Country Profile
Iraq is a country that is part of the Middle East which is located between Europe and Asia. This is a country with a population of 33.4 million people, most of whom are of Muslim ethnicity. Iraq has been scene of extreme political violence, human suffering, and wars. Currently, Iraq is an Islamic, democratic, parliamentary republic with Jalal Talabani as the president and the Prime Minister being Nouri al-Maliki. America and Iraq have been at war with each other since early 2003 after the terrorist attack of 911. This war has left millions of Iraqi citizens dead and feeling the country and has lead to other political issues both within and out of the country.
The People
Shiites is the largest ethnicity in Iraq followed by the Sunnis. In Iraq men make up the majority in the workplace and political power. Women still do not have very many rights and have less/no power.
Language
The two official languages in Iraq are: Arabic and Kurdish. With other regional languages such as: Aramaic, South Azeri, Armenia, and Persian can also be found in Iraq.
Religion
Islam is the predominant religion in Iraq with about 97% of the population following. Christianity is the second religion that is found in Iraq.
Arrival in U.S.
In the past decade is when we have seen a increasing in Iraqis fleeing to the United States. Before that there were not many Iraqis fleeing to America and this could be due to issues within Iraq.
Minnesota Population
There are about 2,000 Iraqis living in Minnesota. The majority of them have arrived in the past decade.
