Travel warning is issued for traveling to Iraq. For more information please visit U.S. Department of State
Last Minute Tips Before you Travel to Iraq
- Time Zone: GMT/UTC +4
- Electricity: 230V, 50 Hz (bring an adapter/transformer for your hair drier, laptop, cellullar phone etc.)
- Currency: Iraqi Dinar (ID)
- Country Dialing Code: 964
Iraq
Location
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
Capital
Baghdad
Population
26,074,906 (July 2005 est.)
Regions
18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, At Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit
Climate
mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq
Ethnic groups
Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%
Religions
Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%
Languages
Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian
Government type
none; note - the Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG) was elected on 30 January 2005
Background
Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of military strongmen ruled the country, the latest was SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait, but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years resulted in the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. Coalition forces remain in Iraq, helping to restore degraded infrastructure and facilitating the establishment of a freely elected government, while simultaneously dealing with a robust insurgency. The Coalition Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government (IG) in June 2004. Iraqis voted on 30 January 2005 to elect a 275-member Transitional National Assembly and voted on 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of Representatives that will finalize a permanent constitution.
Visitor's Impressions
If you would like to share your experiences of traveling to Iraq or to other countries, please send us your article and we will gladly post it at this site.
