Iraq: A Country On The Rise Essay -- essays research papers

Iraq: A Country on the Rise   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Iraq is a country that is on the rise. After being crushed by allied troops for their invasion of Kuwait, they have begun the slow rebuilding process. In this report, I will discuss the basic geographic features of Iraq, and other various important features such as mineral wealth, vegetation, ect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Iraq's total area is 271,128 square miles (just slightly more than twice the size of Idaho). It's capital, Baghdad, is located at 33.20 north longitude, 44.24 east latitude. It's boundaries are 2,222 miles long. With 906 miles bordering Iran, 83 miles bordering Jordan, 149 miles bordering Kuwait, 502 miles bordering Saudi Arabia, 376 miles bordering Turkey, and a coastline 36 miles long. The terrain in Iraq is mostly broad plains, with reedy marshes in the southeast, mountains along toe borders with Iran and Turkey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Climate in Iraq is most desert, with mild to cool winters and dry, hot cloudless summers. The northernmost regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters and occasional heavy snows. Iraq has few natural resources, consisting of Crude oil, natural gas, various phosphates, and sulfur. Their maritime (ocean) clams are just the continental shelf on their coastline, and twelve nautical miles beyond that.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Iraq and Iran have just recently restored diplomatic relations in the year 1990, but are still trying to work out written agreements settling their disputes from their eight-year war concerning definite borders, prisoners-of-war, and freedom of navigation and sovereignty over the Shatt-al-Arab waterway. In April of 1991, Iraq officially accepted the UN Security Council's Resolution 687, which states that Iraq accepts the boundaries that were set in it's 1963 agreement with Kuwait, and ending all claims to the Bubiyan and Warbah Islands, and all claims to Kuwait. On June 17, 1992, the UN Security council reaffirmed the finality of the Boundary Demarcation Commission's decisions. Disputes also occur with Syria about water rights on the Euphrates, and a potential dispute with Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates river.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Iraq has some environmental problems, consisting of air and water pollution, soil degradation (caused by saliniza... ... had better not. The Department of State warns all US citizens against traveling to Iraq. Conditions within the country remain unsettled and dangerous. The US does not maintain diplomatic relations with Iraq, and cannot provide normal consular protective services to US citizens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A passport and visa are required to travel to Iraq (along with an AIDS test if you are planning to stay longer than 5 days). Since 1991, US passports are not valid for travel in, to, or through Iraq without authorization from the Department of state. An adapter is necessary to use Iraqi electrical outlets. Although Iraq does not have an embassy in the US, it does have an interest section in the Algerian Embassy in Washington, DC. Iraqi nation holidays are the following: New Years Day-Jan. 1, Iraqi Army Day-Jan. 6, Id al-Fitr-Apr. 16, Id al-Adha-Jun. 21, 1958 Revolution-Jul. 14, 1968 Revolution-Jul. 17,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Iraq may have it's problems now, it is a country on the rise. It's economy is stabilizing. and it's government is in the process of working it bugs out. Some day, Iraq may be one of the world's superpowers, just like the US.