The Republic of Iraq is a
nation in the
Middle East in the southwest of
Asia. It shares borders with
Saudi Arabia and
Kuwait to the south,
Turkey to the north,
Syria to the north-west,
Jordan to the west and
Iran to the east. Once known as
Mesopotamia and a cradle of human civilisation, the country
is currently in a state of flux following the
2003 invasion of Iraq.
History
Main article:
History of Iraq
The fertile area of
Mesopotamia, between the
Euphrates and the
Tigris rivers, was the birth place of several of the world's
oldest civilisations, such as the
Sumerians,
Babylonians and
Assyrians. After being part of
Persia for a long time, it was conquered by the
Arabs in
656, and in
762 the
Caliphate was moved to the new city of
Baghdad (near ancient
Babylon). This city remained the centre of the Arab world
until it was incorporated into the
Ottoman Empire in
1534.
In
1915,
British troops occupied Iraq and established a
League of Nations mandate, which ended with independence in
1932. The
socialist
Ba'ath Party gained control in
1968, and established a strict rule, notably after the
ascent to power of
Saddam Hussein in
1979. In the
1980s, Iraq was involved in a
long war with neighbour
Iran, ending in
1988.
Following Iraq's occupation of
Kuwait in
1990, and the
subsequent expulsion by international troops, Iraq was
internationally isolated until the spring of
2003, when the
United States and the
United Kingdom controversially
invaded and removed the Ba'ath Party from leadership, and
who are currently attempting to restore order and stability to
the country.
Politics
Main article:
Politics of Iraq
Nominally a democracy, power in Iraq was until
2003 completely in the hands of the repressive
Ba'ath Party, under the leadership of president
Saddam Hussein. During the last presidential elections, he
received 99% of the votes; no other candidates were running. The
unicameral Iraqi
parliament, the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani,
had 250 seats and its members were elected for 4-year terms.
Iraq is currently under a
US-led occupation following the ousting of the Ba'ath Party
in April. The political future is uncertain and detailed plans
remain to be developed. Rampant looting and crime, coupled with
infrastructural problems continue to plague the country at the
moment and the initial US interim civil administrator,
Jay Garner, was replaced in May by
L. Paul Bremer.
Provinces
Main article:
Provinces of Iraq
Iraq is divided into 18 provinces (muhafazat,
singular - muhafazah):
Geography
Main article:
Geography of Iraq
Large parts of Iraq consist of
desert, but the area between the two major rivers
Euphrates and
Tigris is fertile, with the rivers carrying about 70 million
cubic meters of silt annually to the delta. The north of the
country is largely mountainous, with the highest point being
Haji Ibrahim[?] at 3,600 m. Iraq has a small coastline with
the
Persian Gulf. Close to the coast and along the
Shatt al-Arab there used to be marshlands, but many of these
were drained in the
1990s.
The local
climate is mostly a desert clime with mild to cool winters
and dry, hot, cloudless summers. The northern mountainous
regions experience cold winters with occasional heavy snows,
sometimes causing extensive flooding. The capital
Baghdad is situated in the centre of the country, on the
banks of the Tigris. Other major cities include
Basra in the south and
Mosul in the north.
Economy
Main article:
Economy of Iraq
Iraq's economy is dominated by the
oil sector, which has traditionally provided about 95% of
foreign exchange earnings. In the
1980s financial problems caused by massive expenditures in
the
eight-year war with
Iran and damage to oil export facilities by Iran led the
government to implement austerity measures, borrow heavily, and
later reschedule foreign debt payments; Iraq suffered economic
losses from the war of at least $100 billion. After hostilities
ended in 1988, oil exports gradually increased with the
construction of new pipelines and restoration of damaged
facilities.
Iraq's seizure of
Kuwait in August
1990, subsequent international economic sanctions, and
damage from
military action by an international coalition beginning in
January
1991 drastically reduced economic activity. Although
government policies supporting large military and internal
security forces and allocating resources to key supporters of
the regime have hurt the economy, implementation of the
United Nations' oil-for-food programme in December
1996 has helped improve conditions for the average Iraqi
citizen. For the first six, six-month phases of the programme,
Iraq was allowed to export limited amounts of oil in exchange
for food, medicine, and some infrastructure spare parts.
In December
1999 the UN
Security Council authorised Iraq to export under the program
as much oil as required to meet humanitarian needs. Oil exports
were more than three-quarters of the prewar level. However, 28%
of Iraq's export revenues under the programme are deducted to
meet UN Compensation Fund and UN administrative expenses. The
drop in
GDP in 2001 was largely the result of the global economic
slowdown and lower oil prices. Following the
2003 invasion of Iraq the economy has to a great extent shut
down and attempts are underway to revive it from the damages of
the war and rampant crime.
Demographics
Main article:
Demographics of Iraq
Almost 75% of Iraq's population consists of
Arabs, the other major ethnic group are the
Kurds (20%), who live in the north and northeast of the
country. Other distinct groups are Turkomans[?],
Chaldeans,
Assyrians,
Iranians,
Lurs, and
Armenians.
Arabic is the official language, although
Kurdish has an official status in the North and
English is the most commonly spoken Western language.
Most Arab Iraqi
Muslims are members of the
Shiite sect, but there is a large
Sunni population as well, made up of both Arabs and Kurds.
Small communities of
Christians,
Jews,
Bahais,
Mandaeans, and
Yezidis also exist. Most Kurds are Sunni Muslim but differ
from their Arab neighbors in language, dress, and customs.
Miscellaneous topics
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