Iraq is located in Western Asia, north of the Arabian Peninsula. It has an area of approximately 440,000 sq km. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers that flow through Iraq create fertile lands along their banks. Check out Iraq photos to view the beautiful landscape including mountains, meadows and rivers.

The official name of Iraq is the "Republic of Iraq" (or the "Iraqi Republic"). The Arabic name is Joumhouriyat Al-Iraq or Al-Iraq. Historically Iraq was known as Mesopotamia, a Greek word meaning "Land between the rivers".

Baghdad is the capital of Iraq. Main cities of Iraq include Mosul, Erbil, al-Basra, Najaf, Karbala, as-Sulaymaniyah, Diyala, Kirkuk and Eridu (one of the earliest known cities in the world).

Iraq economy is based on oil and gas, petrolueum and chemical industries, agriculture and religious tourism. Iraq faced economic difficulties resulting from wars and world sanctions after the Iran-Iraq War (1980), Gulf War I (1991) and Gulf War II (2003). Iraq attracts lots of visitors and pilgrimages each year, who come to visit historic sites, religious shrines and monuments (both christian and muslim).

Iraq or Mesopotamia is known as the Cradle of civilization. Iraq history has witnessed many civilizations and empires such as the Akkadian, Sumerian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Abbasid, Roman, Rashidun, Umayyad, Mongol and Ottoman empires.

Iraq has several historic and World Heritage sites, including ruins of the ancient cities of Babylon, Hatra, Ashur, Nimrud and Ninevah; the Babel Tower; the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (one of the 7 Wonders of the World); important religious monuments such as the Mosque of Imam Ali and the shrine of Imam El-Hussein Ibn Ali. Baghdad Museum includes many items from ancient civilizations such as the Akkadian King sculpture, Gilgamesh tablets, various wall sculptures and jewelry.

The population of Iraq is around 30.5 millions. The main spoken languages are Arabic, Kurdish, Syriac, Assyrian, Armenian and Turkoman.

Iraqi food is a mix of Iraqi, Arabic, Persian and Turkish dishes. Some of the Iraqi national dishes include stuffed vegetables, stuffed and roasted lamb, kebab, spiced minced meat with nuts and raisins.