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Iraq. Emily Granoff, Connor Batsimm, Christian Nowicki, Kiley Fox. Population. Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkish, Assyrian, or other 5% Muslim (official) 97% (Shia 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3% About 50% of Iraqi Christians left during Hussein’s reign
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Iraq Emily Granoff, Connor Batsimm, Christian Nowicki, Kiley Fox
Population • Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkish, Assyrian, or other 5% • Muslim (official) 97% (Shia 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3% • About 50% of Iraqi Christians left during Hussein’s reign • Population is about 31,129,225
Group Frictions • There is tension between Sunni and Shia Muslisms- the Sunnis allege that the Shias are still trying to get revenge on Sunnis for their favored status under Hussein and the discriminations Shias suffered under it. • Sunnis in Shia-dominated areas, Shias in Sunni-dominated areas, and other religious minorities in either area report receiving death threats demanding they move away • There are often threats against women and girls, regardless of their religion, if they do not wear a headscarf • There have been multiple riots targeting minority-owned businesses
Geographical features • Iraq has a total landmass of 432,162 sq km; it is slightly more than twice the size of Idaho (geography.about.com) • Is mostly composed flat terrains, such as plains, deserts and marshes. It does have a mountainous region in the North near Iran and Turkish borders. • Some of Iraq’s land was lost during the liberation of Kuwait during the Gulf War. • Natural Resources include petroleum, natural gas, phosphates and sulfur.
Main Cities • Baghdad is not only the biggest city in the country, but is also the country’s capital. • The Tigris river runs through Mosul, another major Iraqi city. • The city of Basrah is features major historical and religious monuments. Such as the Hasan al-Basri monument.
British Control and Independence -1900: Iraq was a piece of the Ottoman empire -1914: The Ottoman empire allies with the Germans for World War I -1917: The British invade Baghdad and rename the area British Mesopotamia >Motives: strategic interests and possible oil fields -1920: Natives stage an armed revolt against British rule (“The Revolution of 1920”) -1921: British forces finally crush the rebellion >9000 rebels killed and wounded >Villages destroyed from the use of bombs and heavy artillery -1927: The British-controlled Iraq Petroleum Company opens its first substantial oil well at Baba Gurgur >Oil well catches fire, decimating the countryside -1930: The Anglo-Iraq Treaty is signed >Gives Iraq independence >Allows the British to maintain 2 air bases >Britain continues to influence Iraq’s foreign policy until 1957
British Control and Independence continued -1932: Iraq is admitted to the League of Nations, becoming formally independent -1939: The king of Iraq, King Ghazi, is killed in a car crash >The king had been outspokenly anti-British >Many Iraqis believed his death had been a conspiracy >In retaliation, the British Consul is killed during an angry demonstration in Mosul -1941: Britain invades Iraq and restores its supporters to power -1948: The Iraqi government negotiates a new treaty with Britain >Treaty extended Britain's say in military policy until 1973 >British troops would be withdrawn from Iraqi soil, but would have the right to return in event of war. >On January 16, the day after the Treaty is signed, police shoot dead four students demonstrating against the treaty. >Prompts an uprising that becomes known as al-Wathba (the leap) >The Treaty is repudiated and the British withdraw from Iraq
Saddam Hussein -1979: Saddam Hussein becomes president of Iraq -1980: War breaks out between Iraq and Iran >Many deserted the army and sabotaged the war effort to rebel against Hussein >Hussein decreed that deserters of the army would be executed -1988: Halabja Massacre >Armed deserters take the town of Halabja >Iraqi air force destroys Halabja with bombs and rockets
Government and Religion • Saddam Hussein started a “faith campaign” in 1993, distributed 5 million copies of the Qur’an • Sharia Law introduced into Iraq’s penal code in 1994 • Iraq is a constitutional democracy with a federal republican government. • There are 18 provinces • The constitution recognizes Islam as the official religion and states no law can be made that contradicts established provisions of Islam
Cont. • Constitution also dictates that no law can be enacted contradicting principals of democracy or infringing basic freedoms outlined in constitution • Guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religious belief and practice • Government’s ability (and sometimes desire) to protect that religious freedom is sometimes hindered by the country’s instability • Government has not officially participated in the persecution of any religious group since 2003
Economy • 95% of Iraq’s revenues comes from its oil industry • In 2012, Iraq’s draft budget forecasts 2.6 million barrels per day of oil exports (an increase from the 2.2 million barrels per day in 2011) • There is also a small amount of industry: food processing, producing chemicals, textiles, leather goods, construction materials, and metals • Newer industries that are starting to rise up in Iraq include electronics, fertilizers, and refined sugar • In 2011 Iraq’s GDP (purchasing power parity) of $138.8 billion (USD) put it 62nd when compared to all other countries • Also in 2011, Iraq’s growth rate of 8.9% put it 10th in the world
Employment • 16% of the population is unemployed (an improvement from the 30% unemployed in 2010) • 21.6% of the workforce is employed in agriculture (crops include: wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, and cotton) • This alone does not meet Iraq’s requirements for food, though • 18.7% of the workforce is employed in industry • 59.8% of the workforce is employed in services
The United States, the Gulf War, and the Iraq War -1990: Iraq invades Kuwait -1991: The US military, with support from Britain launches Operation Desert Storm, a massive attack on Iraq and its forces in Kuwait >250,000 Iraqis die as a result >Allied forces only suffer 131 deaths total -1991-2003: The Gulf War ends, yet the United States continues to bomb Iraqi water pumping stations, sewage pumping plants, and other facilities -2003: George W. Bush launches invasion on Iraq, under that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, beginning the Iraq war -2006: American forces execute Saddam Hussein THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION THAT IRAQ SUPPOSEDLY HAD HAVE STILL NEVER BEEN FOUND
The Kurds and Hussein -A race of peoples that live in parts of Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria -Attempted to find political and cultural autonomy in the Middle East -Hussein had many Kurds tortured and executed -Kurds looked to the United States for support against Hussein -The United States used the Kurds to remove Hussein from power and then dropped them when they ceased to be useful -Hussein attempted to cleanse Iraq from the Kurds because they were a group beyond his control