Iraq used to be part of the Ottaman Empire until 1932 when it became a kingdom. In 1958 was declared a 'Republic' and it has stayed the same since.

Although the modern state, the Republic of Iraq, is quite young, the history of the land and its people dates back more than 5,000 years. Iraq contains the world's richest known archaeological sites. In ancient Mesopotamia (the land between the rivers), the first civilization--that of Sumer-- appeared in the Near East. Despite the millennium separating the two epochs, Iraqi history displays a continuity shaped by adaptation to the ebbings and flowings of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (in Arabic, the Dijla and Furat, respectively). When the rivers were controlled by irrigation dikes and other waterworks, the land became extremely fertile.

During the last century Iraq was ruled by a number of military dictators, none worst than Saddam Hussain who still rules now. During his reign Iraq were involved with two devastating wars which cost Iraq dearly.

As a consequence of the second of the two wars (Gulf War), Iraq is now under UN trade sanctions which are causing more Iraqi lives to be lost directly or indirectly while not having any effects on the ruling Saddam regime.