1.  IRAQ Mr. Rochford November 2015

2. Do Now – Nov. 10, 2015  Students are to go to Mr. Rochford’s teacher page and go to the Helpful Resources Tab.  Students are to download “Iraq- 11/10/15” presentation and open it.  Once the presentation is opened students are to sit quietly and wait for the teacher to begin.

3. Iraq  Iraq lies at the head of the Persian Gulf and north of the Arabian Peninsula.  Some of the world’s oldest civilizations developed there between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in an area called Mesopotamia.  As a nation, modern Iraq has been in existence since the early 1900’s.

4. Iraq

5. The Land  The Tigris and Euphrates rivers are the major geographic features of Iraq.  They flow through Iraq’s northern highlands and central plain before joining to enter the Persian Gulf.  The capital of Iraq is Baghdad (Pop. 9.5 Million)

6. Climate Map - Iraq

7. The Economy Iraq’s economy is based on oil and agriculture. Oil is Iraq’s major export. Iraq has the second most oil reserves in the world behind Saudi Arabia. Manufacturing – food products, cloth, soap, and leather goods.

8. Economy - Farming  Most farming in Iraq takes place near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.  The plain between the rivers is called an Alluvial Plain, because it is built up by rich fertile soil left by river floods.  Iraq’s farmers grow crops such as barley, grapes, melons, citrus fruits and wheat.

9. Iraq- The People

10. Iraq – The People  Population: Approx. 37 Million People  Religion: Iraq is about 95% Islamic  Government: Federal Parliamentary Republic (Democratic – three branches)  Language: Arabic is the most popular language. Kurdish is spoken by a small amount of the population.

11. Past & Present  Throughout the centuries many empires have risen and fallen on the Tigris- Euphrates plain.  From AD 700’s-1200’s – Baghdad was the center of a large Muslim empire that made many advances in the arts and sciences.

12. Past & Present  In 1990, Iraqi armies invaded Kuwait, Iraq’s southern neighbor.  In 1991, a United Nations (UN) forced led by the United States (US) launched air and missile attacks on Iraq and its forces in Kuwait – this was known as the Persian Gulf War.  In 2003, The US and its allies invaded Iraq seeking weapons of mass destruction.

13. What do we know about Iraq?  Students are to complete the following Google Forms Questions on Iraq for homework:  http://goo.gl/forms/gsD6L9MnfS