- Photo Credit: Yasir Rasool
Photo Credit: www.cnbc.com
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia. It forms the eastern frontier of the Arab countries; Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Jordan, Syria and the Kingdom of Saudi to the west, the Persian Gulf and Kuwait to the south.
Once home to some of the earliest civilisations, Iraq was known as Mesopotamia ‘the land between the rivers,’ for it embraces a large part of the alluvial plains of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Sometime after 2000 B.C., the land became the centre of the ancient Babylonian and Assyrian empires. Mesopotamia was conquered by Cyrus the Great of Persia in 538 B.C. and by Alexander in 331 B.C. After an Arab conquest in 637–640, Baghdad became the capital of the ruling caliphate. Baghdad is the second largest city in the Arab world after Cairo.
Iraq is considered to be a potential location for ecotourism. Erbil was chosen as “Arab Tourism Capital” in 2014 by the Arab Tourism Committee.
Iraq has four World Heritage Sites recognised by UNESCO as well as eleven additional sites on the tentative list of UNESCO. All of the World Heritage Sites are cultural, these are: Ashur (Qal’at Sherqat), Erbil Citadel, Hatra and Samarra Archeological City.
The tentative list includes Ur, Nimrud, The Ancient City of Nineveh, The Fortress of Al-Ukhaidar, Wasit, Babylon, The Marshlands of Mesopotamia, The Site of Thilkifl, Wadi Al-Salam Cemetery in Najaf, Amedy city, Historical Features of the Tigris River in Baghdad Rusafa.
Iraq has the second largest oil reservoir in the world, with almost 143.1 barrels of oil. The sector accounts for 99% of the of government revenue. As one of the three most oil-rich countries in the world, Iraq has the resources for complete energy independence.
According to the 2014 Human Development Report, Iraq is one of the most youthful countries in the world; nearly 50% of the population is less than 19 years old. The use of technology has increased rapidly since 2003, 78% of Iraqis use mobile telephones and 12% own a personal computer. With the rise of technology, and the right investments, Iraq can harness the energy, enthusiasm and creativity of its youth.