Iraq
Asia · Capital: Baghdad
How it is run: Iraq is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Iraq is home to 47.0 million people in Western Asia, where people speak Arabic, Aramaic, Sorani.
Numbers that tell a story 🔢
👥 People
47.0 million people
That is 0.6% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
🗺️ Land
438,317 km²
Bigger than Texas — a long road trip from one side to the other.
🏙️ How crowded
About 107 people per square kilometre — busy towns with countryside in between.
📊 Size in its region
14th most people in Asia
16th largest by land in Asia.
🗣️ Official languages
Arabic, Aramaic, Sorani
More than one language is used for official business.
💰 Money
Iraqi dinar (ع.د)
Life here today 🩺
These come from World Bank open data — the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
❤️ How long people live
72.4 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
💼 Money made per person each year
about US$5,410
A lower-middle-income country: incomes are rising, but many families still farm or work informally.
🏢 Living in cities
69.9% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
🎒 Kids under 15
36% of the population
A very young country — schools have to be built quickly.
Everyday details 🧭
📞 Phone code
+964
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
🌐 Websites end in
.iq
🧑 People here are called
Iraqi
🏷️ Name at home
العراق · ܩܘܼܛܢܵܐ · کۆماری
Also written: Republic of Iraq, Jumhūriyyat al-‘Irāq.
🌊 Coast or inland
Has a coastline
🕊️ UN voting group
Asia and the Pacific Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders 🤝
Iraq touches 6 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world 🗣️
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Irak
French
Irak
Arabic
العراق
Chinese
伊拉克
Japanese
イラク
Russian
Ирак
Portuguese
Iraque
German
Irak
Put it in perspective 📏
- India — the most populated country in Asia — has about 31.1× as many people as Iraq.
- Iraq covers roughly 4,174 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Iraq lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 23,510 km.
Fast facts 🧠
Fact of the day: Iraq sits in the temperate zone, the belt where most of the world's farms and big cities are.
🏷️ Official name
Republic of Iraq
🏙️ Capital
Baghdad
🌍 Region
Asia · Western Asia
🔤 Country code
IQ
🕊️ UN status
UN member state
🚩 Independence
Independent country
More about Iraq 🔎
🧭 Where on the map
33.0° N, 44.0° E
🌐 Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
🕰️ Clock check
Roughly UTC+3 — when it is noon in London it is about 15:00 in Baghdad.
- Iraq is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly — the same as every other member, big or small.
- Iraq is close to the line of 0° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
- Iraq sits in the temperate zone, the belt where most of the world's farms and big cities are.
- Iraq sits in Western Asia, in the northern and eastern half of the globe.
- Iraq is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
Countries nearby 🤝
Talk about it 💬
- Iraq has 3 official languages. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Iraq can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Iraq spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz 🧪
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Iraq?
Baghdad
Which money do people spend in Iraq?
Iraqi dinar (ع.د)
How many countries share a land border with Iraq?
6 — Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Türkiye.
Roughly how many people live in Iraq?
47.0 million people
Keep researching 🔍
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further — and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here — kid-friendly encyclopedias 📚
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources 🏛️
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy 📰
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card 🏫
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians — all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.