Iraq - download georeferenced map set

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Iraq is a country in south-western Asia. It lies in the western part of Asia and occupies mostly the Mesopotamian Plain. Iraq borders on Turkey in the north, Iran in the east, Jordan and Syria in the west and Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in the south; in the extreme south-east, the country has access to the Persian Gulf. Iraq occupies an area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The total area of the country is 438.300 sq km.

Relief. Iraq's territory is divided into four major natural areas: the mountainous north and the northeast; the upper Padanaram (the Al-Jazeera Plain); the alluvial plains of the Lower Mesopotamia; and the desert plateaux of the south-west. The Rawanduz Valley with the mountain pass of Shinek forms a separate area. The hilly plain of Al-Jazeera is situated in the interfluve area between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers, north of the city of Samarra (on the Tigris River) and Hit (on the Euphrates River), and rises about 100 to 450 m above the sea level in the northerly direction. The Lower Mesopotamia stretches to the south-east up to the Persian Gulf and is 500 km long, covering an area of 120,000 sq km.

Mountains. The mountainous area is located to the east of the Tigris valley. The northern mountains are the spurs of the Eastern Taurus, while the north-eastern mountains are the spurs of the Zagros. The surface of the area gradually rises to 500 up to 2,000 m from the Tigris valley north-eastward. Some mountain massifs rise to 2,000 m, while the peaks in the border zone reach over 3000 m. Here, on the Iranian border, the nameless highest peak of the country is situated (3,607 m high).

The Makhul and the Hamrin ranges (with the highest summit of 526 m) that extend in the east, while in the northwest lie the Sinjar Mountains, a higher mountain range (the highest peak is Mount Shelmira, 1,460 m).

Rivers. The Tigris and the Euphrates are the most full-flowing rivers across all of the Middle East. The Euphrates starts at the confluence of the Karasu and the Murat Rivers. The length of the Euphrates is about 3,060 km. The Tigris River, 1,850 km, has its origin in Lake Khazar in the Armenian highlands of Turkey and runs through the territory of Iraq for nearly 1,500 km. Throughout the Mesopotamian plain, the width of the river bed varies from 120 to 400 meters and has a depth of 1.5 to several meters. The Tigris has large tributaries such as the Big and the Little Zab, the Diyala, the Kerhe and the El-Uzaim. When merging with the Euphrates, the Tigris forms a large stream called the Shatt al-Arab, 190 km long, which flows into the Persian Gulf.

Lakes. In the Lower Mesopotamia, there are such lakes as El-Milh, Al-Hammar, Al-Saadi and Al-Habbaniah.

Sightseeing. Iraq is a country with an ancient culture, rich in historical and architectural monuments.

Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, which has the Mosque of Al-Khadimiya, the so-called Golden Mosque (the 16th century), where the seventh imam Musa al-Kadim was buried by the Shiites.

A few kilometers from Baghdad, you can see the majestic ruins of Ctesiphon, the capital of Iran under the Sassanids.

Babylon is the most popular historical and architectural attraction. The famous tower of Babel is a seven-tier ziggurat, a palace and a fortress, which was adjoined by the Hanging Gardens of Semiramis built on its terraces. 15 kilometers south of Babylon lie the ruins of the city of Borsippa.

The city of Basra (Bassora, founded in the 7th century AD) lies in the south-east of the country and it is the second largest city of Iraq.

The city of Erbil (Arbil, Hauler or Hevler) is the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The city of Kirkuk (Kerkuk) is situated in northern Iraq, between the Zagros Mountains and the Hamrin, 250 km north of Baghdad. This is the most ancient city of the region because it stands in the place of the capital of Arrafa, or Arafha.

Climate. Iraq's climate is subtropical mediterranean with hot dry summers and warm wet winters. Two seasons are most distinct - long hot summers (May to October) and short, cool and sometimes cold winters (December - March). The average July temperature is 32°C to 35°C, while the average January temperature is from +10°C to 13°C. Rainfalls are most common in winter (December to January). The average annual precipitation is 180 mm in Baghdad, about 100 mm in the south-west and 160 mm in Basra.