Iraq is a country in the Middle East, bordered by countries including Iran, Turkey, and Syria. It has a rich cultural history as the site of ancient Mesopotamia, one of the world’s earliest civilizations. Iraq covers a land area of approximately 437,072 square kilometers (168,754 square miles) and has a population of around 44 million people as of 2024. The capital city is Baghdad, which has long been a center of learning and culture in the Arab world.