Iraq

Description of Iraq

Iraq is a country in South-West Asia. It shares borders with Turkey in the north, with Iran in the east, with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in the south, and with Jordan and Syria in the west. The country is washed by the Persian Gulf in the south. Iraq occupies an area of 434,924 square kilometers. In the northern region of Iraq, Al Jazeera, is the Armenian Highland, reaching a height of 2135 m near the Turkish border. The highest point of Iraq, the Haji Ibrahim Mount (3600 m), is situated in the north-east in the Iranian Plateau. Further to the south, lies the vast plain of the valley of the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers. In the far south of Iraq is a waterlogged plain, and to the west of the Euphrates, the valley passes to the Syrian Desert. Besides the two major rivers of the country - the Tigris and the Euphrates, the tributaries of the Tigris River are large enough: the Great Zab, the Little Zab and the Diyala River.

Iraq has a very rich history. In the territory of present-day Iraq, famous ancient states were flourishing: the Sumerian kingdom, founded around the IV century B.C.; from the 3rd to the middle of the 1st century B.C., the territory was under the rule of the Babylonian and Assyrian kingdoms. From 539 to 331 B.C., Iraq was part of the Persian Empire, and later, during a period of 200 years, was part of the empire of Alexander the Great. Over time, the country was ruled by the Persian dynasties, and in the VII century B.C., Arabs came to the country. From 750 to 1258, Baghdad was the capital of the Abbasid caliphs. In 1258, the country was ravaged by the Mongol invaders, and for a long time, Turkish and Iranian rulers struggled for its possession. Only in the XVII century, Iraq finally became part of the Ottoman Empire. In the late XIX - early XX century, there was a movement for the liberation from the Turkish rule in Iraq. Britain, which was interested in the region, was actively helping Iraq. In August 1921, Iraq gained the independence, and then Faisal I was elected as a king. Until 1932, Britain had a mandate to govern Iraq through its commissioner. In February 1958, the Arab Union of Iraq and Jordan was formed, but on July 14, 1958, the monarchy was overthrown in a bloody military coup, the king was killed, and the Arab Union was disintegrated. On July 15, Iraq was proclaimed a republic. Since then, the country has experienced several military coups. As a result of the latest of them, the current Iraqi president Saddam Hussein came to power. One of the recent international crisis caused by Iraq's policy in the region, was the occupation of Kuwait: on August 28, 1990, Iraq declared Kuwait its 19th province and brought there its troops. The international community, led by the United States, organized an operation to liberate Kuwait, and at the end of February 1991, Iraqi forces were driven out of the country. Iraq is a member of the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the International Labor Organization, the Arab League, and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Most of Iraq is located in the area of the continental climate. In the north, in the mountainous area, it often snows in winter. In central Iraq, summers are long and hot, winters are short and cool. The average January’s temperature in Baghdad is about +9.5 C; the average July’s temperature is about +33 C. In the southern region of the country, the climate is very humid and the temperature often exceeds +50 C. Most rain falls are usually in the northern part of Iraq; in the central valley, the average annual precipitation is less than 152 mm. The vegetation of the country is not rich: in the south and south-west, there are deserts; among rare trees of the central region one can find palm trees and poplars. The fauna is rich enough: cheetahs, gazelles, antelopes, lions, hyenas, wolves, jackals, rabbits, bats, and jerboas. Among the variety of birds of prey, vultures, crows, owls, several types of hawks, and buzzards should be noted. There is also a large number of lizards.

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