City in eastern Syria with 190’000 inhabitants (2005 estimate), on the right bank of the Euphrates River. It is the capital of Deir ez-Zor province.
The main economic activities of Deir ez-Zor are oil production and gas production. Traditionally, Deir ez-Zor has been a trade centre for several transport routes crossing the desert, involving economic exchanges between the Syrian cities Aleppo and Damascus, and Mosul in Iraq.
Deir ez-Zor has excellent connections with other urban centres, by rail, road and a domestic airport. Qamishli is 200 km north, Raqqa 130 km northwest and Damascus 450 km southwest.
Deir ez-Zor is an active city, mainly modern. The main landmark is the suspension bridge crossing the Euphrates River.
The University of Deir ez-Zor was founded in 1977.
The city also has a first class archaeological museum, opened in 1996.