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Arab Culture & Civilization
Explore this exemplary library of articles and resources on Arab societies and culture. This site was originally created by the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education (NITLE).
Since March of 2003, and the overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein, Iraq has been occupied by a coalition lead by the United States. Although Iraq has a President, Prime Minister and elected legislature, the U.S. military continues to be the real political power in the country. More than 4,000 Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraq citizens have died in the sectarian violence, acts of terrorism and coalition military actions since 2003.
Iraq is a young country – 40 percent of the population is 14 years of age and under. And although the country had vast oil reserves, the violence in Iraq over the past five years had lead to large sectors of the country – particularly the young - being unemployed, which has often played into the hands of terrorists or those wishing to stoke sectarian violence. Slowly Iraq is beginning to take over its own affairs, although this had lead to some friction with the US. Reducing rampant corruption, implementing structural reforms, such as bank restructuring, developing the private sector and creating an equitable split of oil revenue between Iraq’s various ethic communities will be key to Iraq's economic success. Meanwhile, finding a balance between Iraq’s various religious communities will be the key to political developments.
Population: estimated at 22,675,617 in July of 2000, an increase of 4.675 million from the 1980 population of 18 million.
Education: Six years of compulsory primary education have been in effect since 1978. Primary schools provide a six-year course, at the end of which the student must pass an examination to be admitted to secondary school. The curriculum is based on Western patterns but also includes religious teaching. The language of instruction is Arabic. Secondary schools have a three-year intermediate course, followed by a two-year course in preparation for entrance to college. A national examination must be passed at its end. Secondary education for girls dates from 1929. Traditional Quranic schools are nearly extinct. Education at all levels from primary to higher education is free, and no private schools are permitted to operate. There are seven universities in Iraq, four of them in Baghdad. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Iraq-EDUCATION.html
Health: There are many well-trained Iraqi physicians; however, their effectiveness is limited by a lack of trained nursing and paramedical staff. Between 1985 and 95, 93% of the population had access to health care services. Private hospitals are allowed to operate in Baghdad and other major cities. Considerable effort has been made to expand medical facilities to small towns and more remote areas of the country, but these efforts have been hampered by a lack of transportation and a desire of medical personnel to live and work in Baghdad and the major cities. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Iraq-HEALTH.html
Ethnic Groups: Arabs constitute about 75–80% of the total population. The Kurds, an Islamic non-Arab people, are the largest and most important minority group, constituting about 15–20%. A seminomadic pastoral people, the Kurds live in the northeastern Zagros Mountains, mostly in isolated villages in the mountain valleys near Turkey and Iran. Kurdish opposition to Iraqi political dominance has occasioned violent clashes with government forces. Other minorities (5%) include Turkomans, living in the northeast; Yazidis, mostly in the Sinjar Mountains; Assyrians, mainly in the cities and northeastern rural areas; and Armenians. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Iraq-ETHNIC-GROUPS.html
Religion: Islam is the national religion of Iraq, adhered to by some 97% of the population according to a 1997 census. About 60–65% of Muslims belong to the Shi'a sect and 32–37% to the Sunni sect. About 3% of the population are adherents to Christianity and other religions. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Iraq-RELIGIONS.html
Population The population of Iraq is the fifth largest in the Middle East and North Africa. The population was estimated at 22,675,617 in July of 2000, an increase of 4.675 million from the 1980 population of 18 million. In 2000, Iraq's birth rate stood at 35.04 per 1,000, while the death rate was reported at 6.4 per 1,000. With a projected growth rate of 2 percent between 2000 and 2015, the population is expected to reach 38 million by the year 2030.
Some 97 percent of the population is Muslims. Shi'ite Muslims make up the majority (60-65 percent), while Sunnis comprise 32-37 percent of Muslims in the country. The remaining 3 percent is made up of Christians and other religious groups. The Kurds, descendants of Indo-European tribes who settled in Iraq in the 2nd century B.C., make up 15-20 percent of the population. Arabic is the official language, but Kurdish, Assyrian, and Armenian are also spoken.
Iraq's population growth has increased since 1993, despite the exodus of the middle class as a result of the Gulf War and the adverse effects of the United Nations (UN) economic sanctions imposed since 1991. Population growth before the 1991 Gulf War was as high as 3.6 percent annually. The government has strongly encouraged population growth. With a high fertility rate and a relatively young population, 45 percent of which is under 15 years of age, population growth is expected to remain high. Population growth dropped significantly to 1.9 percent in 1993 but resumed in recent years, with the growth rate reaching 2.98 percent in 1998. This rate suggests that the emigration of the middle class has slowed. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also estimates that the effects of the UN sanctions have begun to fade. An estimated 1 to 2 million Iraqis live abroad, many as political exiles. The large majority of these are concentrated in Iran, after having been forced to leave in the wake of the 1990-91 Gulf War.
As in many developing countries, a majority of Iraqis live in urban areas. The population of urban areas has grown significantly since the 1960s at a rate of 5.2 percent annually. Baghdad and its suburbs are home to some 31 percent of the population. Rural-urban migration has eroded some of the ethno-religious and linguistic differences between regions, with the exception of the Kurdish minority, which is concentrated in the north. Iraqi society is dominated by tribal and familial affiliations. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Iraq.html
This page on Iraq from the al-Bab website provides several pages with information about Iraqi culture, food, politics, economics, history, news, and travel.
This website provides information on the Iraqi culture. Topics include history, urbanism, food, economy, social structure, gender roles, government, marriage, arts, medicine, and religion.
The Pomegranate Gallery in New York City exhibits contemporary Iraqi artists. Its purpose is to promote serious artistic initiatives from the Middle East and create more awareness for Middle Eastern art.
This lesson focuses on the UN Sanctions that were imposed upon Iraq in 1990 and that ended with the recent war in Iraq. It is designed for use in multiple classroom contexts, offering students the opportunity to explore a heavily debated international relations tactic: sanctions.
Arabic