Latakia Governorate

Latakia Governorate, also transliterated as Ladhakia Governorate, ( / ALA-LC: Muḥāfaẓat al-Lādhiqīyah) is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in western Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay Province to the north, Idlib and Hama Governorates to the east, Tartus Governorate to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Its reported area varies in different sources from to . The governorate has a population of 1,008,000 (2011 estimate). History The governorate was historically part of the Alawite State, which existed from 1920–1936. Tartus governorate was formerly included as part of Latakia, before being split off circa 1972. The region has been relatively peaceful during the Syrian civil war, being a generally pro-Assad region that had largely remained under government control. The Free Syrian Army attacked Al-Haffah in 2012, and unsuccessfully attempted to wrest control of the province in 2014, 2015 and 2016. In 2016 the Islamic State conducted a bomb attack on Jableh, resulting in many deaths.