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two non-Arab countries that border Iraq are Turkey, which lies to
the north, and Iran, to the east.
T
HE
R
IVERS
Centuries before the name “Iraq” was used, the Greeks called the
area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers “Mesopotamia,” which
means “between the rivers.” It is along these rivers—especially at
Baghdad and to the south—where most of Iraq’s people have settled
and where the country’s heaviest industries have developed. From
very early times, an
irrigation
system was developed that allowed
agriculture to expand into the land between the two rivers. Thus the
rivers have made the land fertile, helping people fortunate enough to
live there to prosper.
The Tigris River has its source in the mountains of eastern
Turkey. It enters Iraq in the far north and zigzags southeast
through the country for 881 miles (1,418 km). After flowing through
Baghdad, Iraq’s capital city, the Tigris continues southeast to the
town of Al Qurnah, where it meets the Euphrates River. The united
rivers then become the Shatt al Arab, which flows south for about
100 miles (161 km) before entering the Persian Gulf. For much of
this distance the river marks Iraq’s southeastern border with Iran.
For centuries, the Tigris River flooded in late winter and early
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RAQ
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alluvial—related to river-deposited materials like silt laid down on floodplains and deltas.
irrigation—to supply water to farmland by artificial means, such as diverting it from a river or other
water source, or by spraying it onto the land.
wadi—an dry streambed that may flood after heavy rains.
Words to Understand in This Chapter