Iraq: Difference between revisions
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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''). |
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==Etymology== |
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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|[ɪ.ˈɹɑ(ː)k]}} (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|[ɪ.ˈɹæk]}} (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|[ɪ.ˈɹɑ(ː)k]}} (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|[ɪ.ˈɹæk]}} (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]. |
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==History== |
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[[Image:Fields of corn-Euphrates-Iraq.jpg|thumb|left|Landscape near the [[Euphrates]] river in Iraq.]] |
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[[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]].]] |
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⚫ | 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 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. |
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⚫ | 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> |
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==Early history== |
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{{main|History of Iraq}} |
{{main|History of Iraq}} |
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{{main|Mesopotamia|Sumer|Akkadian Empire|Babylonia|Assyria}} |
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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]]". |
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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. |
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{{main|Mesopotamia}} |
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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]]". |
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In the |
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]]. |
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===Islamic Caliphate=== |
===Islamic Caliphate=== |
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{{main|Caliphate|Islamic Golden Age}} |
{{main|Islamic Conquest of Mesopotamia|Abbasid Caliphate|Islamic Golden Age}} |
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[[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}}]] |
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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=== |
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{{main|Ottoman Empire|Mamluk rule in Iraq |
{{main|Ottoman Empire|Mamluk rule in Iraq}} |
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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> |
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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]]. |
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===World War I=== |
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{{main|Mesopotamian campaign|Damascus Protocol|McMahon-Hussein Correspondence|Sykes–Picot Agreement}} |
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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== |
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===British Mandate of Mesopotamia=== |
===British Mandate of Mesopotamia=== |
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{{Main|British Mandate of Mesopotamia}} |
{{Main|British Mandate of Mesopotamia|Hashemite|Faisal I of Iraq}} |
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[[Image:Baghdad-1917.jpg|right|thumb|[[United Kingdom|British]] troops entering [[Baghdad]].]] |
[[Image:Baghdad-1917.jpg|right|thumb|[[United Kingdom|British]] troops entering [[Baghdad]].]] |
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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> |
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===Hashemite monarchy=== |
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{{main|Hashemite}} |
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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. |
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==Geography== |
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⚫ | 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 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. |
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⚫ | 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> |
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==Government and politics== |
==Government and politics== |
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{{Link FA|ja}} |
{{Link FA|ja}} |
Revision as of 21:27, 14 April 2009
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Republic of Iraq جمهورية العراق Jumhūriyat Al-ʿIrāq Template:Ar icon كۆماری عێراق Komara Iraqê[1] Template:Ku icon | |
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Motto: الله أكبر ( Iraqi | |
Government | Developing parliamentary republic |
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) |
Currency | Iraqi dinar (IQD) |
Time zone | UTC+3 (GMT+3) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (not observed) |
Driving side | right |
Calling code | 964 |
ISO 3166 code | IQ |
Internet TLD | .iq |
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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:
[Jumhūrīyat Al-ʾIrāq] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (
The capital city,
Beginning with the
The invasion has had wide-reaching consequences:
Etymology
The origin of the name Iraq (
Under the Persian
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
Historically, the land of Iraq was known in
Iraq was home to the earliest known
In the
Islamic Caliphate
Beginning in the seventh century,
The
Mongol conquest
In 1257,
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
In 1401, warlord of Turco-Mongol descent
Ottoman Empire
The
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
Modern history
British Mandate of Mesopotamia
At the end of World War I, the
For three out of four centuries of
Britain granted independence to Iraq in 1932, on the urging of
Republic of Iraq
The reinstated
Iraq under Saddam Hussein
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
In 1977, the Iraqi government ordered the construction of
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
The UN agreed to pass
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
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
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,
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
It is estimated more than 500,000 Iraqi children died as a result of the sanctions.
As a result of these repeated violations,
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,
Invasion by American-led coalition forces
On March 20, 2003, a United States-organized coalition
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
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
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.
At the Anfal genocide trial, Saddam's cousin
Acts of sectarian violence have led to claims of
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
Geography
Iraq is located at 33°00′N 44°00′E / 33.000°N 44.000°E. Spanning 437,072 km² (168,743 sq mi), it is the 58th-largest country in the world. It is comparable in size to the
Iraq mainly consists of
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
Government and politics
Government
The
Regions, governorates and districts
Currently,
Template:Multi-column numbered list |
The following governorates are within the region Iraqi Kurdistan:
Politics
Iraq was under
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
Under the terms of the constitution, the country conducted
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
Iraq has a number of ethnic minority groups:
On November 17, 2008, the U.S. and Iraq agreed to a
Economy
Iraq's economy is dominated by the
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
An April 2008 estimate of the total Iraqi population is 28,221,181.[46]
Linguistically, around 75–80% of Iraq's population speak
No official figures exist, due to the politically sensitive nature of the subject, recent violence, and
- Islam, 97%; Christianity or other, 3%.[50]
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
It is estimated that around 60%–65% of Iraqis follow
Ethnic Assyrians (most of whom are adherents of the
In November 2006, the
Iraqi diaspora
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
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
Music
Iraq is known primarily for an instrument called the
Cuisine
- 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
are also extensively used.Sport
The
See also
- List of basic geography topics
- List of international rankings
- List of Iraq-related articles (alphabetical index)
- List of Iraq-related topics (topical index}
- Outline of Iraq (topical outline)
References
- ^ a b "Kurdistan Regional Government". KRG. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
- ^ a b "CIA World Factbook: Iraq - Economy". Cia.gov. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
- ^ "Declaration of Principles for a Long-Term Relationship of Cooperation and Friendship Between the Republic of Iraq and the United States of America".
- ^ "Top 10 Battles for the Control of Iraq". Livescience.com. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
- ^ "Iraq Guide". Business.maktoob.com. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
- ^ "Foreign Policy Magazine: The Failed States Index 2008".
- ^ "The Failed State Index 2008".
- ^ Munaf v. Geren, 06-1666, pg. 5 of Syllabus
- ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. 1979-12-10. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
- ^ W. Eilers (1983), "Iran and Mesopotamia" in E. Yarshater, The Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
- ^ Boesch, Hans H. (1939) "El-'Iraq" Economic Geography 15(4): pp. 325-361, p. 329
- ^ 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
- ^ Largest Cities Through History, Matt Rosenberg
- ^ The Islamic World to 1600: The Mongol Invasions (The Black Death), The University of Calgary
- ^ "Q&A with John Kelly on The Great Mortality on National Review Online". Nationalreview.com. 2005-09-14. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
- ^ "The annihilation of Iraq".
- ^ Iraq. (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 15, 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
- ^ Tripp, Charles:A History of Iraq,Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,2000
- ISBN 1-56432-108-8. Retrieved 2007-02-10.)
{{cite book}}
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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}}
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(help); Unknown parameter|origmonth=
ignored (help - ^ "Charges against Saddam dropped as genocide trial resumes", AFP, 2007
- ^ "Human Rights Watch on Iraq". Hrw.org. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
- ^ "Middle East | US silence on new Iraq spying allegations". BBC News. 1999-01-07. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
- ^ "UN Says Sanctions Have Killed Some 500,000 Iraqi Children". Commondreams.org. 2000-07-21. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
- ^ "Denis Halliday - former United Nations employee resigned over Iraq sanctions - Interview". Findarticles.com. 1997-09-01. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
- ^ Plan of Attack, Bob Woodward, 2004.
- ^ Operation Hotel California, The Clandestine War inside Iraq, Mike Tucker and Charles Faddis, 2008.
- ^ "The President's State of Union Address, January 29, 2002,Washington, D.C". Whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
- guardian.co.uk. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
- ^ [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 ]
- ^ "CPA Website".
- ^ "Iraq bodycount webpage".
- ^ "Saddam death 'ends dark chapter'". BBC News. 2006-12-30. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
{{cite news}}
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(help) - ^ "Saddam Hussein's Two Co-Defendants Hanged in Iraq". Bloomberg L.P. 2007-01-15. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
- ^ "Ramadan hanging". Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
- ^ Second death sentence for Iraq's 'Chemical Ali, MSNBC.com, December 2, 2008. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "Iraqi PM sees decline in Baghdad attacks". MSNBC. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
{{cite news}}
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(help) - ^ "U.N. reports cholera outbreak in northern Iraq". CNN. Retrieved 2007-08-30.
{{cite news}}
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(help) - ^ "US Department of Energy Information Administration".
- ^ "US Department of Energy Information Administration".
- ^ Wagner, Thomas, (October 25, 2005), "Iraq's Constitution Adopted by Voters", ABC News. Retrieved September 17, 2006.
- ^ "US-Iraq SOFA" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ "Strategic Framework Agreement" (PDF). p. 8. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ Bohsem, Guido & Somerville, Glen, (November 20, 2004), "G7, Paris Club Agree on Iraq Debt Relief", Reuters. Retrieved September 17, 2006.
- ^ a b c "CIA World Factbook". April 15, 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
- ^ "BBC News - Iraq's 'devastated' Marsh Arabs". March 3, 2003. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
- ^ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/118238/Circassian
- ^ http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/12785/chechens_in_the_middle_east.html
- ^ "Field Listing - Religions". The World Factbook. CIA. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
- ^ "Iraqis By the Numbers" by FARUQ ZIADA [2]
- ^ Map on the distribution of religious groups, from the Baker-Hamilton Committee report, page 102.
- Boston Globe, November 3, 2006.
- ^ Ann McFeatters: Iraq refugees find no refuge in America. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 25, 2007.
- ^ "Warnings of Iraq refugee crisis". BBC News. 2007-01-22. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
- ^ "Iraq Situation Map" (PDF).
- ^ "A displacement crisis". March 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
- ^ "40% of middle class believed to have fled crumbling nation".
- ^ "Doors closing on fleeing Iraqis".
- ^ "Plight of Iraqi refugees worsens as Syria, Jordan impose restrictions".
- ^ "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)
External links
This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. |
- Government
- Iraqi Presidency Website http://www.iraqipresidency.net
- Iraqi Government Website http://www.cabinet.iq
- Iraqi Parliament Website http://www.parliament.iq
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs http://www.mofa.gov.iq
- Ministry of Defense http://www.iraqmod.org
- Ministry of Oil http://www.oil.gov.iq
- Ministry of Trade http://www.mot.gov.iq
- Ministry of Industry http://www.industry.gov.iq
- Ministry of Higher Education http://www.mohesr.gov.iq
- Ministry of health http://www.moh.gov.iq
- Chief of State and Cabinet Members
- Kurdistan Regional Government
- New Iraqi government structure (PDF) (As of July 17, 2006)
- General information
- "Iraq". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency.
- Iraq at UCB Libraries GovPubs
- Iraq at Curlie
- Iraq from al-Bab
- Country Profile from BBC News
- Iraq from Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Iraq from Encarta Encyclopedia
- Iraq Country Profile from Reuters AlertNet
- US State Department - Iraq includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports
- Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding Iraq
- Country Briefing: Iraq from The Economist
- Energy Information Administration - Energy Profile of Iraq
- News media
- Focus on Iraq Daily News on Iraq
- Iraq News and Iraqi views from Electronic Iraq
- News in Depth from the Financial Times
- Diplomacy Monitor-Iraq
- IPS Inter Press Service Independent news about Iraq
- Iraqis react with joy, anger to Hussein death sentence CNN story on Hussein's death sentence
- Hometown Baghdad Documentary series shot by an all-Iraqi crew. Tells the stories of three young people trying to survive in Baghdad.
- Other
- Wikimedia Atlas of Iraq
- Operation Iraqi Children
- Iraq Image, a cultural resource on Iraq cities and locations
- Iraqi Truth Project
- Juan Cole, a leading scholar and public intellectual
- The Ground Truth Project -- A series of exclusive interviews and other resources capturing the voices of Iraqis, aid workers, military personnel and others who have spent significant time on-the-ground in Iraq.
- Template:Wikitravel
- The World Monuments Fund's Iraq Cultural Heritage Conservation Initiative
- Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC) -- A Washington DC-based nonprofit organizationpromoting a free and secure Iraq
- Amnesty International Report on Iraq
- Internal Displacement in Iraq - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Coalition Provisional Authority Now-defunct occupation authority; site is archived
- Iraq Law from the University of Pittsburgh’s Jurist project
- 1900–2000 a history of Iraq
- US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq
- Iraqi Familiarization Guide - (546 kilobyte PDF file)
- Short Guide to Iraq (WWII U.S. Military Guide)
- Charity Helping the People of Iraq
- IraqLinks.com - The Iraq Guide