French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon: Map & History
The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon was a League of Nations mandate founded in the aftermath of the First World War and the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire concerning the territories of Syria and Lebanon.
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The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon was a League of Nations mandate founded in the aftermath of the First World War and the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire concerning the territories of Syria and Lebanon. The mandate system was supposed to differ from colonialism, with the governing country intended to act as a trustee until the inhabitants were considered eligible for self-government. At that point, the mandate would terminate, and a sovereign state would be born.
Modern Countries Once Part of French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon
At its mapped extent, French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon covered territory in 3 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon in Depth
Economy
In 1921, the French already wanted to develop the agricultural sector, and a feasibility study of the Union Economique de Syrie the North-East of Syria and the Alawite State were deemed profitable for the cultivation of cotton. Investments began in 1924, but it took until the 1930s to produce more than the level that had been reached in 1925. Due to the high economic integration of the region, a trade separation would have harmed both mandates.
To maintain the economic ties that had been established in the region under the Ottomans, the British and the French agreed to a customs-free zone between their mandates in 1921 even though that decision was protested by French manufacturers.
Background
With the defeat of the Ottomans in Syria, British troops, under General Sir Edmund Allenby, entered Damascus in 1918 and were accompanied by troops of the Arab Revolt, led by Faisal, the son of Hussein bin Ali, King of Hejaz. Faisal established the first new postwar Arab government in Damascus in October 1918, and named Ali Rikabi a military governor.
The new Arab administration formed local governments in the major Syrian cities, and the pan-Arab flag was raised all over Syria. The Arabs, trusting earlier British promises, hoped that the new Arab state would include all Arab lands stretching from Aleppo, in northern Syria, to Aden, in southern Yemen.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (CC BY-SA 4.0).
French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon: Key Facts
| Capitals | Damascus, Beirut |
|---|---|
| Official language | French |
| Founded | 1923 |
| Dissolved | 1946 |
Succeeded by
- Lebanon
- independent First Syrian Republic
- Hatay State
Facts from Wikidata Q139708 (CC0).
French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon appears, with the other states of the time.
French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon: Frequently Asked Questions
When did French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon exist?
French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon is dated to 1920 CE – 1945 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon?
The capital of French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon was Beirut.
How large was French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon at its peak?
At its peak in 1920 French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon covered about 210,022 km².
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