Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia and in the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. With a population of over 46 million, it is the 30th-most populous country. It is a federal parliamentary republic that consists of 18 governorates. Iraq is bordered by Turkey to the north, Saudi Arabia to the south, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and Kuwait to the southeast, Jordan to the southwest, and Syria to the west. The capital and largest city is Baghdad. Iraqi people are diverse; mostly Arabs, as well as Kurds, Turkmen, Yazidis, Assyrians, Armenians, Mandaeans, Persians and Shabakis with similarly diverse geography and wildlife. Most Iraqis are Muslims – minority faiths include Christianity, Yazidism, Zoroastrianism, Mandaeism, Yarsanism and Judaism. The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish; others also recognized in specific regions are Turkish, Suret, and Armenian.
Some of the key events about Iraq
- 762 ADThe city of Baghdad was founded, becoming a major center of learning and culture
- 813 ADThe House of Wisdom was established in Baghdad, serving as a major intellectual center
- 1258The Mustansiriya Madrasah, one of the oldest universities in the world, was founded in Baghdad
- 1792 BCThe Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest known legal codes, was created in Babylon
- 1921Iraq gained independence from British mandate
- 1958Iraq transitioned from a monarchy to a republic
- 1980The Iran-Iraq War began, resulting in hundreds of thousands of casualties
- 1988Chemical weapons were used against Kurdish civilians in Halabja
- 1990Iraq invaded Kuwait, leading to international condemnation and conflict
- 1991The Gulf War resulted in widespread destruction of Iraqi infrastructure
- 1991A Shiite uprising in southern Iraq was violently suppressed
- 1991UN sanctions were imposed on Iraq, causing severe economic hardship
- 2003The US-led invasion of Iraq began, toppling the government
- 2005Iraq held its first free parliamentary elections in half a century
- 2006The bombing of the al-Askari Mosque sparked increased sectarian violence
- 2014The Islamic State (ISIS) seized control of large parts of northern Iraq
- 2017Iraq declared victory over ISIS, reclaiming all territory previously held by the group
- 2017A devastating earthquake struck near the Iran-Iraq border, killing hundreds
- 2350 BCThe world's first empire, the Akkadian Empire, was established in Mesopotamia
- 3000 BCThe world's first writing system, cuneiform, was developed in ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq)
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.
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