State of Damascus

• Conventional Long Name — State of Damascus • Native Name — État de Damas (French) دولة دمشق (Arabic) • Common Name — Damascus • Status — 1920–1922 State administered according to the French Mandate of Syria 1922–1925 State of the Syrian Federation (administered according to the French Mandate of Syria) • Empire — France • P1 — Arab Kingdom of Syria • Flag P1 — Flag of Kingdom of Syria (1920-03-08 to 1920-07-24).svg • S1 — Jabal Druze State 1921: Jabal Druze State • Flag S1 — Flag of the State of Souaida (state).svg • S2 — Syrian Federation 1922: Syrian Federation • Flag S2 — Flag of Syria French mandate.svg • Image Flag — Flag of the State of Damascus.svg • Image Map — French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon map en.svg • Image Map Caption — Location of the State of Damascus (yellow) within the Mandate for Syria • Capital — Damascus • Common Languages — French Arabic • Era — Interwar period • Event Pre — French Mandate • Date Pre — 25 July 1920 • Event Start — State of Damascus was declared • Date Start — 3 September • Year Start — 1920 • Event1 — Jabal Druze State separated • Date Event1 — 1 May 1921 • Event2 — Federation • Date Event2 — 28 June 1922 • Event End — Unification with State of Aleppo • Date End — 1 January • Year End — 1925 The State of Damascus (État de Damas; Dawlat Dimashq) was one of the six states established by the French General Henri Gouraud in the French Mandate of Syria which followed the San Remo conference of 1920 and the defeat of King Faisal's short-lived monarchy in Syria. The other states were the State of Aleppo (1920), the State of Alawites (1920), the State of Jabal Druze (1921), the Sanjak of Alexandretta (1921), and the State of Greater Lebanon (1920), which later became the modern country of Lebanon.

The State of Damascus was declared by the French General Henri Gouraud on 3 September 1920, with Damascus as its capital. The first president of the new state was Haqqi Al-Azm. The state of Damascus included Damascus and its surrounding region, in addition to the cities of Homs, Hama and the Orontes river valley. The new Damascus state lost four Qada's (sub-districts) that had been part of the Vilayet (district) of Damascus during Ottoman times to the mainly Christian Mount Lebanon to create the new State of Greater Lebanon. The territory separated from Damascus corresponds today to the Biqa' valley plus south Lebanon. Damascus, and later Syria, continuously protested the separation of these lands and kept demanding them back throughout the mandate period. The population of these regions, which was mainly Muslim, also protested the separation from Damascus.

On 28 June 1922, general Gouraud announced the Syrian Federation which included the states of Damascus, Aleppo, and the Alawite state. In 1924, the Alawite State was separated again. The Syrian Federation became the State of Syria on 1 January 1925.

• General Distribution of Population in the State of Damascus according to the French census in 1921-22 • Religion — Inhabitants — Percentage • Sunni — 447,000 — 75.1% • Christians — 67,000 — 11.3% • Foreigners — 49,000 — 8.2% • Twelvers — 9,000 — 1.5% • Ismailis — 8,000 — 1.3% • Jews — 6,000 — 1.1% • Alawis — 5,000 — 0.8% • Druzes — 4,000 — 0.7% • Total — 595,000 — 100%