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IRAQ A Brief Description Fast Facts Flag Landforms Lat/Long Links Maps Time Traveler Info Weather

PRINT THIS MAP A Brief Description Over the centuries numerous empires dominated Mesopotamia, the fertile land we now call Iraq. Located between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, its capital city of Baghdad was at one time the most significant commercial and cultural center in the entire Muslim world. Dozens of invasions and wars would follow, and in 1638, it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks. In 1932, A decade after Turkey's defeat in World War I, Iraq became an independent kingdom. Shortly after the Arab-Israeli war concluded in 1979, the Baath Party (led by Saddam Hussein) took control of the country. In the 1980s, Iraq declared war on its neighbor Iran, and that brutal and tragic conflict lasted eight years. Tens of thousands died, many were victims of the chemical weapons introduce by Iraq. The economic loss to Iraq was estimated at more than $100 billion. When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, the Gulf War began, and their forces were quickly defeated by a military coalition. Today, after the US-led invasion in March of 2003, the Hussein power base is gone, and Iraq is in transition. Military forces remain, helping to restore the damaged infrastructure, and the development of a freely elected government. Read more about the history of Iraq here. Men drinking tea, An Nataf, Iraq Travel the World through Poster Art! Facts and Figures Name Iraq (long form) Republic of Iraq Population 26,074,900 Population & Density (all countries) here Capital City Baghdad (6.1 million) Currency New Iraqi Dinar (NID) Currency Converter here Languages Arabic, Kurdish, others Flag here National Day none Religions Shi'a Muslim (64%), Sunni Muslim (32%) Geographic Coordinates Latitude/Longitude (Capital City) 33º 21' N, 44º 25' E Relative Location Iraq is in both the northern and eastern hemispheres. It's positioned in the Middle East, a recognized geographical region of southwestern Asia. The country is bordered by the Persian Gulf, and by the countries of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Iran. Land Statistics Coastline 36 miles (58 km) Land Areas (land) 166,859 sq miles ( 432,162 sq km) (water) 1,895 sq miles (4,910 sq km) (TOTAL) 168,754 sq miles (437,072sq km) Land Area (all countries) here Landforms Most of Iraq is a series of broad, sandy plains. In the far-west, the Syrian Desert blankets the land, and in the far-southeast near the Persian Gulf, the land is low, marshy, and often flooded. It's mountainous in the far-north, as the Zagros Mountains front its borders with Iran and Turkey. The country's highest point is located there. Two of the most significant rivers is all of Asia, the Euphrates and Tigris, drain the land. Highest Point unamed peak - 11,847 ft. (3,611m) Lowest Point Persian Gulf - 0 ft. (0 m) Land Divisions 18 governorates, including: 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, and Wasit. Contact Us | Privacy Statement Copyrighted by Graphic Maps All rights reserved! All maps, graphics, flags and original descriptions created by Graphic Maps, a d/b/a of the Woolwine-Moen Group, unless otherwise noted and/or directly linked to the source, and use of same for any application whatsoever (with the exception of outline maps) requires written permission. We make no copyright claim on any statistical data on this page, nor on any non-original graphics, and/or pictures not produced by us. Certain statistical data is gathered from the CIA World Factbook, as well as numerous public domain reference materials. Every effort is made to be as accurate as possible when disseminating information on any worldwide destination. We are not responsible for unintentional data entry errors or omissions. If you would like to submit an addition, change or correction, or suggest a new link, please forward it to our map department and we will give it our immediate attention. Maps Iraq (large color) Map here Iraq Outline Map here Iraq CIA version here Iraq Maps at UT here - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Asia Continent (printable) here Asia Outline Map here Asia (Southeast) Outline Map here Asia (Name the Country) Map Test here - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Indian Subcontinent Map here Middle East Landforms here Middle East Map here Middle East Outline Map here Middle East Rivers here Tsunami Map (December 2004) here - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - World Outline Maps (printable) here World Time Zone Map here Recommended Links Iraq (Complete) info on the (GDP) economy, imports and exports, natural resources, government, population, military, transportation, and more here! Iraq Daily (news) here Iraq.Net (news) here Iraq Photos at TrekEarth.com here School children, Al Basrah, Iraq Travel the World through Poster Art! Time and Weather Climate Iraq in the summer months is very hot and very dry, with hardly a cloud in the sky. Winters are milder, often cool central and north. Some heavy snow fall does occur in the Zagros Mountains, where overnight lows (in winter) are rather frigid. Rainfall amounts in the summer months are almost non-existent. The highest amounts of precipitation occur in late winter. Traveler Info Attractions Due to the Iraq War, conditions in the country are very dangerous and unpredictable, thus making it one of the least desirable places in the world to visit at the present time. In addition, three decades of war and government mismanagement have stunted Iraq's economy, leading to increased crime and poverty. Attacks against military and civilian targets throughout Iraq continue. Targets include hotels, restaurants, police stations, checkpoints, foreign diplomatic missions, and international organizations and other locations with expatriate personnel. Such attacks can occur at any time, especially during nighttime hours. Country Dialing Code 964 Electricity Iraq uses 230 volts AC (50 Hz) Electrical adapters, products and tips here Travel Warnings here Visa Information here PLEASE NOTE: Before making travel plans for any worldwide destination, we strongly recommend you authenticate important details regarding visas, local health care, customs, etc. We always find it helpful to contact the nearest consulate of any country before beginning a journey into a foreign land. Asian Countries Afghanistan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan British Indian Ocean Terr. Brunei Burma (Myanmar) Cambodia China º Hong Kong º Macau East Timor India ° Andaman Is. ° Nicobar Islands Indonesia ° Bali Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Nepal North Korea Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russian Fed. Saudi Arabia Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Thailand Turkey Turkmenistan U.A.E. Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen Afghanistan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan British Indian Ocean Terr. Brunei Burma (Myanmar) Cambodia China º Hong Kong º Macau East Timor India ° Andaman Is. ° Nicobar Islands Indonesia ° Bali Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Nepal North Korea Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russian Fed. Saudi Arabia Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Thailand Turkey Turkmenistan U.A.E. Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen