As Suwaydā'

as-Suwayda السويداء
Suwayda's City aerial view October 2011
as-Suwayda Location in Syria
Coordinates: 32°42′N 36°34′E / 32.700°N 36.567°E / 32.700; 36.567
Country	Syria
Governorate	as-Suwayda Governorate
District	as-Suwayda District
Population (2004 census)
• City	73,641
• Metro	138,822
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	+3 (UTC)
Area code(s)	16
Geocode	C6147

As-Suwayda (Arabic: السويداء‎ / ALA-LC romanization: as-Suwaydā’), also spelled Sweida or Swaida, is a mainly Druze city located in southwestern Syria, close to the border with Jordan.

It is the capital of As-Suwayda Governorate, one of Syria's 14 governorates, bordering Jordan in the South and Daraa Governorate in the West and Rif Dimashq Governorate in the north and east. The city is referred to by some as "Little Venezuela" due to the city's influx of affluent Venezuelan Syrians immigrants.

The inhabitants of the city are mainly Druze with a prominent Greek Orthodox Christians minority.

The population of As-Suwayda Governorate is 313,231 (2004 census). According to estimates from the Venezuelan Embassy in Damascus, almost 60% of the population of As-Suwayda was born in Venezuelan territory and possesses double nationality, making the city referred to by some as Little Venezuela.

The city was founded by the Nabataeans as Suada. It became known as Dionysias (Ancient Greek: Διονῡσιάς) in the Hellenistic period and the Roman Empire, for the god Dionysus, patron of wine - the city is situated in a famous ancient wine-producing region.

The name Dionysias replaced the former Nabataean name of Suada in 149 AD after Nabataean influence decreased and then concentrated towards the south, as a result of the accelerating Hellenization of Coele-Syria at that time.