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| Irak | |
|---|---|
| Conventional long name | Republic of Irak |
| Native name | جمهورية العراق |
| Capital | Baghdad |
| Largest city | Baghdad |
| Official languages | Arabic language, Kurdish language |
| Area km2 | 437072 |
| Population estimate | 41,000,000 |
| Currency | Iraqi dinar |
| Independence | Anglo-Iraqi Treaty |
| Government type | Federal parliamentary republic |
| Calling code | +964 |
| Time zone | UTC+03:00 |
Irak is a country in Western Asia centered on the Tigris River and Euphrates River river systems. It has a long recorded history that includes ancient civilizations such as Sumer, Akkad, Assyria, and Babylon, and later imperial rule under Achaemenid Empire, Seleucid Empire, Sasanian Empire, and Ottoman Empire. Its modern boundaries emerged after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I and policies shaped by the League of Nations and the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty (1930).
The modern English name Irak derives from the Arabic language name عراق, historically transcribed in European sources as "Iraq." The toponym has been associated with the ancient region of Mesopotamia and the city of Uruk in some scholarly arguments, while other etymologies link it to Middle Persian and Sasanian Empire administrative terms. Medieval maps and chronicles by authors such as Ibn Khaldun and Al-Tabari popularized the term across the Islamic Golden Age cultural sphere. Colonial-era documents by the British Mandate for Mesopotamia adopted the anglicized form used in modern international diplomacy.
The territory has been a core of successive civilizations: Sumerian civilization in the southern alluvial plain, the Akkadian Empire radiating from Akkad, the imperial phases of Assyria with capitals like Nineveh, and the cultural hegemony of Babylon under rulers such as Hammurabi. Following the Achaemenid Empire conquest, Hellenistic rule by the Seleucid Empire was succeeded by Parthian and Sasanian Empire control until the Rashidun Caliphate expanded during the Muslim conquests of the 7th century. The region later saw dynasties such as the Abbasid Caliphate with a capital at Baghdad, the Mongol conquest culminating in the Siege of Baghdad (1258), and integration into the Ottoman Empire after the Battle of Chaldiran era dynamics. In the 20th century, the post-World War I settlement produced the Kingdom of Iraq (1932–1958), the Ba'ath Party era including figures linked to the Iran–Iraq War and the Gulf War (1990–1991), the 2003 invasion of Iraq led by a Coalition forces multinational force, and subsequent political transitions involving United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq processes and various national constitutions.
Irak spans the alluvial plain between the Tigris River and Euphrates River, the Zagros Mountains along the northeastern frontier, and the Syrian Desert to the west. The southern marshes historically known as the Marsh Arabs region lie near the Persian Gulf. Major cities include Mosul, Basra, Karbala, and Najaf. The climate ranges from arid desert influenced by subtropical high-pressure systems to hot summers and cool winters in upland areas near the Kurdistan Region and the Zagros Mountains, with seasonal river flooding historically shaping agricultural cycles documented since antiquity.
Contemporary governance is organized as a federal parliamentary republic under a constitution adopted after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Power is divided among a parliament, a prime minister, and a largely ceremonial president, with an autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government in the north. Political life includes major parties such as successors to the Ba'ath Party era movements, sectarian and ethnic blocs, and coalitions tied to Iran–Iraq relations and United States–Iraq relations dynamics. International law instruments, diplomatic ties with organizations like the United Nations and Arab League, and security arrangements have influenced domestic politics since the early 21st century.
Economic activity centers on hydrocarbon resources managed by national entities and international oil companies under frameworks shaped by contracts and OPEC membership influences. Major export nodes include facilities in Basra and pipeline projects linking to neighboring states. Agricultural production persists in the Mesopotamian Marshes and alluvial plains with crops historically recorded since Sumerian agriculture. Reconstruction efforts since the 2003 invasion of Iraq have involved multinational finance, International Monetary Fund programs, and foreign direct investment in sectors from energy to telecommunications. Currency operations use the Iraqi dinar, and port infrastructure links to the Persian Gulf trade routes.
The population comprises diverse ethnic and sectarian communities including Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Assyrians, and other minorities such as Mandaeans and Yazidis. Religious communities include major branches like Shia Islam and Sunni Islam, as well as Christian denominations such as the Chaldean Catholic Church and Syriac Orthodox Church. Urbanization is concentrated in Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul, with significant internal displacement episodes following conflicts like the Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011) and the rise and fall of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
The cultural heritage includes ancient literary and legal traditions such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Code of Hammurabi, contributions to medieval scholarship in Baghdad during the House of Wisdom, and vernacular traditions spanning Arabic literature, Kurdish literature, and Assyrian Neo-Aramaic texts. Religious pilgrimage sites include Karbala and Najaf for Shia Islam adherents, and historic Christian sites in the Nineveh Plains. Contemporary arts scenes reflect fusion across influences from Ottoman Empire legacies, Persian literature, and modern global media.
Transport arteries include highways connecting Baghdad to Basra and Mosul, rail initiatives and port facilities on the Persian Gulf. Energy infrastructure focuses on oil fields in southern provinces, export terminals, and electricity grids requiring rehabilitation after conflict-related damage. Environmental challenges involve water management along the Tigris River and Euphrates River affected by upstream dam projects in Turkey and Iran, desertification, and restoration projects for the Mesopotamian Marshes undertaken with international conservation partners. Urban reconstruction, heritage protection for sites such as Babylon, and infrastructure investment remain central to ongoing national development efforts.
Category:Countries in Asia