In ancient times the area now known as modern Iraq was almost equivalent to.
Mesopotamia, the land between two rivers. Mesopotamia was set between the Euphrates.
and Tigris Rivers. This area is known as the Cradle of Civilization, because around 4000.
B.C. the Sumerian culture thrived. The first written language was developed during the.
Sumerian culture. After the fall of the Sumerian culture, many different empires invaded.
and "ruled" Mesopotamia. Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, modern day Iraq is a.
country of many diverse ethnicities, religions, and beliefs. .
Seventy-nine percent of all Iraqi people are Arabic, sixteen percent are Kurdish,.
three percent are Persian, and two percent are Turkish. The majority of the Iraqi people.
practice the Muslim religion, while only three percent practice Christianity or another.
religion. These ethnicities and religions make up a nation of more than 22,000,000.
people.
The people of Iraq have a life expectancy of 66.53 years, where the male lives.
65.54 years and the female lives 67.56 years. Iraq is ranked 119th in life expectancy. .
They are ranked 126th in infant mortality rates with a rate of 62.49 deaths for every 1,000.
live births. Iraq has a literacy rate of approximately 60%, with the male population having.
a rate of 70.7% and the female population having a rate of 45%. They are ranked 145th. .
The Iraqi people speak, read, and write in many different languages. .
The official language of Iraq is Arabic. Other languages spoken are Kurdish,.
Assryian, and Armenian. The total land area of Iraq is 422,162 sq. km., with a population.
density of approximately 122 people per sq. mile. While most Iraqi people live in a desert.
climate, where the winters are mild and cool, and the summers are hot, dry, and cloudless,.
along the northern mountainous region they experience cold winters with occasional snow.
that melts and causes extensive damage in central Iraq. Because of the climate agriculture.
