Iraq is a 168,754-square-mile country located in the Middle East. It is surrounded by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria and Turkey. People have been thriving in this region for thousands of years, which is why Iraq is nicknamed “the cradle of civilization.” The Sumerians were the first people to create civilizations in Iraq around 3000 B.C.
After the Sumerians, Iraq was ruled by many different people, including the Babylonians, the Persians, the Arabs, the Ottomans and the British. Iraq finally became independent in 1932. Each group of ruling people left its mark on the history and culture of Iraq, so this long history makes for a rich and varied culture among the people.
For centuries and through many different rulers, Iraq was the center of wealth, knowledge and commerce in empires. Some of the most important inventions in human history have come from Iraq. The Sumerians created the first forms of writing called cuneiform, which is created by pressing sticks into clay tablets. The Sumerian king Hammurabi is also recorded as creating the very first system of laws. The invention of the wheel and measuring the day in two sets of 12 hours are also thought to have come from Iraq.
Here are some facts about Iraq
• 40 percent of Iraq is desert.
• 30 percent is mountain range.
• The two major mountain ranges in Iraq are the Taurus and the Zagros.
• The two major rivers that most people live near are the Tigris and the Euphrates.
• It used to be known as Mesopotamia.
• Most of the country is Muslim.
• Baghdad is the capital and home to 6 million people.
• It is traditional to eat with one’s right hand.
• The national dish is Masgouf or impaled fish.
• The national cookie is Kleicha, which means circle or wheel.
• Iraq has never competed in the winter Olympics.
• Soccer is a popular sport in Iraq.
• One of the major exports is the fruit date.
• The first written story, the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” is about a king trying to save an Iraqi city.
• The official name is the Republic of Iraq.
• The national bird is the chucker partridge.
• Iraq’s currency is the dinar.
