| Iraq | |
 | |
Location  | |
Coat of arms and flag .svg/51px-Coat_of_arms_of_Iraq_(2008–present).svg.png)  | |
| Capital | Baghdad |
|---|---|
| Government | parliamentary republic |
| Currency | Iraqi Dinar (IQD) |
| Surface | 437,072 km² |
| Inhabitants | 38.433.600 (2018 estimate) |
| Tongue | Arabic, Kurdish |
| Religion | Islam (95-98%) and the rest atheists or minor religions (2005) |
| Electricity | 230V / 50Hz (European socket) |
| Prefix | 964 |
| TLD | .iq |
| Time zone | UTC 3 |
| Website | Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
 | ATTENTION: In consideration of the persistence of a high-risk security situation, travel in any capacity to Iraq is not recommended, also avoiding travel deemed absolutely necessary for business reasons, in particular in the so-called "Sunni triangle" (Ramadi, Samarra and Fallujah) . A state of emergency is in force in the aforementioned area with strict provisions which, if violated, endanger the life of offenders. It should always be borne in mind that such severe measures, in the major cities of the country, can be suddenly introduced or undergo variations. (August 2020) |
Government Tourist Notices | |
Iraq is a state of the Middle East which adjoins Turkey North, Saudi Arabia is Kuwait South, Syria to the northwest, Jordan to the west and Iran at East.
To know
The territory of Iraq roughly corresponds to the territory of ancient Mesopotamia, the "land between rivers" (Bilād al-Rafidayn in Arabic), while the current name comes from the Persian eraq, meaning "low lands" (as opposed to ' Iranian plateau).
It has the third largest oil reserve in the world.
Geographical notes
In the western part there is a strip of the Arabian plateau and a part of the Syriac desert, both crossed by the course of the Euphrates and with Mesopotamia, a large alluvial plain in the center.
The north-eastern part of the country is occupied by a series of mountain ranges, belonging to the Zagros system. The highest peak is Keli Haji Ibrahim, 3,600 m a.s.l.
The most important lakes are: Hawr al Hammar (1,950 km²), Buhayrat ath Thartar (1,500 km²), Bahr al Milh (1,000 km²).
Iraq also has a small outlet on the Persian Gulf.
When to go
The Iraqi climate is tropical: steppe in the north and desert in the south. Winters are mild, excluding the mountain range north of the country, where they are quite harsh. Summers are very hot, temperatures in this season are among the highest in the world, constantly exceeding 43 ° C, with peaks of 51 - 52 ° C, especially in the Mesopotamian plain.
Background
The fertile area of Mesopotamia, located between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, has seen the birth of some of the oldest civilizations in the world such as the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians. It was then for a long time part of the Persian Empire - both Achaemenid, Parthian and Sassanid -. It was annexed to the Roman Empire and Christianized in the 3rd century and then returned to Persia in the 4th century until the definitive defeat of the Persians by the Roman emperor Heraclius in the 7th century shortly before the Islamic conquest
In 656 present-day Iraq was conquered by the Arabs, who introduced Islam and ruled it from Damascus, today in Syria. From the beginning of the sixteenth century Iraq was instead disputed between the Persian Empire, ruled by the Shiite dynasty of the Safavids, and the Sunni Ottoman Empire, until the latter incorporated it definitively in 1638.
At the end of the First World War, British troops occupied present-day Iraq (until then an Ottoman province) and declared it independent on 1 October 1919.
Spoken languages
L'Arabic, belonging to the Semitic family, prevails over Kurdish, of Indo-European origin, very close to Farsi (modern Persian). There is also a small percentage of Arabs who speak English (about 3%).
Culture and traditions
Iraq is musically best known for an instrument called ˁūd (lute) and for the rabāb (similar to a violin); the best known musicians who use these instruments are Ahmad Mukhtār and the Assyrian Munīr Bashīr respectively.
Territories and tourist destinations
Urban centers
Other destinations
- Ashur - Former capital of the Assyrian Empire and a World Heritage SiteUNESCO, this is one of the few major archaeological sites in the country that has benefited from the recent invasion. Hussein's government planned to create a nearby dam that would flood and completely destroy the site.
- Babylon (بابل) - Damaged by poor reconstruction, looting and military neglect, the ruins of ancient Babylon are still some of the most impressive evidence of the cradle of civilization.
- Ctesiphon - The ancient capital of the Parthian and Sassanid empires has left us with magnificent towering ruins, most notably the magnificent Arch of Ctesiphon, just beyond the Tigris is the archaeological site of the ancient Hellenistic city of Seleucia.
- Hatra - Site UNESCO and a Parthian city located out in the desert and incredibly well preserved. They are quite possibly the most magnificent ruins in Iraq.
- Nineveh (نينوى) - A 3,000-year-old city, once the capital of the Assyrians, whose ruins and partly reconstructed archaeological site lie along the Tigris from Mosul.
- Ur (أور) - The ruins of the ancient Sumer city, best known for its giant pyramid, the Great Ziggurat of Ur.
How to get
Entry requirements
 | Visa restrictions: Due to the Arab League boycott of Israel, entry is refused, to Israeli citizens and to all those who have a visa in their passport for Israel, once you arrive at the airports of Baghdad, Basra, Mosul or Najaf. |
How to get around
What see
- Tombs of the King in Ur.
- Ruins of the city of parts in Hatra, Heritage ofUNESCO since 1985.
What to do
Currency and purchases
The national currency is the Iraqi dinar (IQD) Here are the links to know the current exchange rate with the main world currencies:
| (EN) With Google Finance: | AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD |
| With Yahoo! Finance: | AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD |
| (EN) With XE.com: | AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD |
| (EN) With OANDA.com: | AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD |
At the table
Tourist infrastructure
Events and parties
Safety
Before embarking on the journey consult:
- Safe travel - Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Farnesina) (Country safety information).
Health situation
Respect the customs
How to keep in touch
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Iraq
Commons contains images or other files on Iraq
Wikiquote contains quotes from or about Iraq
Wikinews contains current news on Iraq
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