Daraa

This article is about the city in Syria. For the river in Morocco, see Draa River. For the traditional Quranic schools in Senegal, see Daara. For other uses, see Dara (disambiguation).

Daraa دَرْعَا
City
Daraa in 2008
Interactive map of Daraa
Daraa Location within Syria
Coordinates: 32°37′N 36°6′E
Grid position	253/224 PAL
Country	Syria
Governorate	Daraa
District	Daraa
Subdistrict	Daraa
Elevation	435 m (1,427 ft)
Population  (2004 census)
• Total	97,969
Demonym(s)	Arabic: درعاوي, romanized: Darʿāwi
Time zone	UTC+3 (AST)
Area code	15
Geocode	C5993
Website	http://www.esyria.sy/edaraa/

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Location of Daraa city in the namesake district and governorate.

Daraa (Arabic: دَرْعَا, romanized: Darʿā, Levantine Arabic: [ˈdarʕa]) is a city in southwestern Syria, 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of the border with Jordan. It is the capital of Daraa Governorate in the Hauran region. Located 90 kilometres (56 mi) south of Damascus on the Damascus–Amman highway, it serves as a way station for travelers. Nearby localities include Umm al-Mayazen and Nasib to the southeast, al-Naimah to the east, Ataman to the north, al-Yaduda to the northwest and Ramtha, Jordan, to the southwest.

According to the Syrian Central Bureau of Statistics, Daraa had a population of 97,969 in the 2004 census. It is the administrative center of a nahiya (subdistrict) which contained eight localities with a collective population of 146,481 in 2004. Its inhabitants are predominantly Sunni Muslims.

Daraa became known as the "cradle of the revolution" after the arrest of 15 boys from prominent families for painting graffiti with anti-government slogans which sparked the beginning of the 2011 Syrian revolution.