Iraq

Iraq flag

Basic facts of Iraq

Official name : Republic of Iraq

Capital : Baghdad

Area : 438,317 sq km 169,235 sq mi

Population : 28,221,181 (2008 estimate)

Religious affiliations : Muslim 96 percent

Shia : 60-65 percent

Sunni Muslims : 31-36 percent

Christian : 3 percent

Other : 1 percent



Introduction:

Iraq, country in the Middle East that has been central to three wars since 1980. Some of the world’s greatest ancient civilizations—Assyria, Babylonia, and Sumer—developed in the area that now makes up Iraq. The modern state of Iraq was created in 1920 by the British government, whose forces had occupied it during World War I (1914-1918). The country is officially named the Republic of Iraq. Baghdad is the capital and largest city.Iraq is situated at the northern tip of the Persian Gulf. Its coastline along the gulf is only 30 km (19 mi) long. Thus, the country is nearly landlocked. Its only port on the gulf, Umm Qaşr, is small and located on shallow water, and only small craft can dock there. Iraq was potentially one of the richest countries in the world. It contains enormous deposits of petroleum and natural gas. It is endowed with large quantities of water, supplied by its two main rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, and their tributaries. Iraq’s location between those two great rivers gave rise to its ancient Greek name, Mesopotamia (“the land between the rivers”).Most of Iraq’s people are Arabs. IraqIran, resulting in a costly war in the 1980s. At times it has claimed neighboring Kuwait, most recently in 1990, leading to the Persian Gulf War in 1991. IraqIraqIraq’s regional and foreign policies were ambitious, often involving great risk. In the late 20th century Iraq attained a high international profile, unprecedented in the modern history of the Middle East, but at an exorbitant political price. The dictatorship failed in various attempts to topple Arab regimes and to achieve leadership status in the Arab world or even in the Persian Gulf region. It failed in eight years of war in the 1980s to bring down the regime of neighboring Iran. It conquered Kuwait in 1990 but was forced to relinquish it by a coalition of Western and Arab countries in the Persian Gulf War. Afterward, it found itself shackled by an oil embargo and other sanctions imposed by the United Nations (UN). A United States-led invasion overthrew Hussein’s regime in April 2003 . Hussein was captured and executed, and a new Iraqi government was formed. However, an insurgency developed in resistance to the U.S. occupation, and sectarian conflict resulted in what many observers called a civil war.

Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq in 1979. He created an international crisis in 1990 when his army invaded Kuwait. The invasion was condemned by the United Nations (UN), which initiated a trade embargo and, later, a military campaign against Iraq. Hussein was overthrown in 2003 by an invasion led by the United States. on December 30, 2006 Saddam Hussein has been given hanged on December 30, 2006.



The execution of Saddam Hussein took place on December 30, 2006. He was sentenced to death by hanging, after being found guilty and convicted of crimes against humanity by the Iraqi Special Tribunal for the murder of 148 Iraqi Shi'ite in the town of Dujail in 1982, in retaliation for an assassination attempt against him.



On December 31, 2006, Saddam Hussein's body was returned to his birthplace of Al-Awja, near Tikrit, and was buried near the graves of other family members.

Saddam Hussein photo before his execution

US-Iraq war : A US-led coalition invaded Iraq in March 2003 with the aim of overthrowing the regime of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Military Attacks on Iraq

United States forces fire at Iraq.

Bombing of Baghdad

In March 2003 a military coalition led by the United States invaded Iraq with the goal of removing Iraqi president Saddam Hussein from power and destroying Iraq’s alleged stockpiles of banned weapons. The invasion was accompanied by strategic bombing strikes at military and leadership installations in the capital city of Baghdād

and other Iraqi locations. By mid-April, Hussein’s government had collapsed.

Fighting in Al Fallujah

In late 2004 U.S.-led forces launched an offensive against insurgent strongholds in the Iraqi city of Al Fallujah, west of Baghdad. An estimated many insurgents and 51 U.S. troops were killed in the three-week operation, which destroyed large parts of the city.

Destroying Nuclear Facilities

Nuclear facility in Al Tuweitha near Iraq’s capital of Baghdad. The facility was destroyed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after the Persian Gulf War to prevent Iraq from reconstituting a nuclear weapons program under the regime of Saddam Hussein.

Some Iraqi children photos