Interesting Facts On Iraq

This post is specially made for the people of Iraq and interested people of the world who wants to know more important facts about country Iraq. So, stay in touch for more general knowledge.

• The official name of Iraq is the ‘Republic of Iraq’.
• The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish, but Turkoman, Assyrian and Armenian are also widely spoken there.
• Majority of the population in Iraq comprises of Shiite and Sunni Muslims, followed by Christians.
• Arabs, Kurdish, Turkomans and Assyrians comprise of the main ethnic groups of Iraq.
• The currency of Iraq is Iraqi Dinar.
• The capital of Iraq is Baghdad.
• Iraq follows the system of ‘Parliamentary Republic’.
• Baghdad, the capital city of Iraq, dates back to the time of the ancient Mesopotamia.
• The region between Tigris and Euphrates rivers is known to be the ‘cradle of civilization’ and the ‘birthplace of writing’.
• The highest point in Iraq is formed by Haji Ibrahim (3600 m).
• It is believed that Sumer, situated in Southern Mesopotamia, was one of the first civilizations of the world.
• Eridu (Abu Shahrain), a Sumerian settlement, is believed to be inhabited since 5000 BC, making it one of the earliest cities of the world.
• Abraham, believed to be the father of Jewish and Arab people, is said to have been born in Ur, in Sumer.
• Satellite images of northern Iraq and Syria show evidence of major roads used over four thousand years ago.
• The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, situated in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II in Iraq, were one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
• Alexander the Great died in Babylon.
• Jabir Ibn Haiyan, said to be the founder of chemistry, was a doctor and alchemist in Iraq, during Middle Ages.
• Iraq came under the direct rule of the Ottoman Empire in 1831 and the rule lasted till 1919, the end of First World War.
• The end of First World War saw Britain taking control of Iraq, under a League of Nations mandate.
• Iraq gained independence from British in 1932 and became a republic in 1958.
• Noah’s ark is believed to have been built in Iraq.
• Saddam Hussein took over as the President of Iraq in 1979.
• In 1980, Iraq declared war on Iran, which lasted for eight years.
• Iraq annexed Kuwait in August 1990. After the country’s refusal to obey a UN resolution to leave the country, an international military campaign, Operation Desert Storm, forced Iraqi troops out of Kuwait.
• US and British armies invaded Iraq in March 2003, mainly on the premise of existence of ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ in the country.
• Elections were held in Iraq in February 2005, which were won by a group dominated by Shi'a Muslim candidates.
• Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the "writing on the wall" in Iraq.
• Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq.
• Presently, Kurdistan is the only legally defined region within Iraq, with its own government and quasi-official militia, the Peshmerga.
• Iraq is divided into eighteen governorates (or provinces), which are further subdivided into districts (or qadhas).

Interesting Facts On Iran

This post is specially made for the people of Iran and interested people of the world who wants to know more important facts about country Iran. So, stay in touch for more general knowledge.

• The official name of the country is ‘Islamic Republic of Iran’.
• The currency of Iran is Iranian Rial.
• Iran has about 66 million people equal to the population of California + Texas and Tennessee. It’s number 18 on the list of countries in the world by population between Turkey and France. Two-thirds of all Iranians are under the age of 25.
• Iran is # 18 in size of countries between Libya and Mongolia and equal to the size of Alaska. Or equal to Texas + New Mexico + Oklahoma + Kansas + Colorado.
• Iran‘s neighbors are Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km, Azerbaijan-proper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq 1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km. (1.62Km = 1 mile).
• Iran was formerly known as Persia.
• Iran‘s history dates back to 4000BC.
• Iran is second in the world in natural gas AND oil reserves. It is OPEC’s second largest oil exporter.
• Iran‘s second largest export commodity is carpets.
• Iran is made up of Persians (51%), Azeris (24%), Gilaki and Mazandarani (8%), Kurds (7%), Arabs (3%), Baluchi (2%), Lurs (2%), Turkmens (2%), Laks, Qashqai, Armenians, Persian Jews, Georgians, Assyrians, Circassians, Tats, Mandaeans, Gypsies, Brahuis, Hazara, Kazakhs and others (1%).
• Almost nine in 10 Iranians belong to the Twelver Shi’a branch of Islam. Eight percent are Sunni.
• Iran suffers from air pollution, deforestation, overgrazing, oil pollution in the Persian Gulf, drought, soil degradation and water pollution from raw sewage.
• Three of four Iranians over 15 can read and write.
• Unemployment in Iran is about 12%.
• Iran‘s top export partners are – China 15%, Japan 14.3%, Turkey 7.4%, South Korea 7.3%, Italy 6.4%.
• Iran‘s top import partners are – China 14.2%, Germany 9.6%, UAE 9.1%, South Korea 6.3%, Russia 5.7%, Italy 5%.
• There is one telephone for every three Iranians and one mobile phone for every two. One in three Iranians are online.
• Iran has 331 airports. Six are international.
• Iran is on the soon-to-be ex-president’s ‘dirt’ list – the axis of evil.
• There are at three Iranian English Dailies - Tehran Times, Iran Daily and Iran News.
• The word Iran means the ‘Land of the Aryan’s.
• The largest desert in Iran is Dasht - e - Kavir.
• Iran ranks seventh among countries in the world as regards number of World Heritage Sites recognized by UNESCO.
• It snows in Tehran like it does in Denver.
• Iran has crocodiles. It’s tigers were hunted to extinc¬tion 50 years ago. But still has the only Asi¬atic cheetah.
• Persian (Farsi) is still spo¬ken in Tajikestan and Afghanistan. It was the offi¬cial court lan¬guage of India for 200 years.
• Famous biblical people buried in Iran: Queen Esther, Daniel, Cyrus The Great, Dar¬ius The Great, St. Thaddeus.
• Alexander’s wife, Roxanne, was an Iranian. “Roshanak” in Farsi.
• Iran’s constitution and Parliament were created on Aug 5th, 1906.
• Iran is the only country to have purchased F-14 Tomcats from US.

Interesting Facts On Afghanistan

This post is specially made for the people of Afghanistan and interested people of the world who wants to know more important facts about country Afghanistan. So, stay in touch for more general knowledge.

• The official name of Afghanistan is Islamic State of Afghanistan.
• The official currency of Afghanistan is Afghani.
• The New Year in Afghanistan, called Nawroz, is celebrated on 21 March which is the first day of spring.
• The largest city in Afghanistan is Kabul, the capital.
• Afghanistan is a landlocked country sharing borders with Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and China.
• Poetry is a big part of Afghans' culture and it has been for centuries. In the city of Herat, women, men and children gather on Thursday night to share verses from old and new poetry.
• The people of Afghanistan are called Afghans and not Afghanis which is the currency. A common mistake that happens among people.
• The official language of Afghanistan is Dari and Pashto. They speak several other languages as well such as Persian, Uzbek and Turkmen to name a few.
• Afghanistan's main source of income comes from agriculture. They produce large amounts of crops that are enough to provide for the people and export as well. They plant vegetables, fruits, rice and nuts.
• Afghanistan is also rich in natural resources with the main ones being natural gas and oil.
• Afghanistan's national game is called Buzkashi, or in other words, goat-grabbing. It's a sport where the players in two teams try to catch a goat while riding on a horse. It has been played for centuries and it even got sponsors for it nowadays.
• Afghanistan celebrates its independence on August 19th from Britain. Afghanistan wasn't actually part of the British Colony. However, they went into war three times until Afghanistan declared its independence in 1919.
• Afghanistan is a Muslim state; almost 99% of the population is Muslim. The remaining 1% of the population comprises Sikhs, Hindus, and Jews.
• The government of Afghanistan is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. It is an Islamic republic.
• The geographic coordinates of Afghanistan are 29 39N, 60 75E. It is the 41st largest country in the world and is the 42nd most populous country in the world.
• The modern state of Afghanistan was founded by Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747.
• The highest mountain range of Afghanistan is Hindu Kush, which rises above 18,000 feet.
• Gudiparan Bazi or Kite Flying is another popular sport in Afghanistan.
• Opium is the fastest and largest growing crop in Afghanistan.
• The highest point in the country is formed by Nowshak, which is situated at 7,485 m (24,557 ft) above sea level.
• The endorheic Sistan Basin in Afghanistan is regarded as one of the driest regions in the world.
• In Afghanistan, the meal is incomplete without ‘naan,’ which is a flat, unleavened bread.
• Very few people in Afghanistan (around 1.5% of the population) have internet access.
• Like Americans, Afghans drive on the right hand side of the road.
• Afghanistan has very hot summers and very cold winters.