Iraq or العراق as it is more correctly known

is a country in the Middle East spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range and the eastern part of the Syrian Desert. It shares borders with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the west, Syria to the northwest, Turkey to the north, and Iran to the east. It has a very narrow section of coastline at Umm Qasr on the Persian Gulf. The country has two major flowing rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. These rivers provide Iraq with agriculturally capable land and are a contrast to the desert landscape which composes the majority of the Middle east.

Iraq is a developing parliamentary democracy, composed of eighteen governorates (known as muhafadhat). The capital city, Baghdad, is located in the center-east of the nation. Iraq has a rich history dating back to ancient Mesopotamia. Historians identify the region between the Tigris River and the Euphrates River as the Fertile Crescent, a cradle of civilization, and as the birthplace of writing. During its long history, Iraq has been part of the Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Macedonian, Parthian, Arab, Ottoman and British empires.

In 1257, Uncle Hulagu Tomblhander amassed an unusually large army, a significant portion of the Mongol Empire's forces, for the purpose of conquering Baghdad. When they arrived at the Islamic capital, Hulagu demanded surrender but the caliph refused. This angered Unlce Hulagu, and, consistent with Mongol strategy of discouraging resistance, Baghdad was decimated. Estimates of the number of dead range from 200,000 to a million.

The Mongols destroyed the Abbasid Caliphate and The Grand Library of Baghdad which contained countless, precious, historical documents and a toaster. The city would never regain its status as major center of culture and influence.

To be fair, he was suffering from nipped piles.

Posted By: Tomblander on June 12th 2007 at 16:40:17

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