IRAQ

1. IRAQ Robby Koch Mr. Gillin’s Country Project 11/6/12

2. Quick Facts • Language- Arabic and Kurdi • Population- 32,961,959 • Capital- Baghdad • Religion- Muslim • Currency- Iraqi dinar

3. Where is Iraq? Bordering Countries: Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey Iraq Middle East

4. Landforms • Zagros Mountains- The Zagros Mountains are in the northern and northeastern part of the country. The highest point is unnamed and measured at 11,847 feet. In some parts the mountains are covered with snow for most of the year. • Syrian Desert- The Syrian Desert is in the eastern and southern part of Iraq. It is a mix of sand in some parts and grass in the other parts. It’s used by nomads to raise camels and cattle and also for oil.

5. Bodies of water • Rivers – Iraq's important rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates. The ancient Mesopotamians used the rivers to make agriculture possible and that led to the rise of a powerful civilization. The Tigris enters from the north and joins the Euphrates and goes out the west. • Wetlands- Iraq’s wetlands are in the southeastern part of the country where it’s near the Persian Gulf. In the summer it dries up and in the spring it floods. However, the government drained some parts of it to try to control the water from flooding.

6. Economy • Iraq is not ranked in the 2012 Index because there is not a lot of reliable data on economic freedom in the country. The last time it was in the Index was in 2002, before it was taken over in 2003 and is now slowly recovering from the invasion. Also Iraq’s main goals are to improve security and fully restore the rule of law. • The GDP is $144.214 billion

7. Government • Type of Government: parliamentary democracy • President: Jalal Talabani • Prime Minister: Nuri al-Maliki • The president is elected for a four year term.

8. Holidays Army Day (January 6)- Army Day is a parade with soldiers and tanks marching in Iraq’s green zone. It honors the army. Ceasefire Day (August 8)- Ceasefire Day is to show the end of the Iran-Iraq war. The war was September 1980 to August 1988. Ashura (November 24)- Ashura honors two events: the day Nuh left the ark and the day Musa was saved from the Egyptians by Allah.

9. Food • The food in Iraq is mostly stuffed vegetables, lamb, rice, and yogurt. However, they love to cook fruits with beef and poultry. • Alcohol is forbidden to Muslims so they drink tea, water, and coffee most of the time.

10. Iraq Wars The Iran-Iraq war- the war started in September 1980 and it was mostly over oil and weapons being transferred to and from other countries. The war ended in August 1988. The Iraq war- The Iraq war started in March 2003, when there was an invasion and was taken over. The United States joined to helped the rebels against the invaders. The war ended in May 2003.

11. Tourist Attractions

12. The national museum of Iraq The museum is known for the historical artifacts that helped people learn more about the Mesopotamian civilizations and middle-eastern life. The museum opened in 1926. However, a lot of the artifacts were looted and sold to private collectors.

13. Hatra Ruins The Hatra Ruins are believed to be the ancient lost city of Tayyab. If you want to see it, it might be hard because there is tight security protecting it from looters and terrorists. If you are able to get in you will find a lot of temples and statues. Today there are still people digging for artifacts.

14. Wadi al Salam • The Wadi al Salam is a cemetery in Najaf and is one of the most widely visited landmarks. The tomb of Imam Ali bin abi Taleb, the fourth Caliph and the first Imam who is respected by so many in the Muslim faith, is in it and some families are allowed to be buried there.

15. Baghdad Parade Ground The Baghdad Parade Ground, also known as the Crossed Swords Parade Ground, is two hands holding swords that are crossed over the street. It is to honor the soldiers that were in the Iran-Iraq war.