Left: Iraq Flag ** Right Map of Iraq
Picture Source: CIA

Iraq is a country in the middle east. It borders the Persian Gulf and is situated between Iran and Kuwait. Its size is 437,072 sq. km of which water makes up only 4,910 sq km. If one were to try and figure its size in relation to the U.S., it is about two times the size of Idaho. Its coastline is very small, being only 58 km. The population as of 2003 was an estimated 24,683,313. Iraq has a population growth rate of about 2.78% with the median age being about 19 years old. The country is composed of the following ethnic groups:
Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%
Iraq is mostly Muslim with about 97% of the population either being Shi'a (60-65%) or Sunni (32-37%). The remaining 3% of the population are divided between Christians and other religions.
The languages spoken are Arabic, Kurdish, Assyrian and Armenian.
The literacy rate is 56% for men and 24.5% for women.
Baghdad is the capital city.
There are eighteen Administrative divisions in the government, (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, At Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit.
The international organizations that Iraq is a member of or cooperates with are ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, EAPC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO.

Iraq has a large problem with its lack of industry. Over 95% of all its revenue is derived from oil production, with only less than 5% coming from its goods and services. If the oil were to run out, Iran would become a poverty stricken country unless it were to develop its industries. The eight year war with Iran cost Iraq over 100 billion dollars. In 1990, sanctions were imposed after Iraq was driven from Kuwait, also there was all the damage after the first Gulf War and then the second Gulf War. Even with all this, the Gross National Product was estimated at 58 billion dollars, which translates to about 2,400 dollars per Iraqi. The Iraqi economy shrunk by 3% in 2002.

Inflation was rampant in 2002 in Iraq, with a rate of over 70%. Before the last Gulf War the estimated amount of oil production was 2,452 million barrels of oil per day and of this, the country consumed 460,000 barrels for its own use. It is believed that Iraq contains a reserve of almost 114 billion barrels of oil and 3.150 trillion cu m of natural gas. Iraq's major exporting partners were the US with over 60%, France 8.5%, Netherlands 7.4% and Italy with 5.6% (Figures based on 2001 exports).

Iraq had imports of approximately 7.8 billion dollars in 2002. Its major importing partners were France with 19.4%, Australia 14.4%, Italy 10.7% and Germany 9.9%.

The dinar is the official currency of Iraq. In 2002 the exchange rate was US dollar = 0.3109 (This was the fixed official rate but the actual rate fluctuated widely).

There were nineteen television stations in Iraq before the war along with nineteen AM, 51 FM and 4 short wave radio stations. It was estimated that in 2001 only 12,500 people used the internet. Iraq has 150 airports of varying sizes but only 77 have paved runways. There are also 5 heliports.

US Patriot Missile Battery in Iraq
Picture Source: US Army

Iraq is an ancient land. In ancient times it was known as Mesopotamia. The area is known as the cradle of civilization. Civilizations flourished here way before the Egyptians. In 4000 BC the Sumerian culture was firmly established. The soil was so rich by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that for one of the first times in history there was a food surplus which attracted peoples from surrounding areas. The Sumerians developed ways to irrigate lands which again led to more food surpluses. To keep records, writing evolved and calendars were developed. The Sumerians were eventually absorbed into the Akkadian Empire in 2340 BC when Sargon the Akkadian military commander conquered them. In 2125 BC there was a revolt and the Akkadians lost power to the Sumerians. The city of Ur existed in all its glory in this region. The city predates even Babylon by over 2000 years. The Sumerian civilization then collapsed but was resurrected by Hammurabi of Babylon in 1700 BC. In about 1530 BC the Cassites conquered the Babylonians. The Assyrians were next to conquer the Cassites. The Assyrians developed longitude and latitude for navigation and had a sophisticated medical science. About 600 BC the hanging gardens were completed, they were one of the wonders of the ancient world. In 626 the Assyrians fell after the Chaldeans and Medes attacked them. Nineveh, the capital city was burned.

In 538 BC Cyrus the Great conquered this land and two hundred years later, Alexander the Great in 331 BC. In the second century BC Babylon became part of the Persian Empire. In 634 and 635 AD Muslim Armies conquered the area. Kufah was named as the capital city of Iraq. Most of the Iraqis were Christians at the time but over time they intermarried with Arabs and converted to Islam. In 750 AD. Abo al Abbas, the first caliph of the Abbasid dynasty made his residence in Baghdad By the ninth century there were hospitals in Baghdad including teaching hospitals. Baghdad was now a city of over one million people.

Chinggis Khan or Temujin, his birth name, was a powerful Mongol leader who had an army of over 700,00 superior horsemen and archers. He raged through the area but struck mostly in surrounding countries. But Hulagu Khan his grandson, marched on Baghdad. In 1258 AD Baghdad was conquered. For forty days they killed. The toll was hundreds of thousands. Not satisfied with this he then went on to destroy the irrigation system and the canal headworks. Iraq fell into disrepair and became a neglected frontier under the Mongols who ruled from Iran.

In 1335 the Jalayinds seized power in Iraq. In 1401 Tamerlane the Mongol sacked Baghdad and killed most of its people, continuing on to destroy hundreds of towns in Iraq and slaughtering many of its people. There was religious inter Moslem conflict from the sixteenth to twentieth centuries.

In 1932 Iraq became an independent kingdom. In 1958 it became a republic ruled by military dictators. In 1980 it entered a war with Iran that lasted eight years and in 1990 attacked Kuwait. Only major events have been mentioned as there has been much more fighting over the years. One has just to look at Iraq's history to realize that this is a country that has seen much chaos.