Date of independence, or formation date: 1932
Date when current borders were established: 1990
National day: None
Vehicle country identifying code: IRQ
Time zone (hours plus or minus from GMT): +3
International telephone dialling code: +964
Internet country identifying code: .iq

Oil-rich Iraq is divided by the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. Mesopotamia, the region between them, saw the beginnings of writing and mathematics, and the invention of the wheel. While the river valleys are fertile, most of the country is inhospitable desert or mountains. The modern state encompasses Kurds in the north, Sunni Muslims largely in the center, and a Shi'a Muslim majority to the south. Saddam Hussein seized power in 1979 and maintained it through fear until his ouster in the rapid 2003 US-led invasion.

From "The Financial Times World Desk Reference" © Dorling Kindersley 2004