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spring because of rains in the north. However, in the 1950s the
Samarra Dam was built in central Iraq. When the river level is par-
ticularly high, the dam helps divert water into the Tharthar
Reservoir, where it can be stored for later use.
Like the Tigris, the Euphrates River also originates in Turkey. It
flows first through Syria and then enters Iraq in the northwest,
running through the country for 743 miles (1,196 km). The
Euphrates flows along a channel that is roughly parallel to that of
the Tigris. As they flow through Iraq, the two rivers are between 25
and 100 miles (40 and 161 km) apart. Eventually, the Euphrates
joins the Tigris at Al Qurnah.
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Iraq’s terrain consists
mostly of low-lying plains and
desert. The north and northeast
are mountainous; marshes cover
parts of the southeast, along the
border with Iran.