Why is it in the news?
A US refuelling aircraft crash in western Iraq resulted in casualties.
The incident brought attention to Iraq’s geographical and strategic features.
Category: Geography
Important Points:
● Iraq is a country located in Western Asia.
● It shares borders with Iran, Kuwait, Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
● It has a coastline along the northern end of the Persian Gulf.
● The capital city of Iraq is Baghdad.
● The climate is mainly continental, subtropical semi-arid with Mediterranean conditions in the north.
● The major mountain range includes the Sinjar Mountains with the highest peak around 1,356 metres.
● Major rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates.
● Important lakes include Habbaniya and Razzaza.
● Western and southern regions are dominated by desert landscapes with resources like oil and natural gas.