Iraq is a country in Western Asia with a rich and complex history that stretches back thousands of years, often called the “cradle of civilisation” because it was home to ancient Mesopotamia, where writing, law, and early urban societies first emerged. Located at the crossroads of the Middle East, Iraq shares borders with Turkey, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria, and it has a small coastline along the Persian Gulf. Its two great rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, have long sustai