Short answers, pulled from the story.
Iraq contains Mesopotamia, the birthplace of early civilizations like Sumer and Babylonia. The region gained formal independence in 1932 after emerging from Ottoman rule following World War I.
Baghdad was founded in 762 as the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate during the mid-8th century. This era established Baghdad as a global hub for culture, science, and intellectualism before its destruction by Mongols in 1258.
Brigadier General Abd al-Karim Qasim led the 14th of July Revolution which killed King Faisal II and Prince Abd al-Ilah. This anti-imperial revolt established a republic and ended the British-backed monarchy.
The war ending in stalemate in 1988 resulted in the deaths of between half a million and 1.5 million people. The conflict began when Saddam Hussein declared war on Iran in September 1980.
Iraq has been in a prolonged drought since 2020 with water flows in the Tigris and Euphrates down between 30 and 40%. Nearly 40% of the country is overtaken by blowing desert sands threatening tens of thousands of acres of arable land annually.