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Syria's location in the Mediterranean basin and the country's territorial diversity — shores, mountains, plains and rivers with dams — has long made agriculture a pillar of its economy. The country's products are as diverse as its environmental and geographical areas: wheat, barley, legumes, olives, grapes, cherries and citrus fruits.
But now, five years into the country's civil war, the agricultural sector in Syria is threatened with complete collapse. This led the Global Seed Vault to open its doors because officials fear some of Syria's agricultural products could go extinct.
