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 |
 | Republic of Iraq |
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 | Location: |
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait |
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 | Area: |
437,072 sq km |
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 | 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 |
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 | Terrain: |
mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey |
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 | Population: |
22,427,150 (July 1999 est.) |
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 | Religions: |
Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3% |
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 | Languages: |
Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian |
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 | Capital: |
Baghdad |
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