south of Latakia, has a Roman theatre for about 7,000 spectators and the Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham Mosque. Saladin's Castle, 35 km east of Latakia at 410 m, was regarded as one of the strongest fortresses of the Crusader period.[1]

Latakia is Syria's main Mediterranean port and Tartus another major port; Baniyas has an oil terminal and a refinery. Further archaeological sites named by the source include Ugarit, Amrit (Marathus), Marqab Castle and Tell Kazel (Simyra). The al-Mahabba festival is held in Latakia every year from 2 to 12 August.[1]