Republic of Iraq
Iraq, 2003 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
In 2003, U.S.-led coalition forces invaded and occupied Iraq, overthrowing the government and triggering an insurgency and sectarian violence during the Iraq War, which ended in 2011. From 2013 to 2017, Iraq faced another major conflict with the rise and defeat of the Islamic State. A federal parliamentary republic, Iraq is considered an emerging middle power. At present, Iraq is in the process of reconstruction.
Seat of power: Baghdad
Rulers
Ayad Allawi
Prime Minister of Iraq, 2003–2005
He was interim prime minister of Iraq from 2004 to 2005. He became Iraq's first head of government since Saddam Hussein when the council dissolved on 1 June 2004, and named him prime minister of the Iraqi Interim Government.
Mohammad Bahr al-Ulloum
Prime Minister of Iraq, 2003–2004
He served as the President of the Governing Council of Iraq. He was a long time opponent of the rule of Saddam Hussein.
Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer
President of Iraq, 2004–2005
He was interim president of Iraq under the Iraqi Interim Government from 2004 to 2005. In 2004 he was appointed by the council to serve as interim President of Iraq following the 28 June return of Iraqi sovereignty from the Coalition Provisional Authority.
Portrait of Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer: Staff Sgt. Angelique Perez, U.S. Air Force, Public domain, file
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Jalal Talabani
President of Iraq, 2005–2014
He served as the 6th president of Iraq from 2005 to 2014. Talabani was the founder and secretary-general of one of the main Kurdish political parties, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
Portrait of Jalal Talabani: The original uploader was Wirya at English Wikipedia., Public domain, file
Fuad Masum
President of Iraq, 2014–2018
He served as the president of Iraq from 24 July 2014 to 2 October 2018. He was elected as president following the 2014 parliamentary election.
Barham Salih
President of Iraq, 2018–2022
He served as the president of Iraq from 2018 to 2022. He was elected and assumed office as president of Iraq on 2 October 2018.
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Nizar Amidi
President of Iraq, 2022 to today
He has served as president of Iraq since 2026. A member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), he previously served as the minister of environment in the government of prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani from 2022 to 2024.
Portrait of Nizar Amidi: المكتب الإعلامي لرئيس الوزراء (يوتيوب), CC BY 4.0, file
Abdul Latif Rashid
President of Iraq, 2022–2026
He served as the president of Iraq from 2022 to 2026. He was previously the Minister of Water Resources under the government of Nouri al-Maliki.
Portrait of Abdul Latif Rashid: M.Hasan Zarifmanesh, CC BY 4.0, file
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Culture
- Arabic and Kurdish are the official languages of Iraq, while Assyrian (Suret), Turkmen and Mandaic are spoken regionally.
- Iraqis are ethnically diverse; mostly Iraqi Arabs, as well as Kurds, Turkmens, Yazidis, Assyrians, Armenians, Doms, and Shabaks.
- Most Iraqis are Muslims, while significant religious minorities include Christians, Jews, Mandaeans, Yarsanis, and Yazidis.
Picture
Baghdad is the capital and largest city in Iraq, located on the banks of the Tigris.
Image: USACE HQ , JIM GORDAN, CIV, USACE, Public domain, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.