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Former good article nomineeSyria was a Geography and places good articles nominee, but did not meet the good article criteria at the time. There may be suggestions below for improving the article. Once these issues have been addressed, the article can be renominated. Editors may also seek a reassessment of the decision if they believe there was a mistake.
Article milestones
DateProcessResult
March 27, 2009Good article nomineeNot listed
On this day...Facts from this article were featured on Wikipedia's Main Page in the "On this day..." column on April 17, 2011, and April 17, 2012.


Semi-protected edit request on 11 March 2024

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"Please change Muhammad to Prophet Muhammad" Gvijay23 (talk) 02:24, 11 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done: Per MOS:MUHAMMAD, "prophet" is generally not used in articles. Jamedeus (talk) 07:40, 11 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Wiki standards

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English Wikipedia generally applies the transliteration and spelling standards developed by English-language scholars and academics. This is certainly the case with historical terms, while current terms may be spelled according to official policy in the respective country. The scholarly norms have evolved over time and are well founded.

The common academic name spelling in English requires the definite article (al, etc.) and "son of" (ibn) to be written small, unless it occurs at the beginning of a sentence. The article must be followed by a hyphen. Examples:

I know some perceive it as irreverential, but it's not meant to be and it is the common practice. If administrative units (national governments, regional or municipal authorities) decree a different English spelling as normative, this concerns only the individual names to which the decrees apply, and the modern administrative units, not the historical or archaeological sites.

Thank you. Arminden (talk) 14:01, 30 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 18 June 2024

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206.188.43.165 (talk) 23:09, 18 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Miranda Penalty Perjury Voyeurism Boyeurism Charges Court report 1%Felony Harrassment 2%Felony Harrassment Court Report Press Charges Docturine D.E.S.C. 91047375

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. M.Bitton (talk) 23:33, 18 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 24 November 2024

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Can I add a acronym for Syrian Arab Republic its SAR just like the Islamic Republic of Iran has IRI 172.103.185.101 (talk) 01:42, 24 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. M.Bitton (talk) 02:35, 25 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Largest City

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I don't think the infobox should have removed Aleppo as the Largest City considering the Demographics section still lists it as the largest city. I recognize my own bias in my own desire for Aleppo not to be listed as the largest city as it is not currently controlled by Assad's forces so I don't want to directly make edits on this, but I think it is unacademic to have this discrepancy in the article. Sir Ross (talk) 15:53, 2 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

On second look, I realized the Demographics section is from a 2004 Census. In this case, I instead think that we should use the estimates on the respective pages for Aleppo, Damascus, Homs, etc. Sir Ross (talk) 15:56, 2 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Syrian Arab Republic

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Given the rapid fall of the Assad regime due to the recent offensives by the Syrian opposition, I think the Syrian Arab Republic should no longer be viewed as the nominal "official government" of Syria in spite of any international recognition. This would be in step with the developments on the page for Afghanistan circa 15 August 2021 and the resurgence of the Taliban. Ezpler12345 (talk) 23:32, 7 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Agreed that it's probably worth changing the infobox to note the lack of government, and the argument for doing so is steadily increasing hour by hour. On a related topic I think it would be worth splitting off an article on the 1963–2024 Assad-led period of Syrian history (something like Ba'athist Syria)– as a follow-up to the existing Second Syrian Republic. Chessrat (talk, contributions) 23:38, 7 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Agreed. I'm mainly using Afghanistan as a reference for this whole situation, since it also saw a rapid change in government in the recent past so I would definitely be in favor of creating a page for the 1963-2024 Ba'athist government following a change in the infobox. Ezpler12345 (talk) 23:39, 7 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I'm going to start a Draft:Ba'athist Syria draft article in preparation for move into article space at an appropriate time– if others want to help feel free to. Chessrat (talk, contributions) 00:25, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Until it is CONFIRMED by a majority of news sources that Assad's government is considered to have 'fallen', we do not simply change the infobox willy nilly. Ba'athist Syria should be kept as a DRAFT until then, and the changes to the infobox MUST be reversed. TheodoresTomfooleries (talk) 03:13, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Agree. We really don't know what is going on right now besides that Damascus has likely fallen, and we especially have no idea what the successor government will be. Let's wait for those things to become more clear before we get ahead of ourselves. DecafPotato (talk) 03:17, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The Syrian Arab Republic has fallen, it is pretty obvious. I'd prefer to revert to the old version where it simply said Syria w/o a government section in the infobox. LexigtonMisiENG (talk) 03:18, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I'd be more fine with that, I'm just very weary of Wikipedia proclaiming a successor government before even the opposition has. DecafPotato (talk) 03:22, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Agree on reverting to the version w/o a government section Bismarx (talk) 03:22, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Agree, we're at a level of chaos where anything more specific than "Syria" would be plain OR. Chaotic Enby (talk · contribs) 03:23, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
it's pretty obvious is not "confirmed by reliable sources". ―"Ghost of Dan Gurney" (hihi) 03:23, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I prefer if we'd just use the version 3 people have agreed on. Withouth a government section. LexigtonMisiENG (talk) 03:24, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
This should extend to the flag as well, then. ―"Ghost of Dan Gurney" (hihi) 03:27, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, one of the versions w/o a government also had no flag. This seems like the best one to use. Bismarx (talk) 03:29, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Strongly support a no government infobox. Things are extremely fluid right now, and presenting any single government as 'Syria' would be inaccurate. CitrusHemlock 03:30, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I would propose locking the article until this debate is settled. – Anwon (talk) 03:28, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Lock the article and revert it back to its Syrian Arab Republic form UNTIL consensus has been properly reached that the WP:Primary Topic for this article is NO LONGER the Syrian Arab Republic. TheodoresTomfooleries (talk) 03:29, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
It’s already extended locked, it won’t get fully locked without a reason and no consensus for a change isn’t a reason. And please don’t shout Cowboygilbert - (talk) ♥ 03:30, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I oppose this. It is clear that the arab republic government is no longer in power to some sort but it is also unclear who is the continuation government-wise. No flag, and no government infobox seems to be a good option. LexigtonMisiENG (talk) 03:34, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
No government sure, but the flag is known (the green white black stripes with the three red stars) The Great Mule of Eupatoria (talk) 03:36, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
While it seems likely at this point that a government with that flag will rule Syria, it should not be represented until that government clearly exists and has legitimacy. Until then, there is no clearly legitimate government with a flag in Syria, and thus none should be shown. Bismarx (talk) 03:41, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
If that happens, how should it be done? Should they be replaced with placeholders? Or maybe adding an explanation on why there is no flag, or government where they would be? Or both? And how about the coat of arms? Zabezt (talk) 04:25, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Never mind, they were all solved while I was typing that. Zabezt (talk) 04:28, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The Assad government has lost Damascus per media sources, so it would be inaccurate to display them as the de jure government of Syria for right now. I am in favor of a no-flag, no-official name solution as of right now. Ezpler12345 (talk) 03:35, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@TheTechnician27: there appears to be a consensus forming for no flag, etc in the article. Can you engage here and possibly explain why you restored the SAR flag? ―"Ghost of Dan Gurney" (hihi) 03:44, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
He hasn't talked at all in this discussion. Yet keeps reverting. LexigtonMisiENG (talk) 03:46, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I reverted one edit (which was a single user's unilateral revert to the SAR-recognizing infobox) and otherwise only changed the flags or the official names. Also, I've been keeping an eye on the discussion but haven't been engaging to see if a consensus can form. Ezpler12345 (talk) 03:51, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
In retrospect these past 2 comments don't make sense now that I realize they were talking to TheTechnician instead of me. Whoops. (I'm not a very frequent Wiki user, so I apologize for the misunderstanding). Ezpler12345 (talk) 03:53, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@TheTechnician27 care to join the talk page you wanted to open per your reverts? Scuba 03:52, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
My reverts? I only reverted one edit, and that was the one that said consensus had been established. Do you potentially have me confused for somebody else, Scuba? TheTechnician27 (Talk page) 03:53, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@LexigtonMisiENG, Seems like TheTechnician27 hasn't had any edit reversions, you might want to reclarify who you meant. Cowboygilbert - (talk) ♥ 03:56, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I did revert one edit about half an hour ago right after the article got EP, but that should be the only one. Sorry, this is all kind of a cluster right now. 😅 And I guess it's going to be a cluster working on this now. TheTechnician27 (Talk page) 03:58, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Ah, his user must have been jumbled up in the edit history mess. My apologies LexigtonMisiENG (talk) 04:02, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I was at first in favor of using both the SAR and Syrian opposition flag (which was my initial edit) until the edits became extremely volatile. I think that given how uncertain the situation is overall, there should not be any recognition of one de jure Syrian government until everything cools down. Ezpler12345 (talk) 03:48, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Did I? It may have been an accident if I overwrote something while editing. My apologies if so. TheTechnician27 (Talk page) 03:53, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Well, the page clearly displays the Syrian Arab Republic as the de jure government of Syria so something clearly went wrong. If this was an accident it's no big deal but almost every source has confirmed the fall of the SAR. Ezpler12345 (talk) 03:55, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, I completely agree with the fall of the SAR at this point; it's noted in multiple very reliable sources. If I reverted that after that initial one about half an hour ago (before e.g. the NYT and Reuters started covering it), I didn't mean to. TheTechnician27 (Talk page) 03:56, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
If so, I would like to request an edit from a permitted user to change the page in recognition of Syria's currently unresolved status when it comes to their de jure government (no flag, no CoA). Ezpler12345 (talk) 03:58, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Also striking "officially the Syrian Arab Republic" from the start of the article. Bismarx (talk) 04:00, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I've done this, but via manual revert, so any relevant information added since then will have to be restored. ―"Ghost of Dan Gurney" (hihi) 04:04, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Apparently the prime minister is officially still in charge of the syrian government and is preparing for a peaceful transfer. So the syrian arab republic essentially officially exists and is acknowledged by the opposition until the transition happens. So the assumption it has fallen may be premature idk how it works with wiki policy though. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-832428 83.248.43.83 (talk) 04:49, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
While remnants of the state known as the Syrian Arab Republic still exist, the government as a whole seems to have collapsed. As the opposition groups (SIG, HTS) do not acknowledge the SAR, and given that they control the vast majority of Syria it would be inaccurate to claim that the SAR is an extant state. Ezpler12345 (talk) 04:56, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Correction: while the military apparatus supporting the state seems to have collapsed, elements of the government seem to still have some remaining influence given the PM's statement. Ezpler12345 (talk) 04:58, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
How on earth could anyone argue that the Syrian Arab Republic is still intact? Scuba 03:47, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
We should follow how the Afghanistan article changed in 2021. Syrian Military Command has confirmed the surrend to the Free Syrian Transitional government. We should change with Reliable sources.
Al Jazeera SOURCE207.96.32.81 (talk) 03:53, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
We still don't know reliably how the new Syrian government and have no sources for it. Shy Shy Tomato (talk) 04:30, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
That's why there is no flag, CoA or official name in the infobox. Ezpler12345 (talk) 05:01, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Edits happen fast and the opposition flag is now in the infobox... Micler (talk) 05:03, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Which goes against the consensus established on this topic, but I digress. Ezpler12345 (talk) 05:05, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@StellaAquila: can you please self-revert? We should not add the Syrian opposition flag until the government is proclaimed and confirmed by reliable sources. ―"Ghost of Dan Gurney" (hihi) 05:07, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The edit appears to have been reverted by another user. Ezpler12345 (talk) 05:14, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Change of government

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Given recent events, and the fact that the regime is very unlikely to last until even Monday, it would be best to start work on a new infobox removing references to the Syrian Arab Republic and probably switching it over to either the Syrian Salvation Government or the Syrian Interim Government depending on who ends up on top de-facto. Terrariola 02:29, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

In the "Syrian Arab Republic" talk above, they're already talking about this and have a better solution ErickTheMerrick (talk) 02:33, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I don't think we're here to speculate who is the top faction. Currently, Syria doesn't appear to have a definite government, and simplifying the situation by picking one of the rebel groups might not be accurate. Having only "Syria" without a reference to a specific faction, and showing both flags, will be the most reasonable solution once it will be confirmed that Baathist Syria has fallen. Chaotic Enby (talk · contribs) 03:22, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

SYRIA HAS FALLEN! CNN AND FOX NEWS CONFIRMED! Semi-protected edit request on 8 December 2024

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Coat of Arms File:Emblem of SSG.svg 100.34.203.87 (talk) 03:25, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Not done for now: There is a discussion thread above. Use it. Cowboygilbert - (talk) ♥ 03:26, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Edit request (don't know how to format this)

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Change "It is now the only country that is governed by neo-Ba'athists, who advocate Arab socialism and nationalism. The country's current Ba'athist government is a totalitarian dictatorship with a comprehensive cult of personality around the Assad family, and has attracted widespread criticism for its severe domestic repression and war crimes."

to

"Up until the capture of Damascus by rebel forces, it was the only country governed by neo-Ba'athists, whom advocated Arab socialism and nationalism. The country's Ba'athist government was a totalitarian dictatorship with a comprehensive cult of personality around the Assad family, and had attracted widespread criticism for its severe domestic repression and war crimes." 2A02:1810:250D:4700:491E:56C7:DD37:2693 (talk) 03:37, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

 Done CitrusHemlock 04:27, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 8 December 2024

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Bashar Al-Assad no longer president 174.91.229.226 (talk) 03:54, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Cowboygilbert - (talk) ♥ 03:58, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Seconding the original request as per WP:NOTNEWS. I'd even suggest full protect it until around 10AM Damascus time so sources have an opportunity to sort themselves out. WP:TIND and all that. Ipatrol (talk) 04:03, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

What now?

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If the Syrian Arab Republic falls completely, what will we do with this article? (More specifically, the flag and coat of arms at the top of the infobox) Zabezt (talk) 03:58, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

See the "Syrian Arab Republic" thread for discussion on this. The current consensus among most editors is to have no flag, coat of arms or official name until the situation has settled down. Ezpler12345 (talk) 04:02, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
An article for Ba'athist Syria already exists and has the flag and coat of arms Bismarx (talk) 04:02, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Recent reversion of information in the lead

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In this edit a few minutes ago, ElijahPepe reverted a sentence and stated via inline comment: "WAIT FOR CONFIRMATION; THE REUTERS SOURCE IS A CLAIM". I see where the disagreement lies, but I really don't think this is valid. Reuters is extraordinarily reliable for substantiating this sort of thing, and the very first sentence of its article reads: "Syria's army command has notified officers that President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year authoritarian rule has ended, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move told Reuters, following a rapid rebel offensive that took the world by surprise." I think the sentence: "On 8 December 2024, both the rebels and the Syrian Army's command declared that al-Assad's rule had ended." should be reinstated to the lead where it was. Very obviously the rebels have stated this, so I assume the contention ElijahPepe sees is with the SAA command's statement. I get the claim hinges on one officer, but Reuters seems pretty confident this is what has happened. Putting it up to a discussion because arbitration + I'm fallible. TheTechnician27 (Talk page) 04:20, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I believe Reuters here, and I actually added this to Bashar al-Assad. However, this is a shifting situation and official confirmation is necessary. elijahpepe@wikipedia (he/him) 04:26, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
If you mean that a major news outlet reports not just that an official has said this but that there's some sort of official broadcast by SAA officials or that multiple SAA officials or the PM inform the major outlet of the same thing, then that's sensible; I can work with that. TheTechnician27 (Talk page) 04:33, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Government

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In the immediate aftermath of the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the sentence "Since the Taliban captured Kabul on 15 August 2021, the governance of Afghanistan is disputed between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan." was added to the start of the article's section on Government and Politics. It seems reasonable to follow that precedent here and say that since the capture of Damascus, the governance of Syria has been in dispute. Bismarx (talk) 04:29, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

If there is a source that you can provide that says that there is a dispute between the de facto and the de jure governments then it could be added. Cowboygilbert - (talk) ♥ 04:40, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Similarly, if there ends up being a dispute within the rebel coalition. I think it's fairly obvious that neither the SDF in the northeast nor pockets of ISIS in the south can claim to be the real Syria(TM), but if infighting starts up within the coalition, then potentially. I think they seem pretty unified overall right now, though. TheTechnician27 (Talk page) 04:48, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Al Jazeera is reporting that the opposition has declared an end to the Assad regime, while Assad has made no formal concession of power. It seems clear that there is a dispute between the internationally recognized government of Syria and the actual forces on the ground. I would also point to the discussion above to show there is a current dispute. Bismarx (talk) 04:48, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I think it's pretty clear to everyone at this point that the "internationally recognized government of Syria" is no longer internationally recognized as of the last hour or so with the exceptions of a few rogue nations like Russia and Iran which might consider al-Assad a government in exile. The SAA command has ceded control to the rebels; the prime minister has ceded control; and in general, it seems like outside of the northwest (remnants of the SAA), the northeast (the SDF), and the south (small pockets of ISIS), the rebels have full control over and widespread support/minimal resistance within most of the country's major cities including Damascus. The US for example yesterday acknowledged that a military defeat would mark the end of the regime. There really seems to be no dispute outside of Assad himself (who is one man, not the parliament which seem to be peacefully transitioning) and small areas in the northwest (but under this logic, we could've considered Assad's government disputed due to the large SDF presence in the northeast). Even Assad does not appear to have formally challenged this yet, likely trying to keep a low profile while he escapes into exile. TheTechnician27 (Talk page) 05:06, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
In this case, it should still be clarified that the government described in the government and politics section is not currently the government of Syria. Bismarx (talk) 05:09, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Need to see what reliable sources say. The situation seems to me to be less of a dispute over which government is legitimate, but rather that there now is no single government in the country, with the remnants of the previous government de facto being a transitional government waiting to be dissolved. Gust Justice (talk) 04:52, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Even if so, this should still be made clear at the start of the section on government and politics. Bismarx (talk) 05:06, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Infobox: Name of prime minister should be reinstated

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As of now, The syrian PM Ghazi al-Jalali hasn't resigned or left the country. https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/syria-civil-war-damascus/card/syrian-prime-minister-ready-to-cooperate-gG7okAui3MTS7vJA6oHR Hu741f4 (talk) 04:46, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-832428 source of opposition acknowledging his official status as transitional head of government. 83.248.43.83 (talk) 04:52, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
This seems messy to me. On the one hand, al-Jalali hasn't left the country and hasn't abdicated the role of PM. However, per the article linked above by the IP: "Syrian rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Sunday that it was prohibited to go near public institutions that he said will remain under the supervision of the "former prime minister" until it is officially handed over." So it hasn't yet officially been handed over, but he's also "former"? It's weird. TheTechnician27 (Talk page) 04:56, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Edit request: official language, currency

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Obviously, changes have been made to the article/infobox to remove the Assad's regime as the one official government, and not mentioning any disputed government factions either as the situation is totally unclear as yet. Correspondingly, I request that: (1) The "official languages" infobox section, which lists only Arabic with a citation to the Assad regime constitution, be removed. The citation is now inappropriate, and Arabic-only is now inaccurate because the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria also has Kurdish. (2) The "currency" infobox section be removed or changed to list several. The rebel areas apparently use Turkish Lira and immediately introduced it in Aleppo [1] [2], so the status of the Syrian Pound is equally uncertain as all the other government infobox sections. The Kurdish areas apparently also use USD [3]. Micler (talk) 05:01, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Not done for now: The situation is in flux right now. Quetstar (talk) 05:10, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
How can you argue it's appropriate to list no official name, no form of government, no president, no flag, but leave an official language with a reference to a constitution? Micler (talk) 05:18, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I was thinking about this earlier too; I'll get this taken care of, because I agree. However, I mean this just with respect to the languages, not the currency. TheTechnician27 (Talk page) 05:10, 8 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]