Iraq explained to kids

Iraq is a country in the Middle East. It is bordered by Kuwait to the south, Saudi Arabia to the south and west, Jordan to the west, Syria to the north, and Iran to the east. Baghdad is the capital of Iraq. The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish. The currency of Iraq is the Iraqi Dinar. The population of Iraq is 37,202,572 (2018 estimate), and the area of Iraq is 438,317 square kilometers. Iraq has a rich history. The first civilization in Iraq was the Sumerian civilization, which began around 4500 BC. The Sumerians built the first cities in the world, and developed the first writing system. Iraq was also the home of the Babylonian and Assyrian empires. The Babylonians built the city of Babylon, which was one of the largest and most beautiful cities in the ancient world. The Assyrians were a powerful empire who ruled over much of the Middle East. Iraq was conquered by the Persians in the 6th century BC, and later by the Arabs in the 7th century AD. Iraq was part of the Ottoman Empire from the 16th century until the 20th century. During the First World War, Iraq was occupied by the British. In 1932, Iraq became an independent country. During the Second World War, Iraq was an ally of the British. In 1958, Iraq joined with Syria and Egypt to form the United Arab Republic. Iraq was ruled by a dictatorship from 1968 until 2003. In 2003, Iraq was invaded by a Coalition of countries led by the United States, and Saddam Hussein was overthrown. Iraq has been through a lot of violence and turmoil since then, but is slowly rebuilding.