Iraq

• Capital: Baghdad
• Major Cities
  • Mosul
  • Basra
• Major Geographical Features
  • Persian Gulf
  • Euphrates River
  • Tigris River
  • Shatt al-Arab
  • Syrian Desert
  • Zargos Mountains
  • Lake Tharthar
  • Lake Habbaniyah
• Official Name: Republic of Iraq
  • Formerly Mesopotamia
• Religions:
  • Shiite Muslim (65%)
  • Sunni Muslim (37%)
• Languages:
  • Arabic
  • Kurdish (official in the Kurdish regions of northern Iraq)
  • Assyrian
  • Armenian
  • Turkoman
• 1920: Becomes a British mandate after World War One
• 1932-1958: Kingdom of Iraq
• 1958: Military rule established
• 1979-2003: Saddam Hussein rules Iraq
• 1980-1988: Iran-Iraq War over the border of the two nations
• 1990-1991: US-led forces invade Iraq after Hussein invades neighboring Kuwait
• 2002: The United Nations Security Council requires Iraq to welcome weapons inspectors
• 2003: United States invades Iraq and deposes Hussein
• 2006: Hussein is executed by hanging
• 2011: The United States withdraws all of its forces from Iraq
• Independence: 1932 from the United Kingdom
• Government: Parliamentary democracy
• Currency: New Iraqi dinar
• Iraq is slightly larger than 2 Idahos
• Literacy: 74.1%
• Climate: Semi-arid
• Member of OPEC
• Exports
  • Crude Materials
  • Petroleum
• Home to the 2nd most oil reserves