Dhi Qar Governorate (Arabic: ذي قار, romanizedThi Qār, Arabic: [ðiː qɑːr]) is a governorate in southern Iraq, in the Arabian Peninsula. The provincial capital is Nasiriyah. Prior to 1976 the governorate was known as Muntafiq Governorate. Thi Qar was the heartland of the ancient Iraqi civilization of Sumer, and includes the ruins of Ur, Eridu, Lagash, Larsa, Girsu, Umma, and Bad-tibira. The southern area of the governorate is covered by Mesopotamian Marshes.

Thi Qar
ذي قار
Thi Qar Province
Official seal of Thi Qar
Location of Thi Qar
Coordinates: 31°14′N 46°19′E / 31.233°N 46.317°E / 31.233; 46.317
Country Iraq
CapitalNasiriyah
GovernorMortada Aboud al-Ibrahimi
Area
 • Total
12,900 km2 (5,000 sq mi)
Population
 (2018[1])
 • Total
2,095,172
HDI (2021)0.684[2]
medium

History

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Ancient history

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Battle of Dhi Qar

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Government

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  • Governor: Yahia Nasseri
  • Deputy Governor: Ahmed al-Sheik Taha[3]
  • Governorate Council Chairman (GCC): Ihsan Al-Taei[4]

Modern Dhi Qar

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The governorate includes the towns of al-Rifai, Qalat Sukkar, Ash Shatrah, al-Gharraf, Suq esh-Shuyuk, Khamisiyah, al-Chibayish and al-Dawaya.

In the mid-1990s the governor was Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti, who later became police chief of the country, and in 1999, director of the Iraqi Intelligence Service.[5]

Demographics

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The population is approximately 2,000,000, predominantly Shia Arab. The southern marshes have traditionally been home to many Marsh Arabs.

As of 2007, the area is very poor, with an unemployment rate of 17% and a poverty rate of 37%.[6]

Districts

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Citypopulation.de
  2. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  3. ^ Paley, Amit R. (19 January 2008). "Dozens Killed in Clashes In S. Iraq". Washington Post. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  4. ^ Dorschner, Jon (25 May 2008). "Breathing the Same Air as Iraqi Counterparts". Embassy of the United States, Baghdad. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  5. ^ excerpt from Suskind's book, on Suskind's webpage Archived 2009-01-05 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "IAU - Iraq Information Portal (Thi-Qar)". www.iau-iraq.org. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
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