Iraq, a country approximately twice the size of Idaho, is located in the Middle East. It shares borders with Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey. The capital is Baghdad. Iraq became an independent kingdom in 1932, and later a republic in 1958. The current government is a transitional democracy.
Iraq's terrain is mostly desert. The northern parts of the country are mountainous, and along the southern borders with Iran there are reedy marshes.
The Iraqi population of 26,783,383 includes the following ethnic groups: Arab, Kurdish, Turkoman and Assyrian. The languages spoken are Arabic, Kurdish, Assyrian and Armenian. Ninety-seven percent of the population is Muslim, divided between Shi'a (60-65 percent) and Sunni (32-37 percent). The primary natural resource and economic product is petroleum.
Web Sites
- CIA: The World Factbook
- U.S. Department of State
- World News Network
- Library of Congress
- BBC News Country Profile
Catalog
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