Latakia;
Lattakia or
Latakiyah (
Syrian pronunciation: ), is the principal port city of
Syria, as well as the capital of the
Latakia Governorate. Historically, it has also been known as
Laodicea or
Laodicea ad Mare. In addition to serving as a port, the city is a manufacturing center for surrounding agricultural towns and villages. According to the 2004 official census, the population of the city is 383,786. It is the 5th-largest city in Syria after
Aleppo,
Damascus,
Homs and
Hama, and it borders
Tartus to the south,
Hama to the east, and
Idlib to the north.
