Satellite View of Major International Cities of The World

Tokyo Satellite View Japan Web Directory	Tokyo is the capital of Japan located on the eastern coast of Honshu Island at the head of Tokyo Bay. The city of Tokyo is the administrative, financial, educational, cultural and industrial center of Japan, surrounded by numerous suburban manufacturing complexes.
Seoul Satellite View The Republic of Korea Web Directory	Seoul is the capital of the Republic of Korea (South Korea), located in NW part of the contry, on the Han River. The political, commercial, industrial, and cultural center of the nation, Seoul is by far the most important city in the country.
Pyongyan Satellite View Democratic People's Republic of Korea Web Directory	Pyongyang is the capital of North Korea, in SW of the country, on a high bluff looking down the Taedong River. It is considered as the oldest city on the Korean Peninsula. During the Korean War, Pyongyang fell to the North Koreans. After having been ravaged in the war, the city was rebuilt according to an organized city planning.
Ulan Bator/ Ulaanbaatar Satellite View Mongolia Web Directory	Ulan Bator (Ulaan Baatar) is the capital city of Mongolia, situated in the north central part of the country, on the Tuul River. It is situated at the foot of the Bogdo Khan Uul, It is the political, cultural, economic, and transportation center of the country.
Beijing Satellite View People's Republic of China Web Directory	Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. The second largest city in China (after Shanghai), Beijing is the political, cultural, and educational center of the country. At the center of the city, Tianmen square is located surrounded by Great Hall of the People to the west and Museum of the Revolution to the east.
Taipei Satellite View Taiwan WebDirectory	Taipei is the capital of Taiwan located in the northern part of Taiwan Island. Taiwan's largest city, it is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the island. The Jiang Jie-shi Memorial Park is located in the center of the city.
Manila Satellite View Republic of the Philippines Web Directory	Manila is the capital of Republic of the Philippines, SW Luzon, on Manila Bay. Manila is the center of the country's largest metropolitan area, with its chief port, and the center of all the governmental, commercial, industrial, and cultural activities.
Hanoi Satellite view Socialist Republic of Vietnam Web Directory	Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, on the right bank of the Red River. Hanoi became (7th cent.) the seat of the Chinese rulers of Vietnam. Hanoi was occupied briefly by French in 1873 and it became the capital of French Indochina after 1887.
Vientiane Satellite View Lao People's Democratic Republic Web Directory	Vientiane is the administrative capital and the largest city of Laos, in the north central part of the country on the Mekong River. Vientiane possesses diverse light industries and is a trading center of forest products, textiles, and hides.
Phnom Penh Satellite View Kingdom of Cambodia Web Directory	Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia, in SW part of the contry, at the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. Phnom Penh was founded in the 14th cent. and became Khmer capital after the abandonment of Angkor. It became the capital of Cambodia in 1867. The cultural and commercial center as well as political capital of Cambodia.
Bangkok Satellite View Kingdom of Thailand Web Directory	Bangkok is the capital of Thailand, in SW part of the country, on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River, near the Gulf of Thailand. Thailand's largest city and one of the leading cities of Southeast Asia. Bangkok is home to the regional headquarters of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), as well as many other international businesses and organizations.
Kuala Lumpur Satellite View Malaysia Web Directory	Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia, located in the southern part of Malay Peninsula, at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers. Malaysia's chief inland city, Kuala Lumpur is the country's commercial and transportation hub.
Singapore Satellite View Republic of Singapore Web Directory	Singapore , officially called Republic of Singapore, consists of the mainland of Singapore and about 50 small adjacent islands at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, SE Asia. Its Capital, Singapore city is the largest city and historically played an important role as a key junction of trade between Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean.
Jakarta Satellite View Republic of Indonesia Web directory	Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia located in NW Java island, at the mouth of the canalized Ciliwung River, on Jakarta Bay. It is the country's administrative, commercial, industrial, and transportation center.
Yango Satellite View Union of Myanmar Web Directory	Yangon, formerly Rangoon, is the capital of Myanmar and of Yangon div., located in the south central of Myanmar, on the Yangon River. The name of Yangon, meaning "the end of war" was given in 1755, ever since the city has been developed as a port city, the center of commercial activities. Central part of the city was constructed according to the city planning in 1952, when beautiful grid street was developed.
Dhaka satellite View People's Republic of Bangladesh Web Directory	Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh, located in the high populated delta prone to floods on a channel of the Dhaleswari River, in the heart of the world's largest jute-growing region, and the industrial, commercial, and administrative center of Bangladesh. The city achieved glory as the 17th-century Mughal capital of Bengal and became the capital of Pakistan in 1971.
Katmandu Satellite View Kingdom of Nepal Web directory	Katmandu is the capital of Nepal, central Nepal in a fertile valley of the E Himalayas. It is the administrative, business, and commercial center of Nepal. Great many western tourists visit Katmandu, many of them mountain climbers. Tourism and trade with India led to a rapid increase in Katmandu's population and to the expansion of paved streets and sewage systems.
New Delhi Satellite View India Web Directory	Delhi is located in the middle of Delhi plain, where Yamuna River crosses. New Delhi, the capital of India, and Delhi (or Old Delhi) are the chief urban centers. Government buildings are concentrated in New Delhi, which has organized streets with greens and parks.
Islamabad Satellite View Islamic Republic of Pakistan Web Directory	Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan, in NE part of the country, just NE of Rawalpindi, the former interim capital. Construction of Islamabad [city of Islam] as the capital to replace Karachi began in 1960.
Kabul Satellite View Islamic State of Afghanistan Web Directory	Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan and its largest city and economic and cultural center, in the east part of the country, on the Kabul River. It is strategically located in a high narrow valley, between mountain ranges that commands the main approaches to the Khyber Pass. A tunnel under the Hindu Kush mountains links Kabul to the Tajikistan border.
Tashkent Satellite View Republic of Uzbekistan Web directory	Tashkent is the capital of Tashkent region and of Uzbekistan, in the foothills of the Tian Shan mts. The largest and one of the oldest cities of Central Asia, it is the economic heart of the region.
Tehran Satellite View Islamic Republic of Iran Web Directory	Tehran is the capital of Iran, in north part of the country, near Mt. Damavand. It is Iran's largest city and its administrative, commercial, and industrial center. Meherabad international airport is located in the center of the image, and Azadi Tower (Freedom Tower) , which was built for the celebrations of the 2500th anniversary of the monarchy, is located at the junction of the roads from the airport, and acts as a gateway to the capital.
Baghdad Satellite View Republic of Iraq Web directory	Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, located in the central Iraq, on both banks of the Tigris River. The city was founded (762) on the west bank of the Tigris by the Abbasid caliph Mansur, who made it his capital. The period of its utmost glory is reflected in the Thousand and One Nights, in which many of the tales are set in Baghdad. Now, the city's principal economic activity is oil industry, as a result, Baghdad experienced rapid economic and population growth.
Riyadh \| Mecca \| Madinah Satellite View Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Web Directory	Riyadh is the capital and the largest city of Saudi Arabia, located in the Nejd district, central part of Saudi Arabia. Situated in an oasis, Riyadh is the nation's educational, administrative, financial, and transportation center. Oil refining is the main industry.
Jerusalem Satellite View State of Israel Web Directory	Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. It is situated on a ridge of 760 m high that lies west of the Dead Sea and the Jordan River. Jerusalem is the center of administrative, religious, educational, cultural, and market activities. Tourism and construction are the city's major industries.
Cairo \| Pyramids Satellite View Arab Republic of Egypt web directory	Cairo is the capital of Egypt in NE part of the country. The city includes two islands in the Nile, Zamalik (Gezira) and Roda (Rawdah), which are linked to the mainland by bridges. Cairo is the largest city in the Middle East and in Africa. It is Egypt's administrative center and, along with Alexandria, the heart of its economic activities.
Tunis Satellite View Republic of Tunisia Web Directory	Tunis is the capital of Tunisia, in NE part of the county, on the Lake of Tunis. Access to the Gulf of Tunis (an arm of the Mediterranean) is by a canal terminating at a subsidiary port, Halq al Wadi (La Goulette). Tunis has notable mosques, the Univ. of Tunis, and a national museum. The ruins of Carthage are located nearby, to the northeast in the right of the image.
Casablanca satellite View Kingdom of Morocco Web Directory	Casablanca is the largest city and principal port of Morocco, located in the western parth of Morocco, on the Atlantic Ocean. It accounts for more than half of Morocco's industrial production. During World War II, Casablanca was the scene of one of the three major Allied landings in North Africa (Nov., 1942) and the conference between Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill was held (Nov., 1943).
Johannesburg Satellite view Republic of South Africa web Directory	Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa, the center of its important gold-mining industry, its manufacturing and commercial center, and the hub of its transportation network. Gold mining is the sprawling city's chief industry. Manufactures include cut diamonds, industrial chemicals, plastics, cement, electrical, electronic, and mining equipment, paper and paper products, glass, food products, and beer.
Istanbul Satellite View Republic of Turkey Web Directory	Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey on both sides of the Bosporus at its entrance into the Sea of Marmara. Its name was officially changed from Constantinople to Istanbul in 1930; before A.D. 330 it was known as Byzantium. In cities adjacent to Europe, Overseas Establishments, hotels, restaurants and shops are concentrated, while old cities adjacent to Asia has landmark constructions represented by Blue Mosque, Ayasofya, Topkapi Sarayi and Kapali Carsi, commemorating Greek, Rome and Ottman Enpire.
Athens Satellite View Greece Web Directory	Athens is the capital of Greece, eastern central Greece, on the plain of Attica, between the Kifisos and Ilissus rivers, near the Saronic Gulf. Mt. Aigaleos, Mt. Parnis , Mt. Pendelikon , and Mt. Hymettus are lined in a semicircle with the city at its center. The capital of Attica prefecture, Athens is the largest city in Greece and it is administrative, economic, and cultural center. In the city there are many landmarks, major one is the acropolis which dominates the city and on which stand the remains of the Parthenon.
Kiev Satellite View Ukraine Web Directory	Kiev is the capital of Ukraine with a port on the Dnieper River. The largest city of Ukraine, Kiev is the industrial, commercial, and cultural center. Known to Russians as the "mother of cities,Åh Kiev is one of the oldest towns in the north Europe. Lying amid hills along the Dnieper and filled with gardens and parks, Kiev is one of Europe's most beautiful cities, as well as a treasury of medieval art and architecture.
Moscow Satellite View Russian Federation Web Directory	Moscow is the capital of Russia and the administrative center of the Central district, in the western central European Russia, on the Moskva River near its junction with the Moscow Canal. In the city, roads spread in concentric circles with Kremlin at the center, dividing the city into several divisions. The outermost division is allocated as a residental area. A loop road surrounding the area is the boundary of the city.
St. Petersburg Satellite View Russian Federation Web Directory	Sankt Petersburg, the second largest city and former capital in Russia, formerly named Leningrad at the head of the Gulf of Finland on both banks of the Neva River and on the islands of its delta. The city's main thoroughfare is the celebrated Nevsky Prospekt. On it are the high-spired admiralty building; the Winter Palace; the Hermitage museum; the huge domed Cathedral of St. Isaac ; and the equestrian statue of Peter the Great.
Rome Satellite View Republic of Italy Web Directory	Rome is the capital of Italy and see of the pope, whose residence, Vatican City , is a sovereign state within the city of Rome. Rome is also the capital of Latium, a region in central part of Italy, and of Rome prov. It lies on both banks of the Tiber and its affluent, the Aniene, in the Campagna di Roma, between the Apennine Mts. and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Called the Eternal City, it is one of the world's richest cities in history and art as well as one of its cultural, religious, and intellectual centers.
Paris Satellite View French Republic Web Directory	Paris is the capital of France on the Seine River. It is the commercial and industrial focus of France and a cultural and intellectual center in the world. Paris is divided into roughly equal sections by the Seine. On the right (northern) bank are the Bois de Boulogne, Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, Opera and Louvre. The left bank, with the Sorbonne, the French Academy,is the governmental and the intellectual section.
Berlin Satellite View Federal Republic of Germany Web Directory	Berlin is the capital of Germany, coextensive with Berlin state , NE Germany, on the Spree and Havel rivers. Formerly divided into East Berlin and West Berlin , the city was reunified along with East and West Germany on Oct. 3, 1990. The large Tiergarten park in central Berlin contains the reconstructed Reichstag building with its glass dome and the Berlin zoo. Landmark of the city includes Charlottenburg castle, Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial church, Reichstag and Philharmonic Hall.
Wien Satellite View Republic of Austria Web Directory	Wien (Vienna) is the capital and largest city of Austria and administrative seat of Lower Austria, in NE part of the country, on the Danube River. The city plays an important role as a major riverfront town in Europe. The former residence of the Holy Roman emperors and, after 1806, of the emperors of Austria, Wien is one of the great historic cities of the world and a melting pot of the Germanic, Slav, Italian, and Hungarian peoples and cultures.
London satellite View United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Web Directory	London is the capital of Great Britain, in SE part of England, on both sides of the Thames River. Greater London consists of the "City of London", or "City" and 32 boroughs. The City is the commercial center; it is also referred to as the "Square Mile" because of its a real feature. The 13 inner boroughs that surround the City are Westminster, Camden, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea.
Madrid \| Barcelona Satellite View Spain Web Directory	Madrid is the capital of Spain located in the central part of the country, and the center of its own autonomous region, on the Manzanares River. Its landmarks include the huge royal palace, opera house, the Buen Retiro park and three superb art museums, the Prado, which houses one of the finest art collections in the world; the Queen Sofia Museum of modern art; and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum; housed in the renovated Villahermosa Palace.
Lisbon Satellite View Portuguese Republic Web Directory	Lisbon is the capital of Portugal on the Tejo River where it broadens to enter the Atlantic Ocean. Lisbon is Portugal's largest city and its cultural, administrative, commercial, and industrial hub. Delta at the mouth of Tejo river provided the optimum location as a harbor in Europe for handling large trades, which led to develop into a major cruise port. In 1966 , one of the world's longest suspension bridges was completed across the Tejo.
Vancouver \| Toronto Satellite View Canada Web directory	Vancouver is a city in SW British Columbia, Canada, on Burrard Inlet of the Strait of Georgia, opposite Vancouver Island and just north of the Wash. border. It is the largest city on Canada's Pacific coast, the center of the third largest metropolitan area in Canada, and the nation's chief Pacific port, with an excellent year-round harbor. At Point Grey in metropolitan Vancouver is the Univ. of British Columbia in the lower left of image , and Stanley Park, the largest among the city's parks, is in the top of peninsula in the center of ithe mage.
New York Satellite View United States of America Web Directory	New York city is the largest city in the United States and one of the largest in the world, on New York Bay at the mouth of the Hudson River. It consists five boroughs, Queens, Brooklyn, State Island, Bronx and Manhattan. Except for Bronx, all the other boroughs are located on island. Central park, which spreads in the central part of Long Island, is said to be the first public buildings to have applied landscape architecture in the U.S. history.
Washington D.C. Satellite View United States of America Web Directory	Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States , coextensive with the District of Columbia, on the Potomac River. The city is the center of a metropolitan area extending into Maryland and Virginia. Washington is the legislative, administrative, and judicial center of the United States but has little industry; its business is mainly involved in the government, and hundreds of thousands of people are employed in the metropolitan area.
San Francisco Satellite View United States of America Web Directory	San Francisco is a city in western California, on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden Gate. The city is the heart of the San Francisco Bay region and with along Oakland and San Jose, the city comprises the fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States.
Los Angels Satellite View South California Web Directory	Los Angeles is a city in South California. It has the second largest population in US cities and it is one of the largest cities as the hub of industries, commercials, transportations, finances and international trades. Two mountain ranges, the Santa Monica and Verdugo, cut across the center of the city. The east end of the Santa Monica Mountains is seen in the upper left of the image.
Mexico City Satellite View United Mexican States Web Directory	Mexico City is the capital and largest city of Mexico located in the center of the country. Mexico City forms the core of the Federal District and is the commercial, industrial, financial, political, and cultural center of the nation. Population has increased rapidly in a city that had already spread out into many residential sections called colonies.
Brasilia Satellite View Federative Republic of Brazil Web Directory	Brasilia is the capital city and federal district of Brazil located in the southwest of Goias state. Inaugurated in 1960, it is situated in the highlands of central Brazil, and its modern public buildings stand out in sparsely settled countryside. The city was laid out (1957) in the shape of an airplane by the Brazilian architect Lucio Costa. Government services, small-scaled industry, food services, and construction are important factors for the country's economy.
Rio de Janeiro Satellite View Federative Republic of Brazil Web Directory	Rio de Janeiro is the capital of Rio de Janeiro state, in SE Brazil, on Guanabara Bay of the Atlantic Ocean. The second largest city and former capital of Brazil, it is the cultural center of the country as well as financial, commercial, communication, and transportation hub. Rio has one of the world's most beautiful natural harbors. It is surrounded by low mountain ranges, which extend to the waterside, across the city.
Buenos Aires Satellite View Argentine Republci web directory	Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina located in the east central part of Argentina, on the Rio de la Plata. One of the largest cities in Latin America, Buenos Aires is Argentina's chief port and financial, industrial, commercial, and social center. Area around a port in the right part of the image is the place where the people first settled. Since then, the city has expanded in semicircle form.
Santiago Satellite View Republic of Chile Web Directory	Santiago is the capital of Chile and of Metropolitan de Santiago region, on the Mapocho River. It is the political, commercial, and financial heart of the nation. The city was founded and named Santiago de Nueva Estremadura on Feb. 12, 1541, by Pedro de Valdivia. Laid out according to Valdivia's plan in a gridiron pattern between the hill of Santa Lucia and the Mapocho, a mountain torrent, Santiago has spread over a broad valley plain and it is one of the largest cities in South America.
Canberra \| Sydney Satellite View Common wealth of Australia Web Directory	Canberra is the capital of Australia, in the Australian Capital Territory, located in SE Australia. The city was first settled in 1824, and chosen as the capital in 1908. In 1913, Canberra officially became the second capital of the commonwealth (succeeding Melbourne); however, although the Parliament first met there in 1927, the transfer of federal functions was not completed until after World War II and the Parliament House, on Capitol Hill, was not opened until 1988.
Abu Dhabi Satellite View United Arab Emirates Web Directory	The city is laid out on a mostly regular grid with a southeast-to-northwest orientation. The Corniche, a 7-km (4-mi) seafront boulevard, is landscaped with artificially watered flowers and greenery. Numerous parks and planted medians also add to the beautification of what was once a dusty, desert landscape. Abu Dhabi is the site of the National Library (founded 1981), National Archives (1985), and the Center for Documentation and Research (1968), which maintain collections of materials relating to the nation’s history. A large sports complex and a cultural center are also located in the city.
Dubai Satellite View United Arab Emirates Web Directory	Dubai, also Dubayy, city on the northeastern coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the capital of the emirate of Dubai. The city is divided in half by Dubai Creek, which is actually an inlet of the Persian Gulf. The eastern side of the creek, the traditional city center, is called Deira (or Dayrah), and the western side is referred to simply as Dubai. Dubai is the chief port and commercial center of the UAE, and the principal shipping, trading, and communications hub of the Persian Gulf region. Port Rashid, a large artificial port, lies within Dubai on the western side of the creek, and Jebel Ali, the largest artificial port in the world, is located 37 km (23 mi) down the coast to the southwest.
Doha Satellite View Qatar Web Directory	Doha, also Ad Dawhah, eastern Qatar, capital and largest city of the country, on the Persian Gulf. It has a large, artificial deepwater port, which was opened in 1969 and serves as a major transshipment center for cargo of the Persian Gulf nations. Shrimping and shrimp processing are important industries. The University of Qatar (1973) and the National Museum (1975) are here. The marketplace and the Government House (1969) are major landmarks. More than half the population of Qatar resides in Doha.
Muscat Satellite View Oman Web Directory	Masqaţ or Muscat, city and capital of Oman, located on the northeastern coast of the country on the Gulf of Oman (an arm of the Arabian Sea, itself part of the Indian Ocean). Flanked by steep cliffs and hills, the city lies almost exactly on the Tropic of Cancer. Masqaţ is the center of an expanding metropolitan area encompassing several neighboring cities. Once the country’s leading port, Masqaţ’s harbor has been surpassed by the nearby modern port facilities at Maţraḩ and Mina Qaboos. Also close to Masqaţ are Mina al-Fahl, a loading terminal for oil supertankers and, farther west, an international airport. Modern highways link Masqaţ with other Omani cities and with the United Arab Emirates.
Kuwait City Satellite View Kuwait WebDirectory	Kuwait (city), city, capital of Kuwait and a port on Kuwait Bay (an arm of the Persian Gulf). Also called Al Kuwait. Wealth from oil fields in the coastal desert and in the gulf has been used to make the city one of the most modern in the Middle East. An important oil port, Kuwait produces petrochemicals and other petroleum products and is a trade and financial center. Shrimp and pearls are obtained from the Persian Gulf. The city is the site of Kuwait University (1962); vocational, technical, and teachers colleges; and a state museum. Founded in the early 18th century, Kuwait was once considered a terminus for a projected Berlin-Baghdād railway. It began to expand after World War II. In the early 1990s, however, it faced the difficulties of recovering from the severe damage inflicted during the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait and the Persian Gulf War. The name is also spelled Al Kuwayt, Kuweit, or Koweit. Population (1995) 28,259.
Bandar Seri Begawan Satellite View Brunei Web Directory	Bandar Seri Begawan, formerly Brunei Town, capital city of Brunei. The city is located in the northern part of the country on the Brunei River, near its mouth on Brunei Bay (an inlet of the South China Sea). A large port, open to oceangoing vessels, the city is an agricultural market as well as a commercial center. Besides government offices, the city is the seat of the University of Brunei Darussalam (1985). A royal palace and one of the largest mosques in Asia are notable structures in the city. Population (1995 estimate) 50,000.
Manama Satellite View Bahrain Web Directory	Manama, also Al Manamah, city in northeastern Bahrain, capital of the country, on the northeastern shore of Bahrain Island, in the Persian Gulf, near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The port developed and the city began to be modernized in the 1950s and 1960s, as a result of proceeds from the sale of petroleum. Industries include oil refining, dhow (an Arab boat with triangular sail) building, fishing, and pearling; pearling was once the city's chief economic activity. The town is connected by a causeway with adjoining Al Muḩarraq, site of an international airport. In 1958 Manama was declared a free-transit port. The Arabian Gulf University (1980) and the University of Bahrain (1986) are here. Population (2001 estimate) 135,000.
Sana Satellite View Yemen Web Directory	Sana‘a or Sanaa, city and political capital of Yemen, located in Sana‘a Province, on a plateau northeast of the port of Al Hudaydah. Sana‘a is the commercial center of a fruit-growing region. It is divided into two sections with the junction formed by the palace of the former imams, or rulers, of Yemen. The eastern section, known as the old city, has several mosques and a market where jewelry, silver and leather goods, silks, and carpets are made and sold. The western section is largely residential. Sana‘a University (1970) is in the city. Sana‘a first became an important center in the 4th century ad, in the kingdom of an ancient Arabian people, the Himyarites. The city was included in the Muslim caliphate in 632, and it came under the control of the Ottoman Empire in the 1870s. Formerly the capital of the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR), Sana‘a became the political capital of the Republic of Yemen when the YAR merged with the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen in 1990; Aden was made the economic capital. Population (2000 estimate) 1,303,000.
Damascus Satellite View Syria Web Directory	Damascus or Dimashq, capital and chief city of Syria, in southwestern Syria, on the Baradá River, near the Anti-Lebanon Mountains in the southwestern part of the country. The greater part of Damascus, including the rectangular ancient city, is on the south bank of the Baradá. Modern suburbs extend from the north bank. Damascus has long been an important commercial center. In former times it was famous for dried fruit, wine, wool, linens, and silks. Damask, a type of patterned fabric, was named for the silk fabrics woven in Damascus. The city was notable also for the manufacture and transshipment of damascened steel sword blades, which were exceptionally hard and resilient. Today the city is the trading center for figs, almonds, and other fruit produced in the surrounding region. Industries in Damascus include handicrafts, such as the weaving of silk cloth and the making of leather goods, filigreed gold and silver objects, and inlaid wooden, copper, and brass articles. Among the city's other manufactures are processed food, clothing, and printed material.