Iraq itself is a country, with its capital Baghdad. The Republic of Iraq is located in the southwest of Asia and the northeast of Arabian Peninsula, with many countries bordering it, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in the south, Turkey in the north, Syria in the northwest, and Iran and Jordan on its east and west sides. Arabs account for about 73% of the country's total population, and Kurds account for about 21%. Muslims in the country account for about 95% of the population, of which Shia Muslims account for 54.5% and Sunni Muslims account for 4.5%. The official language is Arabic, the official language in the northern Kurdish region is Kurdish, and some residents in the eastern region speak Persian.

The area where the Republic of Iraq is located was once called Mesopotamia in history, and it is one of the main cradles of human civilization. The oil industry is the economic pillar of Iraq, and its crude oil reserves rank fourth in the world, second only to Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran.