The land known as Syria is at the heart of the Middle East. Dotting Syria's landscape are the ancient ruins of the many civilizations that have ruled this land, dating back some 8,000 years. These ruins bear witness to Syria's troubled past under the rule of competing empires and colonial powers. Today the Syrian Arab Republic is ruled by a brutal dictator, Bashar al-Assad, whose repressive policies and blatant disregard for human rights has led to the outbreak of a devastating civil war. That conflict, which began in 2011, has cost the lives of more than 220,000 people and has left roughly 9 million Syrians as refugees. Rebel groups now control large areas of Syrian territory; some, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have spread terror and destruction into neighboring Iraq. Both the United Nations and the Arab League have sought a peaceful resolution to the crisis, but this tragic civil war shows no sign of ending soon.