IRAQCountry Information

Population

-2009 Estimate-31,234,000-71.2/km2 (125th)184.6/sq mi

Map of Iraq and surrounding countries

Jobs

Cities offering major job listings: Al Basrah Baghdad Arbil

Jobs offered: IT Specialist Marketing Manager Application Manager Delivery Manager Business Analyst

Transportation

Highway distance: 45,550 km

Waterways distance: 1,015 km

Pipelines: Crude Oil - 4,350 km; Petroleum - products 725 km; Natural Gas - 1,360 km

Merchanting Ships: 32 ships A highway in Iraq

Economy

Dominates in the oil industry Economy was damaged in the

1980s due to war In 2004, Reconstruction of

the economy was started In 2003, many nations have

joined together to try and boost Iraq’s standard of living

50 Dinar Bill

Water Resources Iraq has more water than most of the

Middle East countries it is near, and it has led to it being a well-developed nation

Farmland is one of Iraq’s most important assets, as it cultivates the land due to abundant amounts of irrigation and such

Around 1/5th of Iraq’s land is farmland Farmland is common in the

northeastern part of Iraq where rain and precipitation frequently covers the area

A bridge over a river in Iraq

Water Resources Some organizations constructed several

large dams and river control projects, rehabilitated old canals, and built new irrigation systems

Some dams that created large reservoirs were built in the valleys of tributaries of the Tigris, something that prevented spring flooding and evened out the supply of water over the cropping seasonA river

leading into a dam in Iraq’s

farmlands

Festivals and Celebrations January 1 - New Year's

Day January 6 - Army Day February - 26 Mouloud

(Birth of the Prophet Muhammad)

April 9 - Baghdad Liberation Day

April 17 - FAO Day May 1 - Labour Day July 14 - Republic Day August 8 - Ceasefire Day

(End of Iran-Iraq War)

New Years Day, Iraq

Festivals and Celebrations

September 11 - Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)

October 3 - Iraqi Independence Day (National Day)

November 17 - Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)

December 7 - Islamic New Year December 16 - Ashura

Ashura taking place in a household

Education

Before 1991, Iraq had one of the best educational standards in the region

Average spending costs per student: $620

Centralized government-run educational system

Built in primary, secondary, and higher education sections

Iraqi girls using

laptops

Education

Illiteracy declined to about 10% in the age group of 15-45 before 1991

Gross Enrollment Rates rose to above 100%

Almost complete gender parity in enrollment

Dropout/Repetition rates were the lowest in the Middle East

Iraqi girls in class

Government and Politics

The federal government of Iraq is described under the current Constitution as an Islamic, democratic, federal parliamentary republic

The federal government is made up of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches and several other groups

Iraq was under Baath Party reign from 1968-2003

A Constitution was placed into effect in 2005; however, several communities and groups have been against the US’s interence

Government and Politics

Lots of minority groups reside within Irag, such as the Kurds, Assyrians, Mandeans, etc

They typically have not had as much rights or equal status as some other ethnic groups

It was reported that in 2008, Iraq was rated as the world’s fifth most politically unstable country

US forces have stayed in Iraq to help maintain security and stability in Iraq

Recreation

Sports are generally enjoyed in Iraq, football being a popular sport

Basketball and tennis, among others, are also considered to be very enjoyable

Several TV networks and stations are displayed in Arabic, Kurdish, Turkmen, and Assyrian

Some of the more popular TV stations are Al Sharqiya and state-owned Al Iraqiya

Football teams arguing

Cuisine

Some characteristic ingredients of Iraqi cuisine include – vegetables such as aborigine, tomato, okra, onion, potato, etc

Bulghur wheat is used in many dishes – having been a must-have ingredient since ancient times

Meals begin with appetizers and salads – known as Mezze

Tabbouleh, a popular Levantine salad

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq http://www.countryreports.org/Iraq.aspx https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/

the-world-factbook/geos/iz.html http://www.travelblog.org/World/iz-

geog.html http://www.1uptravel.com/geography/

iraq.html http://geography.about.com/library/cia/

blciraq.htm