Iraq

 

This week we have moved onto Iraq, officially known as the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia, bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south, Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and Kuwait to the southeast, Jordan to the southwest, and Syria to the west. 

The country is dominated by two famous rivers: the Tigris and the Euphrates. They flow southeast from the highlands in the north across the plains toward the Persian Gulf. The fertile region between these rivers has had many names throughout history, including Al-Jazirah, or "the island," in Arabic and Mesopotamia in Greek.

Many parts of Iraq are harsh places to live. Rocky deserts cover about 40 percent of the land. Another 30 percent is mountainous with bitterly cold winters. Much of the south is marshy and damp. Most Iraqis live along the fertile plains of the Tigris and Euphrates.

Baghdad is the capital and largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the most populous cities in the Middle East and Arab World and forms.

The Iraqi dinar is the currency of Iraq. The Iraqi dinar is issued by the Central Bank of Iraq. On 7 February 2023, the exchange rate with the US Dollar was US$1 = 1300 dinars.

The Iraqi flag has four horizontal stripes of red, white, green, and black. The colours are inspired by a poem by Safi al-Din al-Hilli. The flag also has an Arabic inscription that means "Allah is the Greatest". 

The current version of the Iraqi flag has been in use since 2008. 

The flag was modified in 1991 by President Saddam Hussein.

In 2004, the Iraqi Governing Council proposed a new flag, but it was almost universally rejected by Iraqis. 

The colours of the Iraqi flag are inspired by a poem by Safi al-Din al-Hilli. 

The poem refers to red as willingness to shed blood, green for Arab fields, black for battles, and white for purity of motives and deeds. 

The three green stars on the flag represent a desire to unite with Egypt and Syria. 

It is one of the most culturally diverse nations in the Middle East. Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Assyrians, Mandaeans, and Armenians, among others, speak their own languages and retain their cultural and religious identities.

Iraqis once had some of the best schools and colleges in the Arab world. That changed after the Gulf War in 1991 and the United Nations sanctions that followed. Today only about 40 percent of Iraqis can read or write.

The country is a federal constitutional democracy. The Head of State is the President. The Head of Government is the Prime Minister, who appoints the Council of Ministers (Cabinet). The Council of Representatives (CoR) is the unicameral legislature. The Iraqi people elect the 329 members of the CoR through an open-list, proportional representation electoral process. Nine seats are set aside for representation of Iraqi minorities. The Constitution sets a quota of 25 per cent of CoR seats to be held by women. Members serve four-year terms. The Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers do not have to be elected members of the CoR but the CoR must approve their nominations. Ministers must forgo their CoR seats to serve in Cabinet.

During late 2013 and 2014, the terrorist organisation Da'esh seized territory in west and northwest Iraq, including the city of Mosul. Da'esh systematically persecuted ethnic and religious minorities and committed abuses against vulnerable groups including women and children. On 9 December 2017, then-Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the defeat of Da'esh in Iraq. 

Despite the territorial defeat of Da'esh in Iraq and Syria (announced by the Syrian Democratic Forces in March 2019), Da’esh remains a very real threat to the region. At the request of the Government of Iraq, the Global Coalition to Defeat Da’esh continues to support the Iraqi Security Forces to combat the threat posed by remnants of Da'esh.

Iraqi women today suffer from insufficient educational opportunities and healthcare and limited access to the labor market, as well as high levels of violence and inequality.

The status of women has been affected by wars, Islamic law and the Constitution of Iraq as well as Cultural traditions. Abusive practices such as honour killings and forced marriages still persist.

The security situation in Iraq is volatile and could deteriorate with little warning. There's a risk of violence, armed conflict, kidnapping and terrorist attacks.