PEOPLE
Almost
75% of Iraq's population live in the flat, alluvial plain stretching
southeast toward Baghdad and Basrah to the Persian Gulf. The Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers carry about 70 million cubic meters of silt
annually to the delta. Known in ancient times as Mesopotamia,
the region is the legendary locale of the Garden of Eden. The
ruins of Ur, Babylon, and other ancient cities are in Iraq.
Iraq's
two largest ethnic groups are Arabs and Kurds. Other distinct
groups are Turkomans, Chaldeans, Assyrians, Persians, and Armenians.
Arabic is the most commonly spoken language. Kurdish is spoken
in the north, and English is the most commonly spoken Western
language.
The majority (60-65%) of Iraqi Muslims are members of the Shi'a sect, but there is a large (32-37%) Sunni population as well, made up of both Arabs and Kurds. Small communities of Christians, Jews, Bahais, Mandaeans, and Yezidis also exist. Most Kurds are Sunni Muslim but differ from their Arab neighbors in language, dress, and customs.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Iraqi(s).
Population (July 2007 est.): 27,499,638.
Population growth rate (2007 est.): 2.618%.
Ethnic groups: Arab 75%-80%, Kurd 15%-20%, Turcoman, Chaldean, Assyrian, or others less than 5%.
Religions: Muslim 97%, Christian 3%, others less than 1%.
Languages: Arabic (official), Kurdish (official), Assyrian, Armenian.
Education: Years compulsory--primary school (age 6 through grade 6). Literacy (2006 UNESCO est.)--74.1%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--47.04 deaths/1,000 live births. Life expectancy--69.3 yrs. (2007 est.)
