Located in Western Asia, Iraq, spans most of the northwestern end of the Zagros Mountains, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert. It shares borders with Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Iran.

Iraq was invaded in 2003 by a coalition led by the United States. Troops has remained in the country since then. On February 24, 2009, it was reported that President Barack Obama soon will announce the withdrawal of most troops. About 30,000 to 50,000 troops would remainuntil 2011, according to information given to the press by an anonymous government official.Fox News: Obama to Announce Iraq Withdrawals to be Completed in 19 Months (February 24, 2009)

On January 31, 2009, Iraqis across the country went to the polls to vote for provincial councils. High security measures were enacted prior to the elections, but no major acts of violence were reported. Approximately 7.5 million of 14 million registered voters cast a ballot.Reuters: Iraq election ends without major attack - ministry (January 31, 2009) KansasCity.com: Low turnout in Iraq's election reflects a disillusioned nation (February 1, 2009)

The leader of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, blamed the low voter turnout on a nationwide car ban, which made it difficult for some citizens to get to the polls. However, some citizens stated that they didn't get to vote, as they weren't on the list of registered voters. An official maintained that this was because they went to the wrong polling stations.KansasCity.com: Low turnout in Iraq's election reflects a disillusioned nation (February 1, 2009) Guardian: Iraq still collecting ballots from around country (February 2, 2009)

The site of ancient Mesopotamia, Iraq was the site of flourishing ancient civilizations, including the Sumerian, Babylonian, and Parthian cultures. Muslims conquered the area in the 7th century. In the 8th century, the Abassid Caliphate established its capital in Baghdad. It was the largest multicultural city of the Middle Ages, and was the center of learning during the Islamic Golden Age.

Iraq was a part of the Ottoman Empire until WWI when the British drove the Turks from most of the area. After the war Britain was granted a mandate over the area by the League of Nations. The current borders of the state were formed by combining three former Ottoman vilayets, or regions: Baghdad, Basra and the northern region of Mosul.

After gaining independence from Britain in 1932, Iraq was ruled by a reinstated Hashemite Monarchy until 1958, when it was overthrown by a coup d'etat known as the July 14 Revolution. Several regimes traded power until 1968, when the Baath Party came to power in a bloodless coup. The party gradually came under the control of Saddam Hussein, who acceded to the presidency and control of the Revolutionary Command Council in July 1979, while killing many of his opponents.

Saddam Hussein remained in power until the second Iraq War, which began in 2003. The war touched off an ongoing insurgency, now frequently referred to as a civil war between Iraq's Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims. On January 1, 2009, the US handed over control of the Green Zone to the Iraq government as part of an Iraq security pact between the two countries. The pact also stipulates a troop withdrawal timetable and gives the Iraqi government more autonomy over the safety, security and governance of the country.NY Times: Pact, Approved in Iraq, Sets Time for U.S. Pullout (November 17, 2008) On January 5, 2009, the US opened a new embassy in Iraq with the stated goal of helping to normalize relations.Reuters: US opens new Iraq embassy, moves to normalise ties (January 5, 2009)

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  Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"

• National Geographic: Iraq Maps, News, Pictures (2005)

• CNN: Map of Iraq

• World Atlas: Iraq

• Wikipedia: Geography of Iraq