Iraq, a country in the Middle East that has been central to three wars since 1980. Some of the world's greatest ancient civilizations -Assyria, Babylonia, and Sumer - developed in the area that now makes up Iraq. The modern state of Iraq was created in 1920 by the British government, whose forces had occupied it during World War I (1914-1918). The country is officially named the Republic of Iraq . Baghdad is the capital and largest city.

Iraq is situated at the northern tip of the Arab Gulf. Its coastline along the gulf is only 30 km (19 mi) long. Thus, the country is nearly landlocked. Its only port on the gulf, Umm Qasr, is small and located on shallow water, and only small craft can dock there.

Iraq is potentially one of the richest countries in the world. It contains enormous deposits of petroleum and natural gas. It is endowed with large quantities of water, supplied by its two main rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, and their tributaries. Iraq's location between those two great rivers gave rise to its ancient Greek name, Mesopotamia ("the land between the rivers.")

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Last modified: 03/16/06