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The invasion has had wide-reaching consequences: [[Iraq war|increased civil violence]], establishment of a [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[democracy]], the removal and [[Execution of Saddam Hussein|execution]] of former [[authoritarian]] President [[Saddam Hussein]], official recognition and widespread [[politics of Iraq|political participation]] of Iraq's [[Kurdish people|Kurdish]] minority and [[Shia Islam|Shi'ite]] Arab majority, [[persecution]] of [[Christian]] and [[Mandaean]] [[Minorities in Iraq|minorities]], significant [[economy of Iraq|economic growth]], destruction of existing infrastructure, and use of the country's huge [[Oil reserves#Iraq|reserves of oil]]. In 2008 the [[List of countries by Failed States Index|Failed States Index]], produced by the [[Carnegie Endowment for International Peace|Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's]] [[Foreign Policy]] magazine and the [[Fund for Peace]], Iraq was the world's fifth most unstable country,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4350&page=1|title=Foreign Policy Magazine: The Failed States Index 2008}}</ref> after [[Sudan]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4350&page=1|title=The Failed State Index 2008}}</ref> and the United States in 2007 referred to it in court proceedings as "an active theater of combat."<ref>[[Munaf v. Geren]], [http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/06-1666.pdf 06-1666], pg. 5 of Syllabus</ref> Iraq is developing a parliamentary democracy composed of 18 [[Governorates of Iraq|governorates]] (known as ''muhafadhat'').
The invasion has had wide-reaching consequences: [[Iraq war|increased civil violence]], establishment of a [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[democracy]], the removal and [[Execution of Saddam Hussein|execution]] of former [[authoritarian]] President [[Saddam Hussein]], official recognition and widespread [[politics of Iraq|political participation]] of Iraq's [[Kurdish people|Kurdish]] minority and [[Shia Islam|Shi'ite]] Arab majority, [[persecution]] of [[Christian]] and [[Mandaean]] [[Minorities in Iraq|minorities]], significant [[economy of Iraq|economic growth]], destruction of existing infrastructure, and use of the country's huge [[Oil reserves#Iraq|reserves of oil]]. In 2008 the [[List of countries by Failed States Index|Failed States Index]], produced by the [[Carnegie Endowment for International Peace|Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's]] [[Foreign Policy]] magazine and the [[Fund for Peace]], Iraq was the world's fifth most unstable country,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4350&page=1|title=Foreign Policy Magazine: The Failed States Index 2008}}</ref> after [[Sudan]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4350&page=1|title=The Failed State Index 2008}}</ref> and the United States in 2007 referred to it in court proceedings as "an active theater of combat."<ref>[[Munaf v. Geren]], [http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/06-1666.pdf 06-1666], pg. 5 of Syllabus</ref> Iraq is developing a parliamentary democracy composed of 18 [[Governorates of Iraq|governorates]] (known as ''muhafadhat'').


==Name==
==Etymology==
The origin of the name ''Iraq'' ([[Arabic]]: العراق {{ArabDIN|'al-‘Irāq}}, [[Assyrian Neo-Aramaic|Assyrian]]: '''ܥܪܐܩ''', [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]]: '''عێراق''', [[Turkish language|Turkish]]: Irak) is disputed. There are several suggested origins for the name. One dates to the [[Sumer]]ian city of [[Uruk]] (or Erech), meaning "between the rivers";<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=iraq |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |publisher=Etymonline.com |date=1979-12-10 |accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref> another maintains according to Professor Wilhelm Eilers, "The name al-‘Irāq, for all its Arabic appearance, is derived from [[Middle Persian]] erāq lowlands".<ref> W. Eilers (1983), "Iran and Mesopotamia" in E. Yarshater, The Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press</ref> According to some, the [[escarpment]] (''i.e.'' "el-'Iraq") at the south and east of the Jazira Plateau, which forms the northern and western edge of the "el-Iraq arabi" area, is the origin of the name.<ref>Boesch, Hans H. (1939) "El-'Iraq" ''Economic Geography'' 15(4): pp. 325-361, p. 329</ref> In Turkish the word 'Irak' means 'far away'.{{Fact|date=February 2009}}
The origin of the name ''Iraq'' ([[Arabic]]: العراق {{ArabDIN|'al-‘Irāq}}, [[Assyrian Neo-Aramaic|Assyrian]]: '''ܥܪܐܩ''', [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]]: '''عێراق''', [[Turkish language|Turkish]]: Irak) is disputed. There are several suggested origins for the name. One dates to the [[Sumer]]ian city of [[Uruk]] (or Erech), meaning "between the rivers";<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=iraq |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |publisher=Etymonline.com |date=1979-12-10 |accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref> another maintains according to Professor Wilhelm Eilers, "The name al-‘Irāq, for all its Arabic appearance, is derived from [[Middle Persian]] erāq lowlands".<ref> W. Eilers (1983), "Iran and Mesopotamia" in E. Yarshater, The Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press</ref> According to some, the [[escarpment]] (''i.e.'' "el-'Iraq") at the south and east of the Jazira Plateau, which forms the northern and western edge of the "el-Iraq arabi" area, is the origin of the name.<ref>Boesch, Hans H. (1939) "El-'Iraq" ''Economic Geography'' 15(4): pp. 325-361, p. 329</ref> In Turkish the word 'Irak' means 'far away'.{{Fact|date=February 2009}}


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In English, the name is pronounced as either {{IPA|&#91;ɪ.ˈɹɑ(ː)k&#93;}} (the only pronunciation listed in the [[Oxford English Dictionary]] and the first one in [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iraq Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary]) or {{IPA|&#91;ɪ.ˈɹæk&#93;}} (listed first by [[Macquarie Dictionary|MQD]]), the [http://www.bartleby.com/61/81/I0228100.html American Heritage Dictionary], and the [http://dictionary.infoplease.com/Iraq Random House Dictionary].
In English, the name is pronounced as either {{IPA|&#91;ɪ.ˈɹɑ(ː)k&#93;}} (the only pronunciation listed in the [[Oxford English Dictionary]] and the first one in [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iraq Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary]) or {{IPA|&#91;ɪ.ˈɹæk&#93;}} (listed first by [[Macquarie Dictionary|MQD]]), the [http://www.bartleby.com/61/81/I0228100.html American Heritage Dictionary], and the [http://dictionary.infoplease.com/Iraq Random House Dictionary].


==Geography==
==History==
{{main|Geography of Iraq}}
[[Image:Iraq Topography.png|thumb|left|Topography of Iraq]]
[[Image:Fields of corn-Euphrates-Iraq.jpg|thumb|left|Landscape near the [[Euphrates]] river in Iraq.]]
[[Image:Iraq map.png|right|thumb|A scaled map of Iraq showing major cities, the [[Euphrates]] & the [[Tigris]], the [[Cheekah Dar|unnamed peak]], and the surrounding [[Western Asia|area]].]]

Iraq is located at {{coord|33|00|N|44|00|E|type:country}}. Spanning 437,072&nbsp;km² (168,743 sq mi), it is the 58th-largest country in the world. It is comparable in size to the [[US state]] of [[California]], and somewhat larger than [[Paraguay]].

Iraq mainly consists of [[desert]], but near the two major rivers ([[Euphrates]] and [[Tigris]]) are fertile [[alluvial plains]], as the rivers carry about 60 million cubic metres (78 million [[cubic yard|cu. yd]]) of [[silt]] annually to the [[River delta|delta]]. The north of the country is mostly composed of mountains; the highest point being at 3,611 metres (11,847 ft) point, unnamed on the map opposite, but known locally as [[Cheekah Dar]] (black tent). Iraq has a small coastline measuring 58&nbsp;km (35 miles) along the [[Persian Gulf]]. Close to the coast and along the [[Shatt al-Arab]] (known as ''arvandrūd'': اروندرود among Iranians) there used to be marshlands, but many were drained in the 1990s.

The local [[climate]] is mostly [[desert]], with mild to cool winters and dry, hot, cloudless summers. The northern mountainous regions (Kurdistan region هه‌رێمی کوردستان) have cold winters with occasional heavy snows, sometimes causing extensive flooding.

Comprising {{convert|115|Goilbbl|m3}} of proved oil reserves, Iraq ranks third in the world behind [[Saudi Arabia]] and [[Iran]] in the amount of [[Oil reserves]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/reserves.html|title=US Department of Energy Information Administration}}</ref> yet the [[United States Department of Energy]] estimates that up to 90% of the country remains unexplored. These regions could yield an additional {{convert|100|Goilbbl|m3}}. Iraq's oil production costs are among the lowest in the world, but only about 2,000 [[oil well]]s have been drilled in Iraq, compared with about 1 million wells in [[Texas]] alone.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epat6p3.html|title=US Department of Energy Information Administration}}</ref>

==Early history==
{{main|History of Iraq}}
{{main|History of Iraq}}
===[[Ancient Iraq]]===
{{main|Mesopotamia|Sumer|Akkadian Empire|Babylonia|Assyria}}
[[Image:Milkau Oberer Teil der Stele mit dem Text von Hammurapis Gesetzescode 369-2.jpg|thumb|170px|right|upright|The upper part of the stela of [[Hammurabi]]'s [[Code of Hammurabi|code of laws]]]]
Historically, the land of Iraq was known in [[Europe]] by the [[Greek language|Greek]] exonym '[[Mesopotamia]]' ''(Land between the rivers)'', after the foundation of the [[Kingdom of Iraq]] in 1932, it became better known by it's ancient endonym 'Iraq'. The land of Iraq has been home to continuous successive civilizations since the [[6th millennium BC]]. These civilizations produced the earliest [[List of languages by first written accounts|writing]], [[Sumerian literature|literature]], [[Babylonian astronomy|sciences]], [[Babylonian mathematics|mathematics]], [[Babylonian law|laws]], and [[Assyro-Babylonian literature#Philosophy|philosophies]] of the world; hence its common epithet, the "[[Cradle of Civilization]]".


Iraq was home to the earliest known [[civilization]] on [[Earth]], the [[Sumer|Sumerian civilization]], which arose in the fertile [[Tigris-Euphrates river system|Tigris-Euphrates river valley]] of southern Iraq in the mid [[6th millennium BC]]. It was here in the late [[4th millennium BC]], that the world's [[List of languages by first written accounts|first]] [[Cuneiform script|writing system]] and recorded history itself were born. The Sumerian civilization flourished for over 3000 years and was succeeded by the rise of the [[Akkadian Empire]] in the [[24th century BC]]. Over two centuries of Akkadian dominance was followed by a [[Sumerian Renaissance]] in the [[21st century BC]]. An [[Elam|Elamite]] invasion in 2004 BC brought the [[Third Dynasty of Ur]] to an end. By the [[18th century BC]] a new civilization, [[Babylonia]], had risen to dominance in central and southern Iraq while a contemporaneous civilization, [[Assyria]], had formed in northern Iraq.
===Ancient Iraq===
{{main|Mesopotamia}}
[[Image:Milkau Oberer Teil der Stele mit dem Text von Hammurapis Gesetzescode 369-2.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The upper part of the stela of [[Hammurabi]]'s [[Code of Hammurabi|code of laws]]]]
The region of Iraq was historically known as [[Mesopotamia]] ({{lang-el|between the rivers}}). It was home to the world's first known [[civilization]], the [[Sumer]]ian culture, followed by the [[Akkadia]]n, [[Babylon]]ian, and [[Assyria]]n cultures, whose influence extended into neighboring regions as early as [[5th millennium BC|5000 BC]]. These civilizations produced some of the earliest [[writing]] and some of the first [[Babylonian astronomy|sciences]], [[Babylonian mathematics|mathematics]], [[Babylonian law|laws]], [[Sumerian literature|literature]] and [[Assyro-Babylonian literature#Philosophy|philosophies]] of the world; hence its common epithet, the "[[Cradle of Civilization]]".


In the sixth century BC, [[Cyrus the Great]] conquered the [[Neo-Babylonian Empire]], and Mesopotamia was subsumed in the [[Achaemenid Empire|Achaemenid]] [[Persian Empire]] for nearly four centuries. [[Alexander the Great]] conquered the region again, putting it under [[Hellenistic civilization|Hellenistic]] [[Seleucid Empire|Seleucid]] rule for nearly two centuries. A [[Central Asian]] tribe of [[ancient Iranian peoples]] known as the [[Parthia]]ns later annexed the region, followed by the [[Sassanid dynasty|Sassanid]] Persians. The region remained a province of the Persian Empire for nine centuries, until the seventh century AD.
In the [[6th century BC]], [[Cyrus the Great]] of neighbouring [[Achaemenid Empire|Persia]] conquered the [[Neo-Babylonian Empire]], and Mesopotamia was subsumed into the [[Achaemenid Empire|Achaemenid]] [[Persian Empire]] for nearly four centuries. [[Alexander the Great]] conquered the region again, putting it under [[Hellenistic civilization|Hellenistic]] [[Seleucid Empire|Seleucid]] rule for nearly two centuries. A [[Central Asian]] tribe of [[ancient Iranian peoples]] known as the [[Parthia]]ns later annexed the region, followed by the [[Sassanid dynasty|Sassanid]] Persians. The region remained a province of the Persian Empire for nine centuries, until the [[Islamic Conquest of Mesopotamia]] in the [[7th century AD]].


===Islamic Caliphate===
===Islamic Caliphate===
{{main|Caliphate|Islamic Golden Age}}
{{main|Islamic Conquest of Mesopotamia|Abbasid Caliphate|Islamic Golden Age}}
[[Image:Age-of-caliphs.png|thumb|The [[Arab empire]] and the [[caliphate|caliphs]] during their greatest extent. {{legend|#a1584e|Under [[Muhammad]], 622-632}} {{legend|#ef9070|Under the Patriarchal Caliphate, 632-661}} {{legend|#fad07d|Under the Umayyad Caliphate, 661-750}}]]
[[Image:Age-of-caliphs.png|thumb|The [[Arab empire]] and the [[caliphate|caliphs]] during their greatest extent. {{legend|#a1584e|Under [[Muhammad]], 622-632}} {{legend|#ef9070|Under the Patriarchal Caliphate, 632-661}} {{legend|#fad07d|Under the Umayyad Caliphate, 661-750}}]]
Beginning in the seventh century, [[Islam]] spread to what is now Iraq during the [[Islamic conquest of Persia]], led by the [[Muslim]] [[Arab]] commander [[Khalid ibn al-Walid]]. Under the [[Rashidun Empire|Rashidun Caliphate]], the prophet [[Mohammed]]'s cousin and son-in-law [[Ali]] moved his capital to [[Kufa]] "fi al-Iraq" when he became the fourth [[caliph]]. The [[Umayyad|Umayyad Caliphate]] ruled the province of Iraq from [[Damascus]] in the 7th century. (However, eventually there was a separate, independent [[Caliphate of Cordoba]].)
Beginning in the seventh century, [[Islam]] spread to what is now Iraq during the [[Islamic conquest of Persia]], led by the [[Muslim]] [[Arab]] commander [[Khalid ibn al-Walid]]. Under the [[Rashidun Empire|Rashidun Caliphate]], the prophet [[Mohammed]]'s cousin and son-in-law [[Ali]] moved his capital to [[Kufa]] "fi al-Iraq" when he became the fourth [[caliph]]. The [[Umayyad|Umayyad Caliphate]] ruled the province of Iraq from [[Damascus]] in the 7th century. (However, eventually there was a separate, independent [[Caliphate of Cordoba]].)
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===Ottoman Empire===
===Ottoman Empire===
{{main|Ottoman Empire|Mamluk rule in Iraq|Mesopotamian campaign|Partitioning of the Ottoman Empire}}
{{main|Ottoman Empire|Mamluk rule in Iraq}}
Later, the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Turks]] took Baghdad from the [[Persians]] in 1535. [[Ottoman Dynasty|The Ottomans]] lost Baghdad to the [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]] [[Safavid]]s in 1609, and took it back in 1632. From 1747 to 1831, Iraq was ruled, with short intermissions, by the [[Mamluk]] officers of [[Georgia (country)|Georgian]] origin who enjoyed local autonomy from the [[Sublime Porte]].<ref>Iraq. (2007). In [[Encyclopædia Britannica]]. Retrieved October 15, 2007, from [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-22897 Encyclopædia Britannica Online].</ref>
The [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Turks]] took Baghdad from the [[Persians]] in 1535. [[Ottoman Dynasty|The Ottomans]] lost Baghdad to the [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]] [[Safavid]]s in 1609, and took it back in 1632. From 1747 to 1831, Iraq was ruled, with short intermissions, by the [[Mamluk]] officers of [[Georgia (country)|Georgian]] origin who enjoyed local autonomy from the [[Sublime Porte]].<ref>Iraq. (2007). In [[Encyclopædia Britannica]]. Retrieved October 15, 2007, from [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-22897 Encyclopædia Britannica Online].</ref>
In 1831, the direct Ottoman rule was imposed and lasted until [[World War I]], during which the Ottomans sided with Germany and the [[Central Powers]].
In 1831, the direct Ottoman rule was imposed and lasted until [[World War I]], during which the Ottomans sided with Germany and the [[Central Powers]].


===World War I===
{{main|Mesopotamian campaign|Damascus Protocol|McMahon-Hussein Correspondence|Sykes–Picot Agreement}}
During [[World War I]] the [[Ottomans]] were driven from much of the area by the United Kingdom during the [[dissolution of the Ottoman Empire]]. The British lost 92,000 soldiers in the [[Mesopotamian campaign]]. Ottoman losses are unknown but the British captured a total of 45,000 [[Prisoner of war|prisoners of war]]. By the end of 1918 the British had deployed 410,000 men in the area, though only 112,000 were combat troops.
During [[World War I]] the [[Ottomans]] were driven from much of the area by the United Kingdom during the [[dissolution of the Ottoman Empire]]. The British lost 92,000 soldiers in the [[Mesopotamian campaign]]. Ottoman losses are unknown but the British captured a total of 45,000 [[Prisoner of war|prisoners of war]]. By the end of 1918 the British had deployed 410,000 men in the area, though only 112,000 were combat troops.


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==Modern history==
==Modern history==
===British Mandate of Mesopotamia===
===British Mandate of Mesopotamia===
{{Main|British Mandate of Mesopotamia}}
{{Main|British Mandate of Mesopotamia|Hashemite|Faisal I of Iraq}}
[[Image:Baghdad-1917.jpg|right|thumb|[[United Kingdom|British]] troops entering [[Baghdad]].]]
[[Image:Baghdad-1917.jpg|right|thumb|[[United Kingdom|British]] troops entering [[Baghdad]].]]
At the end of World War I, the [[League of Nations]] granted the area to the United Kingdom as a [[League of Nations Mandate|mandate]]. It initially formed two former [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] ''[[vilayet]]s'' (regions): [[Baghdad Province, Ottoman Empire|Baghdad]] and [[Basra Province, Ottoman Empire|Basra]] into a single country in August 1921. Five years later, in 1926, the northern vilayet of [[Mosul Province, Ottoman Empire|Mosul]] was added, forming the territorial boundaries of the modern Iraqi state.
At the end of World War I, the [[League of Nations]] granted the area to the United Kingdom as a [[League of Nations Mandate|mandate]]. It initially formed two former [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] ''[[vilayet]]s'' (regions): [[Baghdad Province, Ottoman Empire|Baghdad]] and [[Basra Province, Ottoman Empire|Basra]] into a single country in August 1921. Five years later, in 1926, the northern vilayet of [[Mosul Province, Ottoman Empire|Mosul]] was added, forming the territorial boundaries of the modern Iraqi state.
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For three out of four centuries of [[Ottomans|Ottoman]] rule, Baghdad was the seat of administration for the vilayets of Baghdad, Mosul, and Basra. During the [[British Mandate of Mesopotamia|mandate]], [[British Empire|British colonial]] administrators ruled the country, and through the use of [[RAF Iraq Command|British armed forces]], suppressed Arab and Kurdish rebellions against the occupation. They established the [[Hashemite]] king, Faisal, who had been forced out of [[Syria]] by the French, as their client ruler. Likewise, British authorities selected Sunni Arab elites from the region for appointments to government and ministry offices.<!-- in Iraq or Iraq and its neighbouring regions? -->{{Specify|date=April 2007}}<ref>Tripp, Charles:''A History of Iraq'',Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,2000</ref>
For three out of four centuries of [[Ottomans|Ottoman]] rule, Baghdad was the seat of administration for the vilayets of Baghdad, Mosul, and Basra. During the [[British Mandate of Mesopotamia|mandate]], [[British Empire|British colonial]] administrators ruled the country, and through the use of [[RAF Iraq Command|British armed forces]], suppressed Arab and Kurdish rebellions against the occupation. They established the [[Hashemite]] king, Faisal, who had been forced out of [[Syria]] by the French, as their client ruler. Likewise, British authorities selected Sunni Arab elites from the region for appointments to government and ministry offices.<!-- in Iraq or Iraq and its neighbouring regions? -->{{Specify|date=April 2007}}<ref>Tripp, Charles:''A History of Iraq'',Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,2000</ref>


===Hashemite monarchy===
{{main|Hashemite}}
Britain granted independence to Iraq in 1932, on the urging of [[Faisal I of Iraq|King Faisal]], though the British retained [[military base]]s and transit rights for their forces. King [[Ghazi of Iraq]] ruled as a figurehead after King Faisal's death in 1933, while undermined by attempted military coups, until his death in 1939. The United Kingdom invaded Iraq in 1941 (see [[Anglo-Iraqi War]]), for fear that the government of [[Rashid Ali al-Gaylani]] might cut oil supplies to Western nations, and because of his links to the [[Axis powers]]. A [[military occupation]] followed the restoration of the [[Hashemite]] monarchy, and the occupation ended on October 26, 1947. The rulers during the occupation and the remainder of the Hashemite monarchy were [[Nuri al-Said]], the autocratic prime minister, who also ruled from 1930–1932, and [['Abd al-Ilah]], an advisor to the king [[Faisal II]].
Britain granted independence to Iraq in 1932, on the urging of [[Faisal I of Iraq|King Faisal]], though the British retained [[military base]]s and transit rights for their forces. King [[Ghazi of Iraq]] ruled as a figurehead after King Faisal's death in 1933, while undermined by attempted military coups, until his death in 1939. The United Kingdom invaded Iraq in 1941 (see [[Anglo-Iraqi War]]), for fear that the government of [[Rashid Ali al-Gaylani]] might cut oil supplies to Western nations, and because of his links to the [[Axis powers]]. A [[military occupation]] followed the restoration of the [[Hashemite]] monarchy, and the occupation ended on October 26, 1947. The rulers during the occupation and the remainder of the Hashemite monarchy were [[Nuri al-Said]], the autocratic prime minister, who also ruled from 1930–1932, and [['Abd al-Ilah]], an advisor to the king [[Faisal II]].


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The mandate of the [[multinational force in Iraq]], last extended by [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1790|UN resolution 1790]], ended on December 31, 2008.
The mandate of the [[multinational force in Iraq]], last extended by [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1790|UN resolution 1790]], ended on December 31, 2008.

==Geography==
{{main|Geography of Iraq}}
[[Image:Iraq map.png|right|thumb|250px|Map of Iraq]]
Iraq is located at {{coord|33|00|N|44|00|E|type:country}}. Spanning 437,072&nbsp;km² (168,743 sq mi), it is the 58th-largest country in the world. It is comparable in size to the [[US state]] of [[California]], and somewhat larger than [[Paraguay]].

Iraq mainly consists of [[desert]], but near the two major rivers ([[Euphrates]] and [[Tigris]]) are fertile [[alluvial plains]], as the rivers carry about 60 million cubic metres (78 million [[cubic yard|cu. yd]]) of [[silt]] annually to the [[River delta|delta]]. The north of the country is mostly composed of mountains; the highest point being at 3,611 metres (11,847 ft) point, unnamed on the map opposite, but known locally as [[Cheekah Dar]] (black tent). Iraq has a small coastline measuring 58&nbsp;km (35 miles) along the [[Persian Gulf]]. Close to the coast and along the [[Shatt al-Arab]] (known as ''arvandrūd'': اروندرود among Iranians) there used to be marshlands, but many were drained in the 1990s.

The local [[climate]] is mostly [[desert]], with mild to cool winters and dry, hot, cloudless summers. The northern mountainous regions (Kurdistan region هه‌رێمی کوردستان) have cold winters with occasional heavy snows, sometimes causing extensive flooding.

Comprising {{convert|115|Goilbbl|m3}} of proved oil reserves, Iraq ranks third in the world behind [[Saudi Arabia]] and [[Iran]] in the amount of [[Oil reserves]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/reserves.html|title=US Department of Energy Information Administration}}</ref> yet the [[United States Department of Energy]] estimates that up to 90% of the country remains unexplored. These regions could yield an additional {{convert|100|Goilbbl|m3}}. Iraq's oil production costs are among the lowest in the world, but only about 2,000 [[oil well]]s have been drilled in Iraq, compared with about 1 million wells in [[Texas]] alone.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epat6p3.html|title=US Department of Energy Information Administration}}</ref>


==Government and politics==
==Government and politics==
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<!--Please do not move this article from its proper place at the head of its own category.-->
<!--Please do not move this article from its proper place at the head of its own category.-->


[[Category:Geography of Iraq]]
[[Category:Iraq]]
[[Category:Mesopotamia]]
[[Category:Mesopotamia]]
[[Category:Levant]]
[[Category:Levant]]
[[Category:Southwest Asia]]
[[Category:Near Eastern countries]]
[[Category:Arabic-speaking countries]]
[[Category:Arabic-speaking countries]]
[[Category:Arab League member states]]
[[Category:Arab League member states]]
[[Category:Arab League]]
[[Category:Federal countries]]
[[Category:Federal countries]]
[[Category:Near Eastern countries]]
[[Category:Territories under military occupation]]
[[Category:Former monarchies]]
[[Category:Former monarchies]]
[[Category:OPEC member states]]
[[Category:OPEC member states]]
[[Category:Territories under military occupation]]


{{Link FA|ja}}
{{Link FA|ja}}

Revision as of 21:27, 14 April 2009

For a topic outline on this subject, see
List of basic Iraq topics. For other uses, see Iraq (disambiguation)
.
Republic of Iraq
جمهورية العراق
Jumhūriyat Al-ʿIrāq Template:Ar icon
كۆماری عێراق
Komara Iraqê[1] Template:Ku icon
Motto: الله أكبر   (
Iraqi
GovernmentDeveloping parliamentary republic
• President
Jalal Talabani
Nouri al-Maliki
Independence
• from the Ottoman Empire

October 1, 1919
• from the United Kingdom

October 3, 1932
Area
• Total
438,317 km2 (169,235 sq mi) (58th)
• Water (%)
1.1
Population
• 2007 estimate
29,267,0004 (39th)
• Density
66/km2 (170.9/sq mi) (125th)
GDP (PPP)2008 estimate
• Total
$113.9 billion [2] (61st)
• Per capita
$4000[2] (62)
CurrencyIraqi dinar (IQD)
Time zoneUTC+3 (GMT+3)
• Summer (DST)
UTC+3 (not observed)
Driving sideright
Calling code964
ISO 3166 codeIQ
Internet TLD.iq
  1. The Kurds use
    Assyrian (Syriac) (a dialect of Aramaic) and Iraqi Turkmen (a dialect of Turkish) languages are official in areas where the respective populations they constitute density of population.
  2. CIA World Factbook

Iraq (Template:Pron-en or Template:IPAlink-en; Arabic: العراق [Al-ʾIrāq] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)), officially the Republic of Iraq (Arabic: جمهورية العراق [Jumhūrīyat Al-ʾIrāq] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (

Western Asia
.

The capital city,

Sassanid, Roman, Rashidun, Umayyad, Mongol, Ottoman and British empires.[4][5]

Beginning with the

United States-Iraq relations
).

The invasion has had wide-reaching consequences:

Failed States Index, produced by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Foreign Policy magazine and the Fund for Peace, Iraq was the world's fifth most unstable country,[6] after Sudan,[7] and the United States in 2007 referred to it in court proceedings as "an active theater of combat."[8] Iraq is developing a parliamentary democracy composed of 18 governorates
(known as muhafadhat).

Etymology

The origin of the name Iraq (

Assyrian: ܥܪܐܩ, Kurdish: عێراق, Turkish: Irak) is disputed. There are several suggested origins for the name. One dates to the Sumerian city of Uruk (or Erech), meaning "between the rivers";[9] another maintains according to Professor Wilhelm Eilers, "The name al-‘Irāq, for all its Arabic appearance, is derived from Middle Persian erāq lowlands".[10] According to some, the escarpment (i.e. "el-'Iraq") at the south and east of the Jazira Plateau, which forms the northern and western edge of the "el-Iraq arabi" area, is the origin of the name.[11] In Turkish the word 'Irak' means 'far away'.[citation needed
]

Under the Persian

Persian Empire that is now part of southern Iraq. The name Al-Iraq was used by the Arabs themselves, from the 6th century, for the land Iraq covers.[citation needed] The term Iraq historically included the plain south of Hamrin Mountains and did not include the Kurdish-inhabited areas which after establishment of the country of Iraq were included as part of the republic.[12]

The Arabic pronunciation is [ʕiˈrɑːq]. In English, the name is pronounced as either [ɪ.ˈɹɑ(ː)k] (the only pronunciation listed in the Oxford English Dictionary and the first one in Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary) or [ɪ.ˈɹæk] (listed first by MQD), the American Heritage Dictionary, and the Random House Dictionary.

History

Ancient Iraq

The upper part of the stela of Hammurabi's code of laws

Historically, the land of Iraq was known in

Cradle of Civilization
".

Iraq was home to the earliest known

Sumerian Renaissance in the 21st century BC. An Elamite invasion in 2004 BC brought the Third Dynasty of Ur to an end. By the 18th century BC a new civilization, Babylonia, had risen to dominance in central and southern Iraq while a contemporaneous civilization, Assyria
, had formed in northern Iraq.

In the

7th century AD
.

Islamic Caliphate

The Arab empire and the caliphs during their greatest extent.
  Under Muhammad, 622-632
  Under the Patriarchal Caliphate, 632-661
  Under the Umayyad Caliphate, 661-750

Beginning in the seventh century,

Caliphate of Cordoba
.)

The

sack of Baghdad
in the 13th century.

Mongol conquest

In 1257,

Hulagu Khan amassed an unusually large army, a significant portion of the Mongol Empire
's forces, for the purpose of conquering Baghdad. When they arrived at the Islamic capital, Hulagu demanded surrender but the caliph refused. This angered Hulagu, and, consistent with Mongol strategy of discouraging resistance, Baghdad was decimated. Estimates of the number of dead range from 200,000 to a million.

The Mongols destroyed the Abbasid Caliphate and The Grand Library of Baghdad (Arabic بيت الحكمة Bayt al-Hikma, lit., House of Wisdom), which contained countless, precious, historical documents. The city would never regain its status as major center of culture and influence.

The mid-14th-century

Islamic world.[14] The best estimate for Middle East — Iraq, Iran, Syria, etc. — is a death rate of a third.[15]

In 1401, warlord of Turco-Mongol descent

Tamerlane (Timur Lenk) invaded Iraq. After the capture of Bagdad, 20,000 of its citizens were massacred. Timur ordered that every soldier should return with at least two severed human heads to show him (many warriors were so scared they killed prisoners captured earlier in the campaign just to ensure they had heads to present to Timur).[16]

Ottoman Empire

The

Safavids in 1609, and took it back in 1632. From 1747 to 1831, Iraq was ruled, with short intermissions, by the Mamluk officers of Georgian origin who enjoyed local autonomy from the Sublime Porte.[17]
In 1831, the direct Ottoman rule was imposed and lasted until World War I, during which the Ottomans sided with Germany and the Central Powers.

World War I

During World War I the Ottomans were driven from much of the area by the United Kingdom during the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. The British lost 92,000 soldiers in the Mesopotamian campaign. Ottoman losses are unknown but the British captured a total of 45,000 prisoners of war. By the end of 1918 the British had deployed 410,000 men in the area, though only 112,000 were combat troops.

During World War I the British and French divided

Iraq and Palestine (which then consisted of two autonomous regions: Palestine and Transjordan). Parts of the Ottoman Empire on the Arabian Peninsula became parts of what are today Saudi Arabia and Yemen
.

Modern history

British Mandate of Mesopotamia

File:Baghdad-1917.jpg
British troops entering Baghdad.

At the end of World War I, the

Mosul
was added, forming the territorial boundaries of the modern Iraqi state.

For three out of four centuries of

Hashemite king, Faisal, who had been forced out of Syria by the French, as their client ruler. Likewise, British authorities selected Sunni Arab elites from the region for appointments to government and ministry offices.[specify][18]

Britain granted independence to Iraq in 1932, on the urging of

'Abd al-Ilah, an advisor to the king Faisal II
.

Republic of Iraq

The reinstated

Revolutionary Command Council
(RCC), then Iraq's supreme executive body, in July 1979.

Iraq under Saddam Hussein

File:Saddam Hussein on his throne.jpg
Saddam Hussein al Tikriti, former president of Iraq 1979-2003

In 1979, Saddam Hussein took power as Iraqi President after knocking down his close friend and the leader of his party (Ahmed Hasan Al-Bakr) and killing and arresting his leadership rivals. Shortly after taking power, the political situation in Iraq's neighbor Iran changed drastically after the success of the

Halabja massacre, as punishment for elements of Kurdish support of Iran. The war ended in stalemate in 1988, largely due to American and Western support for Iraq. This was part of the US policy of "dual containment
" of Iraq and Iran.

poison gas
to massacre the civilian population.
Under Saddam Hussein's rule, a number of cultural projects were undertaken. The ruins of Babylon were rebuilt to represent the ancient city as seen here.
The Baathist regime advocated women's literacy and education.

In 1977, the Iraqi government ordered the construction of

Osirak (also spelled Osiraq) at the Al Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Center, 18 km (11 miles) south-east of Baghdad. It was a 40 MW light-water nuclear materials testing reactor (MTR). In 1981, Israeli aircraft bombed the facility
, in order to prevent the country from using the reactor for creation of nuclear weapons.

Persian Gulf War

In 1990, faced with economic disaster following the end of the Iran–Iraq War, Saddam Hussein looked to the oil-rich neighbour of Kuwait as a target to invade to use its resources and money to rebuild Iraq's economy. The Iraqi government claimed that Kuwait was illegally

invasion of Kuwait. Upon successfully occupying Kuwait, Hussein declared that Kuwait had ceased to exist and it was to be part of Iraq, against heavy objections from many countries and the United Nations
.

The UN agreed to pass

United Nations Charter, adopted Resolution 678, authorizing U.N. member states to use "all necessary means" to "restore international peace and security
in the area." The United States, which had enormous vested interests in the oil supplies of the Persian Gulf region, led an international coalition into Kuwait and Iraq.

The coalition forces entered the war with more advanced weaponry than that of Iraq, though Iraq's army was one of the largest armed forces in

SCUD missile attacks against Israel and Saudi Arabia. Hussein hoped that by attacking Israel, the Israeli military would be drawn into the war, which he believed would rally anti-Israeli sentiment
in neighboring Arab countries and cause those countries to support Iraq. However, Hussein's gamble failed, as Israel reluctantly accepted a U.S. demand to remain out of the conflict to avoid inflaming tensions. The Iraqi armed forces were quickly destroyed, and Hussein eventually accepted the inevitable and ordered a withdrawal of Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Before the forces were withdrawn, however, Hussein ordered them to sabotage Kuwait's oil wells, which resulted in hundreds of wells being set ablaze, causing an economic and ecological disaster in Kuwait.

After the decisive military defeat, the agreement to a ceasefire on February 28, and political maneuvering, the UN Security Council continued to press its demands that Hussein accept previous UN Security Council Resolutions, as stated in

added that Iraq must cease violent repression of ethnic and religious minorities.

The aftermath of the war saw the Iraqi military, especially its air force, destroyed. In return for peace, Iraq was forced to dismantle all chemical and biological weapons it possessed, and end any attempt to create or purchase nuclear weapons, to be assured by the allowing UN weapons inspectors to evaluate the dismantlement of such weapons. Finally, Iraq would face sanctions if it disobeyed any of the demands.

Shortly after the war ended in 1991,

Iraqi no-fly zones
to protect Kurdish and Shiite populations from attacks by the Hussein regime's aircraft.

Disarmament crisis

While Iraq had agreed to UNSCR 687, the Iraqi government sometimes worked with inspectors, but ultimately failed to comply with disarmament terms, and as a result, economic sanctions against Iraq continued. After the war, Iraq was accused of breaking its obligations throughout the 1990s, including the discovery in 1993 of a plan to assassinate former President

United Nations Resolutions concerning Iraq
) compelling Iraq to comply with the terms of the ceasefire resolutions.

It is estimated more than 500,000 Iraqi children died as a result of the sanctions.

bombings
were carried out to try to pressure Hussein to comply with UN resolutions.

As a result of these repeated violations,

Operation Desert Fox. Following Operation Desert Fox, and end to partial cooperation from Iraq prompted UNSCR 1284, disbanding UNSCOM and replacing it with United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission
(UNMOVIC).

The Bush administration made a number of allegations against Iraq, including that Iraq was acquiring uranium from Niger and that Iraq had secret weapons laboratories in trailers and isolated facilities throughout Iraq;[citation needed] none of these allegations have proven true. Saddam Hussein, under pressure from the U.S. and the U.N., finally agreed to allow weapons inspectors to return to Iraq in 2002, but by that time the Bush administration had already begun pushing for war.

In June 2002,

Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq, and in November the UN Security Council passes UNSCR 1441
.

Invasion by American-led coalition forces

Downtown Baghdad monument of Saddam Hussein vandalized by Iraqis shortly after the invasion of coalition forces in April 2003.

On March 20, 2003, a United States-organized coalition

weapons of mass destruction and stating a desire to remove an oppressive dictator from power and bring democracy to Iraq. In his State of the Union Address on January 29, 2002, President George W. Bush declared that Iraq was a member of the "Axis of Evil", and that, like North Korea and Iran, Iraq's attempt to acquire weapons of mass destruction posed a serious threat to U.S. national security
. Bush added,

Iraq continues to flaunt its hostilities toward America and to support terror. The Iraqi regime has plotted to develop anthrax, and nerve gas, and nuclear weapons for over a decade... This is a regime that agreed to international inspections — then kicked out inspectors. This is a regime that has something to hide from the civilized world... By seeking weapons of mass destruction, these regimes [Iran, Iraq and North Korea] pose a grave and growing danger. They could provide these arms to terrorists, giving them the means to match their hatred.[28]

However, according to a comprehensive U.S. government report, no weapons of mass destruction have been found since the invasion.[29] There are accounts of Polish troops obtaining antiquated warheads, dating from the 1980s, two of which contained trace amounts of the nerve gas cyclosarin, but U.S. military tests found that the rounds were so deteriorated that they would "have limited to no impact if used by insurgents against coalition forces." [30]

Post-invasion

Occupation zones
in Iraq after invasion.

Following the invasion, the United States established the Coalition Provisional Authority to govern Iraq.[31] Government authority was transferred to an Iraqi Interim Government in June 2004, and a permanent government was elected in October 2005. More than 140,000 troops, mainly Americans, remain in Iraq.

Some studies have placed the number of civilians deaths as high as 655,000 (see

civilian casualties will go unreported by the media."[32]

After the invasion, al-Qaeda took advantage of the insurgency to entrench itself in the country concurrently with an Arab-Sunni led insurgency and sectarian violence.

On December 30, 2006, Saddam Hussein was hanged.

crimes against humanity
.

At the Anfal genocide trial, Saddam's cousin

Al-Anfal Campaign against the Kurds on June 24, 2007.[citation needed] Al-Majid was again sentenced to death for the 1991 suppression of a Shi'a uprising along with Abdul-Ghani Abdul Ghafur on December 2, 2008.[36]

Acts of sectarian violence have led to claims of

2008 US presidential election
.

Although violence has declined from the summer of 2007,[38] the U.N. reported of a cholera outbreak in Iraq.[39]

The mandate of the

multinational force in Iraq, last extended by UN resolution 1790
, ended on December 31, 2008.

Geography

Map of Iraq

Iraq is located at 33°00′N 44°00′E / 33.000°N 44.000°E / 33.000; 44.000. Spanning 437,072 km² (168,743 sq mi), it is the 58th-largest country in the world. It is comparable in size to the

US state of California, and somewhat larger than Paraguay
.

Iraq mainly consists of

Cheekah Dar (black tent). Iraq has a small coastline measuring 58 km (35 miles) along the Persian Gulf. Close to the coast and along the Shatt al-Arab
(known as arvandrūd: اروندرود among Iranians) there used to be marshlands, but many were drained in the 1990s.

The local climate is mostly desert, with mild to cool winters and dry, hot, cloudless summers. The northern mountainous regions (Kurdistan region هه‌رێمی کوردستان) have cold winters with occasional heavy snows, sometimes causing extensive flooding.

Comprising 115 billion barrels (1.83×1010 m3) of proved oil reserves, Iraq ranks third in the world behind

Oil reserves;[40] yet the United States Department of Energy estimates that up to 90% of the country remains unexplored. These regions could yield an additional 100 billion barrels (1.6×1010 m3). Iraq's oil production costs are among the lowest in the world, but only about 2,000 oil wells have been drilled in Iraq, compared with about 1 million wells in Texas alone.[41]

Government and politics

Government

The

judicial
branches, as well as numerous independent commissions. Aside from the federal government, there are regions (made of one or more governorates), governorates, and districts within Iraq with jurisdiction over various matters as defined by law.

Regions, governorates and districts

Currently,

government and quasi-official militia, the Peshmerga. Basra Governorate is preparing to hold Basrah Region. Iraq itself is divided into eighteen governorates (or provinces
) (Arabic: muhafadhat, singular - muhafadhah, Kurdish: پاریزگه Pârizgah). The governorates are subdivided into districts (or qadhas).

Template:Multi-column numbered list

The following governorates are within the region Iraqi Kurdistan:

  • Dahuk
  • Arbil
  • Sulaymaniyah

    Politics

    Jalal Talabani, President of Iraq.

    Iraq was under

    invasion
    .

    On October 15, 2005, more than 63% of eligible Iraqis came out across the country to vote on whether to accept or reject the new

    Al Anbar
    with 97% against).

    Under the terms of the constitution, the country conducted

    ethnic groups in Iraq voted along ethnic lines, turning this vote into more of an ethnic census
    than a competitive election, and setting the stage for the division of the country along ethnic lines.

    Iraqi politicians have been under significant threat by the various factions that have promoted violence as a political weapon. The ongoing violence in Iraq has been incited by an amalgam of religious extremists that believe an Islamic

    U.S. military
    presence.

    Iraq has a number of ethnic minority groups:

    autonomous region
    . The remainder of these ethnic groups continue to suffer discrimination on religious or ethnic grounds.

    On November 17, 2008, the U.S. and Iraq agreed to a

    This agreement notably states "the Government of Iraq requests" U.S. forces to remain in Iraq to "maintain security and stability in Iraq," and that Iraq has jurisdiction over military contractors, and US personnel when not on US bases or on-duty.

    Economy

    File:Iraq 50 dinars Rewers.JPG
    An old 50 dinar bill

    Iraq's economy is dominated by the

    US$3 billion a year) and the costs of reconstruction resulted in a serious financial crisis which was the main short term motivation for the invasion of Kuwait
    .

    On November 20, 2004, the Paris Club of creditor nations agreed to write off 80% ($33 billion) of Iraq's $42 billion debt to Club members. Iraq's total external debt was around $120 billion at the time of the 2003 invasion, and had grown by $5 billion by 2004. The debt relief will be implemented in three stages: two of 30% each and one of 20%.[45]

    At the end of 2005, and in the first half of 2006, Iraq implemented a restructuring of about $20 billion of commercial debt claims on terms comparable to that of its November 2004 Paris Club agreement (i.e. with an 80% writeoff). Iraq offered to its larger claimants a U.S. dollar denominated bond maturing in 2028. Smaller commercial claimants received a cash settlement of comparable value.

    Reconstruction

    There have been attempts by the international community to improve and repair the infrastructure of Iraq in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion, when much was destroyed. Iraq was governed, after the 2003 invasion, by the Coalition Provisional Authority and, after June 28, 2004 by a series of Iraq-led governments (see Politics of Iraq). During this period efforts were made to repair and replace damaged Iraqi infrastructure, including: water supply systems, sewage treatment plants, electricity production, hospitals and health clinics, schools, housing, and transportation systems. Reconstruction efforts have also encompassed the promotion of economic development and government institutions such as the criminal justice system.

    While reconstruction efforts have produced some successes, problems have arisen with the implementation of internationally funded Iraq reconstruction efforts. These include inadequate security, pervasive corruption, insufficient funding and poor coordination among international agencies and local communities. Many suggest that the efforts were hampered by a poor understanding of Iraq on the part of the occupiers.

    International assistance

    Much reconstruction work in Iraq has been carried out by the Iraqi people in their own communities using local resources. A major benchmark for international assistance was the Madrid Conference on Reconstruction held in Spain October 23-24, 2003 and attended by representatives from over 25 nations. Funds assembled at this conference and from other sources have been administered by the United Nations and the World Bank. This assistance has primarily funded large-scale projects.

    United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq focuses on implementing the International Compact with Iraq, to aid economic and political development in Iraq.

    Demographics

    Iraq has a young population. Here, a little girl and some boys smiling to the camera

    An April 2008 estimate of the total Iraqi population is 28,221,181.[46]

    Linguistically, around 75–80% of Iraq's population speak

    Chechens.[49] In southern Iraq there is a community of Iraqis of African descent, a legacy of the slavery practiced in the Islamic Caliphate beginning before the Zanj Rebellion of the 9th century, and Basra
    's role as a key port city.

    Assyrian and Turkmen are official languages in areas where the Assyrians and Iraqi Turkmen are located respectively. Armenian and Persian are also spoken but to a lesser extent. English
    is the most commonly spoken European language.

    No official figures exist, due to the politically sensitive nature of the subject, recent violence, and

    Ba'athist
    views on information and religion. Religious composition includes:

    Two estimates of the Muslim proportions of the population are:

    • Shi'a up to 60%, Sunni about 40% (source:
      Encyclopedia Britannica
      ).
    • Shi'a 60%–65%, Sunni 32%–37% (source:
      CIA World Fact Book
      ).

    Linguistically, the adherants of

    Shafi
    school).

    It is estimated that around 60%–65% of Iraqis follow

    Feyli Kurds
    are largely Shi'a.

    Ethnic Assyrians (most of whom are adherents of the

    Yezidis
    .

    In November 2006, the

    UNHCR estimated that 1.8 million Iraqis had been displaced to neighboring countries, with nearly 100,000 Iraqis fleeing to Syria and Jordan each month, while another 1.6 million were displaced internally.[53] A May 2007 article noted that in the previous seven months, only 69 people from Iraq had been granted refugee status in the United States.[54]

    Iraqi diaspora

    Chaldean Catholic
    population in Jordan.

    The dispersion of native Iraqis to other countries is known as the Iraqi diaspora. There have been many large-scale waves of emigration from Iraq, beginning early in the regime of Saddam Hussein and continuing through to 2007. The

    UN High Commission for Refugees has estimated that nearly two million Iraqis have fled the country in recent years, mostly to Syria and Jordan.[55] Although some expatriates returned to Iraq after the 2003 invasion, the flow had virtually stopped by 2006.[56]

    In addition to the 2 million Iraqis who fled to neighboring countries, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre estimates the number of people currently displaced within the country at 1.9 million.[57]

    Roughly 40% of Iraq's middle class is believed to have fled, the U.N. said. Most are fleeing systematic persecution and have no desire to return.[58] Refugees are mired in poverty as they are generally barred from working in their host countries.[59][60]

    In recent times the diaspora seems to be reversing with the increased security of the last few months, and the Iraqi government claims that so far 46,000 refugees have returned to their homes in October 2007 alone.[61]

    Culture

    In the most recent

    Assyrians, a Christian people, living in various cities in the north, and the Marsh Arabs, a nomadic people, who live on the marshlands of the central river. There are also the Bedouin
    tribes primarily in southern and western Iraq, with smaller groups scattered throughout the country. Markets and bartering are the common form of trade.

    Music

    Dalli performing in Amman.

    Iraq is known primarily for an instrument called the

    Kathem Al Saher, whose songs include Ladghat E-Hayya, which was banned for its racy lyrics. The folk songs of Iraqi Turks are also well known, and Abdurrahman Kizilay
    is a leading name.

    Cuisine

    File:Iraqi masgouf.jpg
    Stuffed Masgouf ready for roasting in the oven
    Main article
    Cuisine of Iraq

    The Iraqi cuisine is generally a heavy cuisine with more spices than most Arab cuisines. Iraq's main food crops include wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, and dates. Vegetables include eggplant, okra, potatoes, and tomatoes. Beans such as chickpeas and lentils are also quite common. Common meats in Iraqi cooking are lamb and beef; fish and poultry are also used. Soups and stews are often prepared and served with rice and vegetables. Although Iraq is not a coastal area, the population is used to consuming fish. However, freshwater fish is more common than saltwater fish. Masgouf is one of the most popular dishes. Biryani although influenced by the Indian cuisine, is much milder with a different mixture of spices and a wider variety of vegetables including potatoes, peas, carrots and onions among others. Dolma is also one of the popular dishes. The Iraqi

    kabab as well as its tikka. A wide variety of spices pickles and Amba
    are also extensively used.

    Sport

    kick boxing and tennis
    are also popular sports.

    The

    Dawri Al-Nokba). It was founded in 1948, and has been a member of FIFA since 1950 and the Asian Football Confederation since 1971. The Iraqi National Football Team are the 2007 AFC Asian Cup Champions after defeating Saudi Arabia
    in the final.

    See also

    References

    1. ^ a b "Kurdistan Regional Government". KRG. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
    2. ^ a b "CIA World Factbook: Iraq - Economy". Cia.gov. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
    3. ^ "Declaration of Principles for a Long-Term Relationship of Cooperation and Friendship Between the Republic of Iraq and the United States of America".
    4. ^ "Top 10 Battles for the Control of Iraq". Livescience.com. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
    5. ^ "Iraq Guide". Business.maktoob.com. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
    6. ^ "Foreign Policy Magazine: The Failed States Index 2008".
    7. ^ "The Failed State Index 2008".
    8. ^ Munaf v. Geren, 06-1666, pg. 5 of Syllabus
    9. ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. 1979-12-10. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
    10. ^ W. Eilers (1983), "Iran and Mesopotamia" in E. Yarshater, The Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
    11. ^ Boesch, Hans H. (1939) "El-'Iraq" Economic Geography 15(4): pp. 325-361, p. 329
    12. ^ The term [Iraq] did not encompass the regions north of the region of Tikrit on the Tigris and near Hit on the Euphrates. Bernhardsson, Magnus Thorkell (2005) Reclaiming a Plundered Past, Archaeology and Nation Building in Modern Iraq University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas, ISBN 0292709471, 9780292709478, 327 pages, p. 97
    13. ^ Largest Cities Through History, Matt Rosenberg
    14. ^ The Islamic World to 1600: The Mongol Invasions (The Black Death), The University of Calgary
    15. ^ "Q&A with John Kelly on The Great Mortality on National Review Online". Nationalreview.com. 2005-09-14. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
    16. ^ "The annihilation of Iraq".
    17. ^ Iraq. (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 15, 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
    18. ^ Tripp, Charles:A History of Iraq,Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,2000
    19. ISBN 1-56432-108-8. Retrieved 2007-02-10. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |origmonth= ignored (help
      )
    20. ^ Hiltermann, Joost R. (1994) [1994]. Bureaucracy of repression : the Iraqi government in its own words / Western Asia Watch. New York • Washington • Los Angeles • London: Human Rights Watch.
      ISBN 1564321274. Retrieved 2007-02-10. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |origmonth= ignored (help
      )
    21. ^ "Charges against Saddam dropped as genocide trial resumes", AFP, 2007
    22. ^ "Human Rights Watch on Iraq". Hrw.org. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
    23. ^ "Middle East | US silence on new Iraq spying allegations". BBC News. 1999-01-07. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
    24. ^ "UN Says Sanctions Have Killed Some 500,000 Iraqi Children". Commondreams.org. 2000-07-21. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
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    29. guardian.co.uk. Guardian Media Group
      . Retrieved 2008-04-28.
    30. ^ [http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/7/2/112615.shtml http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2004/07/mil-040702-rferl02.htm http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-07-01-poland-iraq-sarin x.htm http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/index.html?siteSect=143&sid=5055996 http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1078&dept id=151021&newsid=12185667&PAG=461&rfi=9 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3861197.stm ]
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    39. ^ "U.N. reports cholera outbreak in northern Iraq". CNN. Retrieved 2007-08-30. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
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    41. ^ "US Department of Energy Information Administration".
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    54. ^ Ann McFeatters: Iraq refugees find no refuge in America. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 25, 2007.
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    58. ^ "40% of middle class believed to have fled crumbling nation".
    59. ^ "Doors closing on fleeing Iraqis".
    60. ^ "Plight of Iraqi refugees worsens as Syria, Jordan impose restrictions".
    61. ^ "Iraqi refugees start to head home" (PDF).

    Further reading

    • Interview with Refugees International's Sean Garcia on the plight of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees [3]
    • Shadid, Anthony 2005. Night Draws Near. Henry Holt and Co., NY, U.S. ISBN 0-8050-7602-6
    • Hanna Batatu, "The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq", Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1978
    • A Dweller in Mesopotamia, being the adventures of an official artist in the garden of Eden, by Donald Maxwell, 1921. (a searchable facsimile at the University of Georgia Libraries; DjVu & layered PDF format)
    • By Desert Ways to Baghdad, by Louisa Jebb (Mrs. Roland Wilkins) With illustrations and a map, 1908 (1909 ed). (a searchable facsimile at the University of Georgia Libraries; DjVu & layered PDF format)

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