IRAQ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

IRAQ - Essay Example It has a  span  of 437,072 km2. The Northern part is mountainous with the highest point being Cheekah Dar, which is 3,611m. Idaho is half its’ size. The capital city of Iraq is Baghdad other cities include; Mosul,  Basrah, Kirkuk,  Erbil  and  Sulaymaniyah.  Iraq’s  terrain  is characterised  by  broad  plains, reedy marshes in the south and mountainous  landscape  in the north.  It  ismostly  dry  and  hot  since it is a desert. The Iraq’s total population as at April 2009  was estimated  to be 31.2 million. According to Central Intelligence Agency, 75% of the Iraq population comprises of Arabs. This  is followed  by Kurds who are 15-20%, and while others include only 5% (Cotter, 2011). Iraq has a federal government that defined by the constitution as Islamic, federal, democratic, and  parliamentary  and republic (Cotter, 2011). This government has three branches, the executive, judiciary and legislature. The government has  many  independent  commissions. There are areas in Iraq that has governorates apart from the federal government. Some districts have jurisdiction regarding some  lawful  matters. The governorates in Iraq are eighteen and  are divided  into districts. Iraqi Kurdistan is a  region  that  is legally defined  having quasi-official militia and its own government. In 2005, Iraq passed a new constitution by 78% majority voting in favour of it. The new constitution got greatest  support  from Shia and Kurdish communities (Cotter, 2011). Oil is the greatest contributor to Iraq’s economy. It provides most of the foreign exchange earnings to Iraq. The economy of Iraq suffered  extensive  losses due to the war and lost close to US$100 billion. After the war, oil exports have tremendously increased new pipelines  were constructed, and damaged facilities restored. Low oil prices, costs of construction and war debts repayments made Iraq suffer  immense  financial crisis (Tripp, 2007). Iraq got a debt relief that was to be