Khomeini died in 1989. Iran then chose
a new religious leader, Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei continued the government’s
strict policies. He worked with the
country’s presidents. However, Khamenei
and other religious leaders still controlled
much of the government.
..More to explore
Iran-IraqWar • Islam • Middle East
• Persia • Tehran
A woman weaves a carpet on a large loom
in Iran. Traditional carpets from Iran are
known for their fine quality and design.
Facts About
IRAN
Population
(2008 estimate)
72,269,000
Area
636,374 sq mi
(1,648,200 sq
km)
Capital
Tehran
Form of
government
Islamic republic
Major cities
Tehran, Mashhad,
Esfahan,
Tabriz, Shiraz
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Iran 149
Iran-IraqWar
Differences between the neighboring
countries of Iran and Iraq led to war in
1980. The fighting lasted for eight years.
The Iran-IraqWar brought terrible
destruction to both countries but ended
with no clear winner.
Background
In 1979 there was a revolution in Iran.
A strict religious leader named Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini came to power.
Saddam Hussein, the leader of Iraq, did
not want the revolution to spread to his
country. He was also angry at Iran for
supporting the Kurds, a minority group,
in a rebellion against Iraq.
Iran and Iraq had disagreed for years
over an oil-producing area on their border.
Saddam Hussein wanted to take
control of the region, which is in southwestern
Iran. He used this land dispute
as an excuse to start a war.
Events of theWar
Iraq invaded Iran by surprise in September
1980. Iraq won a few early victories.
However, Iran did not give up as Saddam
Hussein had expected. By mid-
1982 Iran had won back almost all the
land that Iraq had taken. Then Iranian
forces pushed into Iraq.
For the next five years the two sides were
evenly matched. Both suffered heavy
losses. Iran and Iraq bombed each other’s
cities, oil fields, and tanker ships,
which were used for shipping oil. Iraq
got help from many countries, including
the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and the
United States.
Neither country obeyed the usual rules
of war. Iraq used many chemical weapons.
That had not been done by any
country sinceWorldWar I (1914–18).
Iran cleared minefields by forcing young
village boys to walk through them.
In 1987 Iraq started winning the war. In
1988 Iran accepted an agreement to end
the fighting. At least 1 million people
were killed or injured.
Peace talks continued until 1990. The
countries agreed to share control of a
river on their border. Iraqi troops left
Iran in 1991. The last prisoners of war
were exchanged in 2003.
#More to explore
Iran • Iraq
An Iraqi soldier crouches behind cover during
the Iran-Iraq War.
150 Iran-Iraq War BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Iraq
The country of Iraq covers the ancient
region of Mesopotamia, a Greek word
meaning “land between the rivers.”
Those ancient rivers, the Tigris and the
Euphrates, still run through Iraq. Today
Iraq is one of the world’s leading oil
producers. Baghdad is the capital and
largest city.
Geography
Iraq is located in Southwest Asia in the
region known as the Middle East. It
borders Turkey, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia,
Jordan, and Syria. Iraq has a short
coastline on the Persian Gulf.
The central and southeastern parts of
the country are plains with many lakes.
Marshy lowlands surround the area
where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
meet, near the Persian Gulf. North of
the plains, between the rivers, is a dry
area known as Al-Jazirah.Western and
southern Iraq is a vast desert. Highlands
in the northeast include the mountainous
region known as Kurdistan.
The plains and deserts have very hot
summers and mild winters. Those
regions receive little rainfall. The northeast
is cooler and wetter, especially in the
mountains.
Plants and Animals
Iraq has many date trees but very few
forests.Willows, poplars, and licorice
plants grow along the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers. Reeds and tall grasses cover
the marshlands. There are few plants in
the deserts or on the dry plains.
The wild animals of Iraq include hyenas,
pigs, jackals, foxes, and rabbits. Among
the many varieties of birds are ducks,
The minaret, or tower, of a
mosque in Samarra, Iraq, spirals
to a height of about 170 feet (52
meters).
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Iraq 151
partridges, snipes, and herons. People
raise water buffalo in the marshlands.
People
Arabs make up the majority of Iraq’s
population. They speak Arabic, which is
the country’s main language. The Kurds
form the next-largest group. They speak
Kurdish and live mainly in the north
and northeast. Almost all Iraqis are
Muslims.
Most Iraqis live in cities and towns,
where they lead modern lifestyles. Many
rural Iraqis farm the land or raise livestock.
Economy
Wars in the late 20th and early 21st centuries
badly hurt Iraq’s economy. However,
oil still provides almost all of Iraq’s
earnings from trade. Iraq also produces
oil products, chemicals, construction
materials, and processed foods. It
imports food, medicine, and other
goods.
Farming is another important part of the
economy. Crops include wheat, dates,
potatoes, tomatoes, barley, watermelons,
oranges, grapes, and cucumbers. Iraqis
