Iraq
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Iraq War
This page is about Iraq, the nation. Click here for Iraq War
You'll probably have better luck finding what you're looking for here: Sourcewatch: Post-War Iraq
Overview
Iraq is a country in the Middle East. Its borders, drawn arbitrarily by the British, enclose three major rival ethno-religious groups: Shias, Sunnis, and Kurds.
Maps
Provinces
Iraq had 18 provinces before it was embroiled in war.
Kurdistan Regional Government (only parts of some provinces)
Proposed Southern Regional Government
Other Provinces
Flags
The old flag -- red, white and black with three green stars, representing pan-Arab nationalism -- had flown for more than 40 years, preceding Saddam Hussein. In January 1991 Saddam changed the flag, adding the Arabic words "God is great".
The new flag, unfurled even before a parliament had been formed or a constitution ratified, consists of a pale blue crescent on a white field and has three stripes at the bottom -- blue, yellow, and blue.
"The white stands for peace and a new start for Iraq, whilst the crescent represents Islam," IGC spokesman Hamid al-Kafaai said on April 26 , 2004, adding the blue strips represented Iraq's main rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, and the yellow represented its Kurdish population. [1]
Population
The capital of Iraq is Baghdad. Other cities include:
History
Iraq is one of several states in the Middle East created after World War I by the imperialist powers who "won" that war. The boundaries were drawn to include the city of Baghdad in the Tigris and Euphrates lowlands. It is bounded on the north by Turkey, on the East by Iran, on the West by Syria and Jordan and on the south by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The region is among the oldest settled in the world, having seen the rise of cities and the creation of writing. (more - Ancient History - Modern History)
- The Birth of Iraq: 1916-1921
- History of Iraq: 1921 - 1933
- History of Iraq: 1933 - 1939
- History of Iraq: 1939 - 1947
- History of Iraq: 1947 - 1963
- History of Iraq: Oil, Commies, and Ba'ath
- History of Iraq: 1963 - 1970
- History of Iraq: 1970 - 1979
Political Parties
Prior to the fall of Saddam Hussein, the Baath party, which has links to a party of the same name that rules in Syria, imposed one party rule on the country. It was a secular party, opposed by Islamic extremists such as Al Queda.
There are now many political parties in Iraq. Many of these have long history of clandestine organization that existed during the rule of the Baath party. The results of the January 30, 2005 election are set forth and discussed in this DailyKos Dairy.
Resources
News
Civilians killed
Constitutions
- Constitution of the Kingdom of Iraq (1925)
- Constitution of Iraq prior to U.S. invasion
- Post-U.S. invasion Transitional Constitution (March 2004)
See Also
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