Historical Achievements | Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Washington, D.C. (2024)

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What are some achievements of Iraq? ›

Iraq is the birthplace of many significant historical achievements that affect life around the world today, from the earliest known writing system and innovations in irrigation to important agricultural developments like the first wheel and the first seed plow to significant scientific achievements like the division of ...

Its people developed and devised many things that we take for granted today, from the wheel to schools. They invented irrigation systems to water crops, divided time into 60-second minutes and 60-minute hours, and created writing – one of the most important developments in human history.

The country now called Iraq has been a cradle of civilization since 4800 BC. The first systems of writing and of justice are believed to have originated in Sumeria and Babylon, now Iraq. The name “Iraq” derives from Arabic, meaning “the fertile.” This land has nurtured diverse religions and ethnic groups.

The country has the third largest oil reserves in the world after Venezuela and Saudi Arabia and is a leading center of oil and gas industry. Since its independence, Iraq has experienced spells of significant economic and military growth and briefer instability including wars.

The war was part of a broader campaign against terrorist activity known as the Global War on Terror. States like these and their terrorist allies constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world. By seeking weapons of mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing danger….

Petroleum and natural gas

Petroleum is Iraq's most valuable mineral—the country has some of the world's largest known reserves and, before the Iran-Iraq War, was the second largest oil-exporting state. Oil production contributes the largest single portion to GDP and constitutes almost all of Iraq's foreign exchange.

Iraq is known primarily for its rich maqam heritage which has been passed down orally by the masters of the maqam in an unbroken chain of transmission, leading up to the present. The maqam al-Iraqi is considered to be the most noble and perfect form of maqam.

Oil was discovered in Iraq in 1927. Iraq has the world's fifth largest petroleum reserves and it is also its most valuable mineral. Oil contributes the largest portion of GDP and constitutes most of Iraq's foreign exchange. It has traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings.

Apart from petroleum, Iraq's other natural resources include natural gas, phosphates and sulphur. Its national currency is the dinar. The country has a varied landscape, which includes areas of desert, mountains and fertile regions.

Six countries share borders with Iraq

The Persian Gulf lies along its southeast coast. The capital is Baghdad, this is also the largest city in Iraq. The population of Iraq, as of 2022, is almost 41 million. The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish.

What was Iraq's old name? ›

During ancient times, lands that now constitute Iraq were known as Mesopotamia (“Land Between the Rivers”), a region whose extensive alluvial plains gave rise to some of the world's earliest civilizations, including those of Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, and Assyria.

Today's reality is far less poetic. These are the lands of Iraq, which were once adorned with green; rich, and fertile. Yet, we see them today while sand creeps over them slowly and fills the air. People of Iraq, who used to welcome the rain with cheerful faces, now cover their faces because it is raining dust.

Around 4800 BC, Sumerians were the very first people to settle in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), marking the emergence of the first human civilization. The Sumerians were the very first people to settle into Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 4800 BC marking the emergence of the first human civilization.

The Persian Gulf lies along its southeast coast. The capital is Baghdad, this is also the largest city in Iraq. The population of Iraq, as of 2022, is almost 41 million. The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish.

Apart from petroleum, Iraq's other natural resources include natural gas, phosphates and sulphur. Its national currency is the dinar. The country has a varied landscape, which includes areas of desert, mountains and fertile regions.