What Makes Iraq So Special?
1. Iraq is one of the most culturally diverse nations in the Middle East. Iraq is home to Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Assyrians, Mandaeans, and Armenians, among others.
2. Only Israel is mentioned more in the world's most famous book than Iraq.
3. According to the legend and some ancient evidence found by experts and historians, the Biblical Garden of Eden was located in the country millions of years ago. Biblical characters such as Abraham and Rebekah were also from Iraq, Rebekah coming from Nahor, and Abraham coming from Ur, both of which were regions in Iraq.
4. A prosperous New Year's Day is celebrated in the first month of the Muslim calendar, which is known as Muharram in their language. The second New Year's Day is celebrated on the Gregorian calendar and is widely used worldwide.
5. After decades of prosperity, why is Iraq poor?
Iraq has been unable to become a more prosperous nation due to the failure to rebuild, high unemployment, and violent conflict against ISIS. In addition to systemic corruption, the Iraqi government has not taken action to combat the country's ever-increasing poverty epidemic.
The spillover of civil wars and counterinsurgencies in neighboring countries has also affected Iraq, particularly in some remote areas. In recent years, Iran and Turkey both launched missile strikes or armed incursions against the Iraqi opposition forces. Iraq is also suffering from drought caused by changes in climate patterns.
6. Iraq is rich in what?
On average, Iraq earns $8 to $10 million US dollars in oil revenue each month, making it the second-largest oil producer in OPEC. The country is also believed to contain tons of gold and untapped oil. Approximately 85% of the country's annual revenue is generated by oil.
Foods in Iraq
Several ancient Iraqi monuments that date back to the Babylonians contain recipes for preparing food in temples during religious holidays in Iraqi cuisine.
Iraqi food today is largely influenced by Persian and Turkish cuisine due to the Ottoman Empire's influence on that region. Go here to see and read about Iraq's most famous food dishes.
