Iraq

Iraq or Iraq, officially Republic of Iraq (in Arab: جمهوريةالعراق), is a country of the southwest of Asia that most of includes the northwest of the mountainous imprisonment of Zagros, the Eastern part of the desert of Syria and the northern part of the desert of Arabia. Joint party opposite with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the west, Syria to the northwest, Turkey to the north, and Iran to the east. It has one narrow strip of coast in Umm Qasr in the Persian Gulf. There are two great rivers: Tigris and the Éufrates. These provide grounds where to develop agriculture, in contrast to the desert landscape that includes Western Asia most of.

The capital, Baghdad, are in center-this. The history of Iraq goes back to the old Mesopotamia. The region between the rivers Tigris and Eúfrates identifies like the “it cradles of the civilization” and the place of birth of the document. During its history, Iraq has been the center of the empires Acadian, asirio, babylonian and Abbasid, and leaves from aqueménide, Macedonian, Parthian, Sassanid, Umayyad, mongol, Ottoman, Briton.

From the invasion of Iraq in 2003, a multinational coalition, mainly American and British, has occupied Iraq. The subsequent conflict has had vital importance: civil increase in violence, political removal, the elimination and execution of ex- President Saddam Husein, and the problems in the development of the political balance, economío and the use of oil reserves of the country. In agreement with the Failed States Index, Iraq has arisen recently like the second more unstable country, after Sudan. Within the framework of the control of the military of the Member States, Iraq develops a parliamentary democracy composed by 18 provinces (well-known like muhafadhat).

History

The present territory of Iraq contains the one of the old region of Mesopotamia, where Chaldea arose Sumerian (the oldest civilization of the world) and. Their more outstanding characteristic was the rivers Tigris and Éufrates that gave name to the region (Mesopotamia means “between rivers” in Greek.)

The name of Iraq, originally, was applied both to the course under great rivers. It had an major importance in the history of the Islamic world since in him were some of the most important cities of the same: Baghdad, created to be capital of the abbasíes caliphs, Bassorah, great commercial port, or Kufa, important center of cultural irradiation.

Monarchy and republic

The current Member was created after the break-up of the Ottoman Empire uniting the vilayatos or provinces (that would correspond to historical Iraq) and Mosul, to which they added a fraction of desert until making the incoming country with another State border of new plant: Transjordania. To the front of the country they invested like king hachemí prince Faysal Ibn Husayn, that had been leader of the Arab Rebellion. Iraq was administered by Great Britain under the form of the British Mandate of Mesopotamia.

In 1932, the Kingdom of Iraq was recognized by Liga of Nations, although its range was put in doubt by the Arab nationalists. The following year, Faysal was replaced by its Gazi son and this one Faysal II replaced, last king of Iraq that was overthrown in 1958. During World War II, Iraq was invaded by the United Kingdom, after the taking of being able on the part of the nationalists thanks to the German support.

In 1958 a military coup d'etat Populist proclaimed the republic, that it would be directed since then by the nationalistic party Baath. Under this mantle fights by the power did not stop being developed and the presidents followed one another, last of who it was Saddam Husein.

War of Iraq

As of 2002 the American government accused Iraq to maintain bonds with the network Al-Qaeda and to own weapons of destruction massive. Although these afimaciones never were sustained properly, a followed attack of the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was launched. The subsequent conflict increase the violence in the country and lead to the overthrow of president Saddam Husein, that after being captured and being judged, finally was executed in the gift by war crimes in December of 2006.

The losses of the conflict in Iraq from 2003 (from the continuous invasion of Iraq in 2003 and that with the consequent occupation of the country on the part of a coalition, as well as the activities of the diverse groups armed that operate in the country) have multiple origenes and the exactitude of the investigation available of the diverse types of deaths they vary of considerable form.

Government and policy

The 30 of January of the year a 2004 Constituent National Mass meeting was chosen by means of universal, direct and secret suffrage in elections organized by the restored Iraqian interim government in the country with the transfer of sovereignty of the 28 of June of the 2004. These selections were boycotted by great part of the ethnic and religious population of the Arabs suníes and the Arabs of the oil City of Kirkuk to be celebrated under the military occupation of the multinational coalition.

This Mass meeting approved a new Constitution National that it was ratified by the town of Iraq in a referendum (with 78% of the votes to favor) the 15 of October of the 2005 (in this occasion yes voted great part of the Arabs suníes, they did although it by Not to the Constitution; whereas the Shiite and Arabs made Kurd it in favor of the constitutional text).

According to this new Constitution, the political regime of Iraq is a Federal Parliamentary Republic. Therefore the true governor of the country is Prime minister; and the Islamic President, and recognizes the Islam like high-priority source of the Law in Iraq, imposing his supremacy, even, to the own constitution.

The President of the Republic is chosen by the Council of Representatives (House of Representatives of the Parliament) by a majority of at least two thirds of the deputies (article 69 of the Constitution). The President is forced to propose like candidate to Prime minister the leader of the parliamentary majority (article 75, ordinal 1 of the Constitution); the proposed candidate must receive the vote in favor of half plus one of the deputies of the Council of Representatives to become Prime minister at least (ordinal article 75 4). The Council of Representatives can dismiss to Prime minister and his Government with a Vote of censure or nonConfidence that reunites the support of the same amount of votes necessary to ratify Prime minister (half plus one).

Prime minister has the power to name and to dismiss to all the Government ministers; but so that the appointment of a Minister is valid he must be approved by the Council of Representatives by absolute majority. Yes that majority is not obtained, Prime minister will have to name to another person for the charge.

The Council of Representatives, besides choosing to the President of the Republic and Prime minister, have the Legislative Power; and one Supreme Court has the Judicial Power.

Due to its federal nature, the Constitution allows the Provinces to organize itself in Autonomous regions; that they would enjoy an ample range of the Central Power. The fact that the Constitution stipulates that these Regions remain with a great part of the profits of the oil wealth available in their respective territories, suníta to the Constitution is one of the causes of the strong opposition (because the Arabs suníes live in the Regions where there is less petroleum, while Shiite and Kurd they live in which they have more oil resources).

The Kurd already had their Autonomous region before the approval of the Constitution, and for that reason the same recognizes a “estatus special” to them with greater self-government. The Kurds choose in direct regional presidential selections the President of the Kurdistán (name of its autonomous region); also they choose a Regional Parliament.

The Constitution stipulates that the future Parliament must approve a law to create and to organize the Council of the European; this Advice will be trained by representatives of the authorities of the Regions and Provinces, and will be a species of Upper House of the Parliament (Senate). But their functions very will be limited, mainly to examine the draft laws that regulate the functions and powers of the Regions and Provinces; it will not be able to participate in the selection of the federal President and Prime minister because this is an exclusive attribution of the Council of Representatives.

The first parliamentary selections under the new Constitution were celebrated the 15 of December of the 2005; in them the Iraqian United Alliance (coalition of Shiite denominational parties) gained the majority in the Council of Representatives of the new Parliament.

The 22 of April of 2006 President Yalal Talabani proposed to the Parliament the appointment of Nuri To the Maliki like Prime minister of Iraq in replacement of previous Prime minister Ibrahim To the Yafari. Like Yafari, Maliki is a veteran leader of the political party Divided Islamic Dawa (a Shiite religious political organization); this party belongs to the Iraqian United Alliance that arrived at the power the 7 from April from year 2005 after gaining the selections for the Constituent Mass meeting. The President of the Republic Yalal Talabani is leader of the party Patriotic Union of the Kurdistán (Kurd moderate nationalist organization); Talabani is in the charge since the Constituent Mass meeting chose the 6 of April of the 2005, and was reelecto for the charge by the new permanent Parliament. The pacific and legal opposition from suníes to the Government is headed by the Iraqian Islamic Party.

Territorial organization

Iraq is divided in 18 provinces (muhafazat, singular: muhafaza):

Geography

Geographic surface: 437,073 km ²; approximately the size of the state of California. Cities: capital - Baghdad (hab. 3,8 million, considered year 1986). Other cities: Bassorah, Mosul, Karkuk, Ace Sulaymaniyah, Irbil.

• Topography: Iraq has alluvial plains, mountains and desert.

• Climate: The climate is in its warm and dry majority.

Natural environment

Iraq is a desert country to a large extent, although it also lodges, in smaller extension, others biomas: Mediterranean forest in the forest of the Eastern Mediterranean, in the extreme northwest; forest temperate of leafy in the steppe forest of the Zagros mounts, in the northeast end; prairie in the steppe of Middle East, the north; and prairie flooded in the alluvial salt marsh of Tigris-Éufrates, in the south-east. The rest of the territory is divided, according to WWF, in the following ecorregiones:

• Bush desert of Mesopotamia, in center of the country
• Desert and mounts xerófilo of Arabia and the Sinaí, in the south
• Semi-empty desert and of the Persian gulf, in a small enclave in the border with Kuwait
• Semi-empty desert and tropical of the Red Sea in two enclaves of the southwest, the border with Saudi Arabia
• Semi-empty desert and of the south of Iran in the south-east end, the border with Iran

Economy

Data during the blockade of the UN:

• Internal Gross product (the GIP) (considered year 2001): 59.000 million dollars.
• Annual growth rate (year 2001): 5.7%.
• The GIP per capita (considered year 2000): 2,500 dollars.
• Inflation rate (year 2001): 60%.
• Natural appeals: petroleum, natural gas, agricultural phosphates, sulfur, products.

Agriculture (less than 6% of the GIP)

• Products: wheat, barley, rice, cotton, dates, poultries.

• Industry: (less than 13% of the GIP)

• • Types: petroleum, petrochemical, material textiles, cement.

• Commerce (year 2001)

• • Exports: 15.800 billions of dollars in crude oil.
  • Main markets: Russia, France, Switzerland, China.
  • Imports: 11.000 million dollars in agricultural products, medicines and would scheme.
  • Main suppliers: Egypt, Russia, France, Vietnam.

Iraq is the fourth country with increased number of oil reserves of the planet according to 2007 estimations.

Demography

Culture

References

1. ↑ Motto “Iraq” in the D.R.A.E.
2. 'Declaration of for Principles to Long-Term Relationship of Cooperation and Friendship Between the Republic of Iraq and the United States of America'.
3. 'Top 10 for Battles the Control of Iraq'
4. ↑ Foreign Policy Magazine: The Failed States Index 2007.
5. ↑ Reuters: Iraq world's no. 2 failed state.
6. 'Baghdad looks for a way' (in Spanish). Deutsche Welle 19.04.2003 (2003). Consulted the 05/06/2008.
7. 'Saddam Hussein dies in the gift' (in Spanish). Deutsche Welle 30.12.2006 (2006). Consulted the 05/06/2008.
8. ↑ Iraq is in a state of political and social instability after the American invasion. So far, the current informations correct or are not updated.
9. 'More petroleum in 2006' (in Spanish). Deutsche Welle 27.06.2007 (2007). Consulted the 05/06/2008.

External Links

Commons

• Wikimedia Commons lodges content multimedia on Iraq.

Wikinoticias

• Wikinoticias has the news related to Iraq.
• Government of Iraq, official Web site (in English Arab and).

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