Politics[]

Main article: Politics of Iraq

Iraq was under Baath Party rule from 1968 to 2003; in 1979 Saddam Hussein took control and remained president until 2003 after which he was unseated by a US-led invasion.

On October 15, 2005, more than 63% of eligible Iraqis came out across the country to vote on whether to accept or reject the new constitution. On October 25, the vote was certified and the constitution passed with a 78% overall majority, with the percentage of support varying widely between the country's territories.^[10] The new constitution had overwhelming backing among the Shia and Ķurdish communities, but was overwhelmingly rejected by Arab Sunnis. Three majority Arab Sunni provinces rejected it (Salah ad Din with 82% against, Ninawa with 55% against, and Al Anbar with 97% against).

Under the terms of the constitution, the country conducted fresh nationwide parliamentary elections on December 15 to elect a new government. The overwhelming majority of all three major ethnic groups in Iraq voted along ethnic lines, turning this vote into more of an ethnic census than a competitive election, and setting the stage for the division of the country along ethnic lines.

Iraqi politicians have been under significant threat by the various factions that have promoted violence as a political weapon. The ongoing violence in Iraq has been incited by an amalgam of religious extremists that believe an Islamic Caliphate should rule, old sectarian regime members that had ruled under Saddam that want back the power they had, and Iraqi nationalists that are fighting the U.S. military presence.

Iraq has number of ethnic minority groups in Iraq: Kurds, Assyrians, Mandeans, Iraqi Turkmen, Shabaks and Roma. These groups have not enjoyed equal status with the majority Arab populations throughout Iraq's eighty-five year history. Since the establishment of the "no-fly zones" following the Gulf War of 1990–1991, the situation of the Kurds has changed as they have established their own autonomous region. The remainder of these ethnic groups continue to suffer discrimination on religious or ethnic grounds.

In 2008, the U.S. pressured Iraq to enter an alliance with imposing conditions. If Iraq enters this alliance, the U.S. plans to establish 50 military bases in Iraq that will be stationed with U.S. troops. U.S. personnel will also enjoy full legal immunity and the U.S. won't be required to notify the Iraqi government when ot how many of its troops enter or leave the country.^[11]

Economy[]

Main article: Economy of Iraq

Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector, which has traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. In the 1980s financial problems caused by massive expenditures in the eight-year war with Iran and damage to oil export facilities by Iran led the government to implement austerity measures, borrow heavily, and later reschedule foreign debt payments. Iraq suffered economic losses from the war of at least US$100 billion. After hostilities ended in 1988, oil exports gradually increased with the construction of new pipelines and restoration of damaged facilities. A combination of low oil prices, repayment of war debts (estimated at around US$3 billion a year) and the costs of reconstruction resulted in a serious financial crisis which was the main short term motivation for the invasion of Kuwait.

On November 20, 2004, the Paris Club of creditor nations agreed to write off 80% ($33 billion) of Iraq's $42 billion debt to Club members. Iraq's total external debt was around $120 billion at the time of the 2003 invasion, and had grown by $5 billion by 2004. The debt relief will be implemented in three stages: two of 30% each and one of 20%.^[12]

At the end of 2005, and in the first half of 2006, Iraq implemented a restructuring of about $20 billion of commercial debt claims on terms comparable to that of its November 2004 Paris Club agreement (i.e. with an 80% writeoff). Iraq offered to its larger claimants a U.S. dollar denominated bond maturing in 2028. Smaller commercial claimants received a cash settlement of comparable value.

Reconstruction[]

Main article: Reconstruction of Iraq

Demographics[]

Main article: Demography of Iraq

An April 2008 estimate of the total Iraqi population is 28,221,181.^[13]

Seventy-five to eighty percent of Iraq's population are Arabs; the other major ethnic groups are the Kurds at 15-20%,^[14] Assyrians, Iraqi Turkmen and others (5%),^[15] who mostly live in the north and northeast of the country. Other distinct groups are Persians and Armenians. About 20,000 ^[16] Marsh Arabs live in southern Iraq.

Arabic and Kurdish are official languages. Assyrian and Turkmen are official languages in areas where the Assyrians and Iraqi Turkmen are located respectively. Armenian and Persian are also spoken but to a lesser extent. English is the most commonly spoken Western language.

Religious composition includes:

• Muslim, 97%; Christian or other, 3%.^[17]

There are no official figures available, mainly due to the highly politically charged nature of the subject. Two estimates of the Muslim proportions of the population are:

• Shi'a as much as 60%, Sunni about 40% (source: Britannica, Religion section of Iraq article).

Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37% (source: CIA World Fact Book).

The Shi'a are mostly Arabs, some are Turkmen and Faili Kurds, and almost all are Twelver school. Sunnis are composed of Arabs, Turkmen who are Hanafi school and Kurds who are Shafi school.

According to most western sources the majority of Iraqis are Shi'ite Arab Muslims (around 60%), and Sunnis represent about 40% of the population made up of Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen. Sunnis hotly dispute these figures, including an ex-Iraqi Ambassador,^[18] referring to American sources.^[19] They claim that many reports or sources only include Arab Sunnis as 'Sunni', missing out the Kurdish and Turkmen Sunnis.

Ethnic Assyrians (most of whom are adherents of the Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church and the Assyrian Church of the East) account for most of Iraq's Christian population, along with Armenians. Bahá'ís, Estimates for the numbers of Christians suggest a decline from 8-10% 60 years ago to 5% at the turn of the century to 3% in 2008. About 600,000 have fled to Syria, Iraq or other countries or relocated to Kurdish controlled areas. Mandaeans, Shabaks, and Yezidis also exist. Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims, although the Faili (Feyli) Kurds are largely Shi'a.

As of November 4, 2006, the UNHCR estimated that 1.8 million Iraqis had been displaced to neighboring countries, and 1.6 million were displaced internally, with nearly 100,000 Iraqis fleeing to Syria and Jordan each month.^[20] A May 25 2007 article notes that in the past seven months only 69 people from Iraq have been granted refugee status in the United States.^[21]

Culture[]

Main article: Culture of Iraq

In the most recent millennium, what is now Iraq has been made up of five cultural areas: Kurdish in the north centered on Arbil, Sunni Islamic Arabs in the center around Baghdad, Shi'a Islamic Arabs in the south centered on Basra, the Assyrians, a Christian people, living in various cities in the north, and the Marsh Arabs, a nomadic people, who live on the marshlands of the central river. There are also the Bedouin tribes primarily in southern and western Iraq, with smaller groups scattered throughout the country. Markets and bartering are the common form of trade.

Music[]

Main article: Music of Iraq

Iraq is known primarily for an instrument called the oud (similar to a lute) and a rebab (similar to a fiddle); its stars include Ahmed Mukhtar and the Assyrian Munir Bashir. Until the fall of Saddam Hussein, the most popular radio station was the Voice of Youth. It played a mix of western rock, hip hop and pop music, all of which had to be imported via Jordan due to international economic sanctions. Iraq has also produced a major pan-Arab pop star-in-exile in Kathem Al Saher, whose songs include Ladghat E-Hayya, which was banned for its racy lyrics.

Cuisine[]

Main article Cuisine of Iraq

The Iraqi cuisine is generally a heavy cuisine with more spices than most Arab cuisines. Iraq's main food crops include wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, and dates. Vegetables include eggplant, okra, potatoes, and tomatoes. Beans such as chickpeas and lentils are also quite common. Common meats in Iraqi cooking are lamb and beef; fish and poultry are also used. Soups and stews are often prepared and served with rice and vegetables. Although Iraq is not a coastal area, the population is used to consuming fish, however, freshwater fish is more common than saltwater fish. Masgouf is one of the most popular dishes. Biryani although influenced by the Indian cuisine, is much milder with a different mixture of spices and a wider variety of vegetables including potatoes, peas, carrots and onions among others. Dolma is also one of the popular dishes. The Iraqi cuisine is famous for its extremely tender kabab as well as its tikka. A wide verity of spices pickles and Amba are also extensively used.

Sport[]

Main article: Sport in Iraq

Background[]

• LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- The International Olympic Committee ruled Tuesday that Iraq could participate in the Beijing games, reversing itself after the government pledged to ensure the independence of its national Olympics panel.

The decision followed last-minute talks between Iraqi officials and the IOC in Lausanne, Switzerland, before a Wednesday deadline to submit competitors' names for the athletics events and 10 days before the opening ceremony in Beijing.

Iraq's National Olympic Committee was dissolved by the Baghdad government in May 2008, prompting the IOC to suspend the Mideast country from the Olympics for political interference.

The IOC had insisted the old committee be reinstated even though four members were kidnapped two years ago. Their fates remain unknown.

A compromise was worked out after mediators from Germany and China became involved in talks.

Iraq is expected to send two athletes to Beijing. Five other hopefuls in archery, judo, rowing and weightlifting lost their chance to compete when a deadline to select teams for other sports passed with no break in the stalemate.

• As of June 2008, it is unclear if any Iraqi athletes would be able to compete in the Beijing Olympics Games.

• • The IOC won't recognize the interim committee appointed by the Iraqi government.

News[]

• Iraq comes to IOC to save place in Olympics - 07/28/08 - LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- Senior Iraqi government officials will meet with the International Olympic Committee in early August to try to salvage the country's participation in the 2008 Olympics.

• IOC suspends Iraq's Olympic committee - 06/04/08 - ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The IOC provisionally has suspended Iraq's national Olympic committee.

• • The Iraqi government's recent dissolution of the national body. The International Olympic Committee says the move was political interference and a clear breach of the national body's autonomy.

It called on the government to analyze the situation and find "appropriate solutions."

The IOC said it will look for ways to help Iraqi athletes, but the task will be "very difficult."

• Colors:
• Flag:
• Time zone:
• Natural wonders:

External Links[]

• Wikipedia:Iraq
• http://www.un.org/members/list.shtml
• http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/index_uk.asp

Insights[]

Details[]

Languages[]

Simple Slogans Editor's Tips[]

• Hello =
• Thank you =
• News =
• Sports =
• Athlete =

Regional Slogans Editor's Tip[]

People[]

• Population in year =

Heros[]

Sporting Stars[]

Goalkeeper elected to head Iraqi Olympic committee 04/04/09 - Sports officials in Iraq (also known as IRQ) elected a retired goalkeeper to head the country's new National Olympic Committee in April 2009, bringing an end to a drama that nearly prevented the country from competing in last summer's Beijing Games.

Cultural Stars[]

This article is a stub. You can help A for Athlete by expanding it.

A for Athlete[]

• • Tips

Friends[]

Leads[]

Schools[]

Olympics[]

Beijing 2008 Olympics[]

• Iraqis thrilled over lifting of Olympic ban - 07/30/08 - Iraqis were relieved Wednesday after the International Olympic Committee revoked a ban on their country's participation in the 2008 Olympics, allowing four of the original seven athletes to compete in Beijing.

• 2 track and field athletes
• International Rowing Federation announced that the Iraq men's rowing double will participate.

"We called the IOC and asked if we could have the rowers back and the answer just came through. We're very happy," said Matt Smith, the rowing federation's executive director. "No one is kicked out."

The two rowers, Haidar Nozad and Hamzah Hussein Jebur, were allowed back in the men's double sculls because their places had not been given to competitors from other countries, Smith said.

"We were overwhelmed with pleasure over the news," Jebur said.

Dezso Dobor, a spokesman for the International Weightlifting Federation, said an Iraqi competitor might be placed on standby should an athlete from another country drop out.

Ali Adnan, an Iraqi athlete in archery, might compete.

"If someone withdraws from the competition for whatever reason, then Ali will be the first person to get the place," said Tom Dielen, secretary-general of the International Archery Federation.

Iraq has only one bronze medal since its first appearance at the Summer Olympics in 1948.

But in a country where violence has claimed the lives athletes, coaches and staff, the IOC's rescinding of the ban amounted to an invaluable gift.

"Yesterday's decision is an upbeat one. ... It brought Iraq back to the international sports gathering," said Dr. Talib Faisal, head of the Iraqi Track and Field Association. "We are looking forward to take part in the Olympics."

"We hope that there will be no more black days for the Iraqi sports," said Samir Sadiq al-Moussawi, head of the Iraqi Judo Association in July 2008.

Pere Miro, head of the IOC's department for relations with national Olympic committees, said in July that Iraq's national Olympic Committee will hold "fair elections" before the end of November, 2008. Until then, Iraq's Olympic organization will be run by an interim committee proposed by its national sports federations and approved by the IOC, Miro said.

Summary[]

Past Olympic Memories[]

Sport in Society[]

School sports[]

Physical Education[]

University sports[]

Fitness[]

Games[]

Play[]

Media[]

Newspapers[]

TV, video, cinema[]

Radio and Podcasts[]

Wikis[]

Blogs[]

Discussions, forums, newsgroups[]

Open Source[]

Places[]

Sporting sites[]

Urban[]

Rural[]

Nature[]

Communities, Villages[]

Business[]

Wikinomics[]

• Editor tips

Buzz[]

• Tell us what's hot.

Brands[]

Global brands

Sports sponsors[]

Imports[]

Exports[]

Sweatshops[]

• Editors tips on sweatshops

Government[]

Diplomats and Embassy Notes[]

Friction[]

Rivals[]

• Test matches against foes are more intense.

History[]

Travel[]

Destinations[]

• Don't miss spaces:

Photos[]

Locals travel to:[]

Visitors from abroad often include:[]

Travel accounts[]

Music[]

Notes and pointers to tunes.

Dates[]

Holidays[]

Sporting Festivals[]