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Iraq

Description

Iraq is a country in Western Asia bordering on the north by Turkey, on the east by Iran, on the southeast by Kuwait, on the south by Saudi Arabia, on the southwest by Jordan, and on the west by Syria. Baghdad is the country’s capital and largest city. Iraq has a diversified ethnic population. Muslims make up 95–98 percent of the country’s 38 million residents, with small minorities of Christians and others. Arabic and Kurdish are Iraq’s official languages.

Iraq is a federal parliamentary republic with 19 governorates, four of which are autonomous Kurdistan Regions. Islam is the country’s official religion. Iraq is recognized for its poets and has a rich cultural legacy that honors the achievements of its past in both pre-Islamic and post-Islamic ages. Its artists and sculptors are among the best in the Arab world, with some being world-class, and it produces beautiful handicrafts such as rugs and carpets. Iraq is a founding member of the United Nations, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the International Monetary Fund.

Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath Party was deposed from office in 2003 after an invasion by the US and its allies, and multi-party parliamentary elections were held in 2005. The US military presence in Iraq ended in 2011, but the insurgency in Iraq grew stronger as jihadists from Syria’s civil war entered the country.

Facts

President: Abdul Latif Rashid
Language: Arabic, Kurdish
Currency: Iraqi Dinar
Main Sport: Soccer

Figures

Population: 41,267,659
Land Area: 168,753  sq. mi.
Unemployment Rate: 12.76 %
Population Under Poverty Line: 11.7 %

Faith

Muslims 98%
Christians 0.1%
Other 1.9%