Iraq's culture, like no other country, has a rich heritage dating back over 5,000 years. Iraq has one of the oldest cultural histories and its legacy has influenced the ethics, religion and way of life of other countries. In early history, the land between the two rivers in central Iraq was common to all as the "Fertile Crescent"; in which saw the rise and fall of many colonies and empires. The territory of Iraq is as large as the state of California and covers approximately 169,235 square miles. The Iraqi people are made up of Arabs and Kurds, maintaining close ties with each other based on ethnicity, religion, language and tribe. Most Iraqis are modest farmers just trying to make ends meet. The country's national religion is Muslim and the national language is Modern Standard Arabic. Although the lifestyle of Iraqis has changed recently due to time and modernization, some things in their culture will never change. The same customs and courtesies have been customary for thousands of years and are still in effect today. The Country of Iraq: Iraq is in the middle of other desert countries with many of the same similarities, such as Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. , Syria and Turkey. The country has eighteen different provinces, with Baghdad as its capital. Iraq has three types of terrain features that make it easy to identify which part of the country you are in. The desert is in the west of the country and is little inhibited. In the north of the country is a mainly mountainous area with a peak reaching 3,600 meters. Between the Tigris and the Euphrates there are many fertile valleys. These two rivers flow from the northwest of the country to the middle of paper...... 2005Harper, Damian and Fallon, Steve. “Culture: the arts. » China 9th ed. May 2005 “International Religious Freedom Report 2007: China”. Chinadaily.com. China Daily. September 14, 2007. Leffman, David and Lewis, Scott. “Contexts: Art. » The rough guide to China 4th ed. 2005 Leffman, David and Lewis, Scott. "Contexts: The Martial Arts of China." The Rough Guide to China 4th ed. 2005 MacKinnon, Mark. "The Future of Cantonese." Cantonais.sheik.co.uk. Toronto Globe and Courier. November 21, 2009 "The people.” CIA Global Information Handbook November 25, 2009. Roberts, Sam. “In 2025, India Will Overtake China in Population, US Estimates.” New York Times online. December 15, 2009 Rutherford, Scott. “An Insightful Guide: China, 9th ed. “Ten Things About China and Climate Change.” Heritage.org. The Heritage Foundation November 2. 2009