Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria
Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria Native names
| |
|---|---|
| Status | De facto autonomous region in Syria |
| Capital and largest city | Al-Hasakah 36°30′42″N 40°44′32″E / 36.51167°N 40.74222°E |
| Official languages | |
| Government | Autonomous diarchic presidential region |
| Legislature | People's Democratic Council |
| Autonomous region | |
• Establishment | 2012 |
• Transitional administration declared | 2013 |
• Cantons declare autonomy | January 2014 |
• Cantons declare federation | 17 March 2016 |
• New administration declared | 6 September 2018 |
| 13 January 2026 | |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,800 sq mi (9,800 km2)(2019) |
| Population | |
• 2024 estimate | 4,600,000 |
| Currency | Syrian pound (SYP) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (Arabia Standard Time) |
Website daanes | |
The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), also known as Rojava, is a de facto autonomous region in northeastern Syria. It consists of self-governing sub-regions of Jazira and Euphrates. The region gained its de facto autonomy in 2012 in the context of the ongoing Rojava conflict and the wider Syrian civil war, in which its official military force, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has taken part.
While conducting some foreign relations, the region is neither officially recognized as autonomous by the government of Syria, state, or other governments institutions except for the Catalan Parliament. Northeastern Syria is polyethnic and home to sizeable ethnic Arab, Kurdish, and Assyrian populations, with smaller communities of ethnic Turkmen, Armenians, Circassians, and Yazidis.
Independent organizations providing healthcare in the region include the Kurdish Red Crescent, the Syrian American Medical Society, the Free Burma Rangers, and Doctors Without Borders.
Since 2016, Turkish and Turkish-backed Syrian rebel forces have occupied parts of northern Syria through a series of military operations against the SDF.
Following the January 2026 northeastern Syria offensive by government forces, up to 80% of the DAANES' territory were captured and ceded to the Syrian government as part of an integration agreement.