Iraq

Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, was a 437,072 km2 country in Western Asia.

Description
Iraq bordered Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Kuwait to the southeast, Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the southwest, and Syria to the west. The capital, Baghdad, was in the center of the country and its largest city.

Geology & Climate
Iraq had a narrow section of coastline measuring 58 km on the northern Persian Gulf and its territory encompassed the Mesopotamian Plain, the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, and the eastern part of the Syrian Desert. Two major rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, ran south through the center of Iraq and flowed into the Shatt al-Arab near the Persian Gulf. These rivers provided Iraq with significant amounts of fertile land.

 Iraq mainly consisted of desert, but near the two major rivers are fertile alluvial plains. The north of the country was mostly composed of mountains; the highest point being at 3,611 m point, known locally as Cheekah Dar.

Climate
 Most of Iraq has a hot arid climate with subtropical influence. Summer temperatures average above 40 °C for most of the country and frequently exceed 48 °C. Winter temperatures infrequently exceed 21 °C with maxima roughly 15 to 19 °C and night-time lows 2 to 5 °C. Typically precipitation is low; most places receive less than 250 mm annually, with maximum rainfall occurring during the winter months. Rainfall during the summer is extremely rare, except in the far north of the country. The northern mountainous regions have cold winters with occasional heavy snows, sometimes causing extensive flooding.

History
Iraq's pre United Earth borders were mostly demarcated in 1920 by the League of Nations when the Ottoman Empire was divided. The region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is often referred to as Mesopotamia and thought to be the birthplace of writing and the world's oldest civilizations. The area has been home to continuous successive civilizations since the 6th millennium BCE.

Economy
Pre ascent, oil production provided about 95% of Iraq’s Gross National Product (GNP). However, because that sector provided few jobs, public sector employment accounted for nearly 60% of full-time employment.

Due to deep-rooted corruption and the fact that Iraq was virtually obliterated during Earth’s World War III, this area never did really fully recover during the UE period. It was only after the Union was established that Mesopotamia recovered. Today oil production is a minor part (2-3%) of Gross Regional Product. Trade and agriculture account for some 57% of GRP, with public sector employment filling the rest.