Portal:Iraq/Intro

Flag of Iraq	Coat of Arms of 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, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and Kuwait to the southeast, Saudi Arabia to the south, 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, Assyrians, Armenians, Yazidis, Mandaeans, Persians and Shabakis with similarly diverse geography and wildlife. Most Iraqis are Muslims – minority faiths include Christianity, Yazidism, Mandaeism, Yarsanism and Zoroastrianism. The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish; others also recognized in specific regions are Turkish, Suret, and Armenian.

Modern Iraq dates back to 1920, when a British-backed monarchy under Faisal was established, followed by independent Hashemite Kingdom. The monarchy was overthrown in the 1963 coup led by General Qasim, establishing a republic and then ruled by brothers Abdul Salam Arif and Abdul Rahman Arif. The Ba'ath government formed in 1968, first led by Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr and then by Saddam Hussein. Under Saddam, Iraq fought the Iran–Iraq War and the Gulf War. In 2003 United States-led coalition invaded and occupied Iraq initiating the war, defeating the Ba'athists. It continued with an insurgency and civil war and lasted until 2011. Subsequent continuing repression and sectarian policies of Nouri al-Maliki caused protests, after which Ba'athist–Sunni coalition took up arms during a campaign. The climax of the campaign was the offensive by the ISIS that marked its rapid territorial expansion, prompting the return of American troops to fight the war, which lasted until 2017. Iran has also intervened, expanding its influence through sectarian parties and Khomeinist militia groups triggering protests. Post-war conflict still affects today (Full article...)