Iraq

Geography & Mobility in Iraq

There are 19 governorates that make up the country of Iraq. It is in the middle of the world and shares borders with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. Baghdad, Nineveh, and Basra are the three most important provinces. The whole land area of the country is 437,072 square kilometers. It has wide plains, marshes, and mountains, among other types of land. Most of the time, it has a desert climate, with cold winters and snow in the mountains. There are more than 38.4 million people living there. Baghdad is the country's capital. It is also the city with the most people, with more than 8.1 million people living there. Baghdad International Airport (SDA) is the biggest airport. About 3.7 million people pass through it each year. The airport connects Iraq to other places in the Middle East and to some airports in Europe.

Iraq Demographics & More

Islam is the most important part of Iraqi culture, since 98 percent of the people there are Muslims. Arab and Kurdish are the official languages. The system of law is a mix of civil law and sharia law, which is Islamic law. The country has a federal parliamentary republic as its form of government. Every four years, there are elections.

Iraq's Economy

The Iraqi Dinar is the official money. The government runs the economy of the country, which has a GDP of about $733 billion. The income per person is $17,952. The services sector and industry make up the largest part of the GDP. The oil industry is responsible for 85 percent of the country's income. Chemicals, textiles, wheat, barley, and rice are Iraq's most important exports.

Visiting Iraq

There are many natural and culturally unique places to visit in the Republic of Iraq. There are 4 UNESCO world heritage sites in the country as a whole. Pilgrimages are a big part of Iraq's tourism industry. Erbil, Ur, Basra, Hatra, and Babylon are the most popular tourist spots. Baghdad, the country's capital, also has a number of museums and shows that show off the country's history and natural beauty. Iraq is still having trouble getting tourists from other parts of the world to visit. There is still a general concern about security, and many governments tell their citizens not to travel to Iraq.