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An Introduction to Iraq
Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of military strongmen have ruled the country since then, the latest was SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait, but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years resulted in the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. Coalition forces remain in Iraq, helping to restore degraded infrastructure and facilitating the establishment of a freely elected government. The Coalition Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Interim Government on 28 June 2004.
Map of Iraq ( Location ) : 33 00 N, 44 00 E, Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait.
For additional reports and educational information specific to Iraq, refer to the Country Info menubar to the upper right.
The Iraqi Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in green Arabic script - Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to the left of the middle star - was added in January 1991 during the Persian Gulf crisis; similar to the flag of Syria, which has two stars but no script, Yemen, which has a plain white band, and that of Egypt which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band; design is based upon the Arab Liberation colors.
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Rankings of The Most Populous Countries in the World.
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Some interesting facts and figures about Iraq.
Pop Growth Rate / Year:
• 2.74%
Avg. Life Expectancy:
• 67.09 yrs - Male
• 69.48 yrs - Female
Phone Lines:
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675,000 (2003)
Televisions:
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1.75 million (1997)
Radios:
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4,850,000 (1997)
Internet Code:
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.iq
Did you know ... People from Iraq are called Iraqis
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