Almost 75% of Iraq's population live in the flat, alluvial plain stretching southeast toward Baghdad and Basra to the Persian Gulf. The Tigris River and the Euphrates River carry about 70 million cubic meters of silt annually to the delta. Known in ancient times as Mesopotamia, the region is the legendary locale of the Garden of Eden. The ruins of Ur, Babylon, and other ancient cities are here.

Iraq's two largest ethnic groups are Arabs and Kurds. Other distinct groups are Turkomans, Assyrians, Iranians, Lurs, and Armenians. Arabic is the most commonly spoken language. Kurdish is spoken in the north, and English is the most commonly spoken Western language.

Most Iraqi Muslims are members of the Shiitess (Shi'a), but there is a large Sunni Muslim population as well, made up of both Arabs and Kurds. Small communities of Christians, Jews, Bahá'ís, Mandaeans, and Yezidis also exist. Most Kurds are Sunni Muslim but differ from their Arab neighbors in language, dress, and customs.

Population: 24,683,313 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 40.7% (male 5,103,669; female 4,946,443)
15-64 years: 56.3% (male 7,033,268; female 6,855,644)
65 years and over: 3% (male 348,790; female 395,499) (2003 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.78% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 33.66 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 5.84 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 62.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 67.81 years
male: 66.7 years
female: 68.99 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.52 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi

Ethnic groups: Arab 75-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 3%-5%

Religions: Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%

Languages: Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58%
male: 70.7%
female: 45% (1995 est.)

See also : Iraq, Arab Tribes in Iraq